Need adives on getting my 6 week old chicks outside

[FrahmChicks217]

This isn't my first year with chicks. But last year I didn't have any chicks ready to go outside till it was above 50 outside consistently. Like, early May. Well I have 10 6 week old chicks, and within the next two weeks for where I live, we can get pretty low temps at night. But there is a few days in the high 50s. We do have a heat source in our coop (not a heat lamp) just wondering if it would be ok to get the chicks outside on a warmer day and let them stay out there on colder nights with said heat source and since they will be fully feathered by then. They are growing increasingly bored in their brooder in my house. Even with mirrors, hanging bird toys and roosting bars. Even have a dusting bath in there for them. They ahve started to pick on each other, their brooder is 7 ft by 4 ft. I worked for keeping 15 in there last year till 6 weeks. The heat source in the coop only keeps it about 10° warmer then in their enclosed run.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

How big is the coop you want to move them into?

 

[FrahmChicks217]

How big is the coop you want to move them into?

I don't remember the exact size. But its big enough to fit 60 large chickens. I have 23 out there right now. The heat source is over by the roosting bars. And that is were we would set up an area to keep them at, just make sure no poop can land on them at night. It's actually an old detached garage that we turned the back quarter into a coop with nesting boxes and the front three quarters into a run. In also going to set back up the integration area in the run for them as well.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

You want to put them in the coop with the 23 grown chickens?

 

[BigBlueHen53]

I guess I am confused. How big an area are the chicks going to have?

 

[Anon112]

If you can create an area where the chicks can be sheltered by the wind and have access to the heat source (like a brooding plate), I'd think they would be okay. You would definitely want to go out after dark and see if they are doing alright. If they are cheeping or otherwise look like they are in distress, I'd bring them back inside. If they are nicely cuddled under the heat, I'd let them be. Especially if, like you say, they are fully feathered.

 

[FrahmChicks217]

You want to put them in the coop with the 23 grown chickens?

Not just throwing them in there. We would set back up the barriers. Basically an area that they can be in that the big chickens can't get into. With hardware wire. So they can see each other. But not actually get to each other. We took it down after my 3rd set of chicks last year had been out there for about 3 weeks with the older chicks. Easily can get it back up. They have their own access door and tunnel of wire going to the area in the run that we close off to at night.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Ah, I see. Then I think @Anon112's advice is excellent. After 5 weeks they should be fully feathered. They can "cuddle puddle" to stay warm if need be.

 

[FrahmChicks217]

If you can create an area where the chicks can be sheltered by the wind and have access to the heat source (like a brooding plate), I'd think they would be okay. You would definitely want to go out after dark and see if they are doing alright. If they are cheeping or otherwise look like they are in distress, I'd bring them back inside. If they are nicely cuddled under the heat, I'd let them be. Especially if, like you say, they are fully feathered.

Well it's in our coop. Which has no drafts in it. We want to set the integrating area back up and ya, there will be a heat source for them. I just want one make sure they'll be ok out there with some of the over night temps we will be dropping down to.