Need advice, before I put inside birds outside in this weather

[Crickett B]

I have 4 birds fully feathered, all over about 5 to 6 months, that I bought from the feed store, they had been inside there. I have had them for a week inside, now I NEED to move them to an outside holding, wire, extra large (golden retriever sized) dog crate. (too big to bring inside) I have covered it with a blanket to cut down some of the draft. The weather here has taken a change for the down right cold though. Wind gust up to 20mph and the 5 day forcast is as follows: 39/18 today, rest of week = 31/14, 36/18, 45/29, 47/27. Should I put some sort of heat lamp in there with them as well? My house normal is about 65-68 in the laundry area, where they have been for the week.
What else can I do with them, to get them outside?
Thank you for your help with this....
Crickett

 

[Judy]

It would be better if you'd taken them out for increasing lengths of time to get them used to it, but they should be fine if they are fully feathered. They are way past old enough at that age. But they need a vent at the top to let the humid ammonia-ey air out. And that will be crowded for them; I hope you will let them out early morning.


Sounds like you got the cart before the horse here; where are they going to live?

 

[chicmom]

Hi Cricket! Are you keeping the dog crate in the garage or another building? I'm hoping so, because a raccoon or other predator will be able to just reach in there and tear your hens apart. (So sorry to be so graphic).

 

[Crickett B]

Quote:
I semi agree with you on the horse cart thing

I've only had them for a week in the house, before that they were in the feed store. I was not expecting this weather, as when I bought them, the weather was in the high 50's and low 60's during the day, and probably high 30's to mid 40's at night. We live in the blue ridge mountains in Georgia, (that is on the TN, NC statelines) Then we had this "cold crap" come visit.

I have 23 outside chickens in wrapped pen. They are only there at night, since all my birds free range during the day. These 4 are in that quaratine stage, prior to adding them to the main flock .

The cage outside is rather large, as I stated. I have a blanket covering 3 sides (long sides and back side and can wrap the front if needed though) as well as plywood on top in case it rains or snows (as flurries have been dropping early and late nights). I went ahead and hooked up a lamp in there as well. I stuck them out early this morning, so I could clean the inside crate out.

My other issue are my 7 babies (less than 2 months not fully feathered) who have out grown the cage they were in, and they can't go out in this crap, so I was going to use the cage the 4 were in and put the babies in that for more room and to seperate them (4 smaller in one, the bigger 3 in the other)

 

[Crickett B]

Quote:
The only other out building I have is a three sided shed to put the crate in

Not that there arent racoons here, as I know we have them.......So far

I have been lucky and not had any visit in the time I have had the outside chickens (since end of July) Only darn thing that has killed any thing here, has been my own stupid dog, who can't get to the chickens anymore.