Need advice on Moving Fall Chicks Outdoors

[Cloew88]

Hello - I have chicks turning 6 weeks old this week currently living in our basement with no lamp and spending their days outdoors.

I know most of the time they can move to the coop this age but I haven’t found info on how to navigate this with fall chicks as the weather is getting colder and not warmer.

There are 14 of them and I have the following breeds: Orphingtons, sexlinks (red, black, cinnamon queen, golden comet), Welsummer, polish and Easter eggers and a black maran. I’ve attached a picture of them and their feathers along with the weather forecast - temps are dipping fast!

Any advice on how to make the transition safely would be great.

 

[azygous]

What is your location?

How long have the chicks been weaned off heat?

What temperature average are they accustomed to?

Do you have an adult flock?

What is your coop and run situation? Size? Degree of cover and shelter from direct effects of the weather?

Usually, a brief period of acclimatization will suffice to comfortably switch chicks of this age to outdoor living.

 

[Ridgerunner]

My main questions are about your coop. How good is the wind protection down at the level where the chicks will be? Does it have decent ventilation? If they can get out of a direct wind and you have decent ventilation I think you are OK now.

I've had chicks go through nights in the mid 20's with no supplemental heat when they were younger than yours are now. They were acclimated. I don't know how cold your basement has been getting at night.

You have them out there today, I'd leave them out there tonight and from now on. Let them get acclimated out there as the weather drops.

 

[Cloew88]

thanks for the reply! This is really helpful. Their coop is in a, enclosed metal shed, so really good protection from drafts & wind. We currently have one air vent up high. We plan to add one more vent this week, but haven't yet.

We just have to complete waterproofing the coop floor and adding the bedding - we will work on it today but it may take a couple of days. I could move their brooder out there starting tonight though.. thats a good idea. Do you think one vent is enough for a couple of days?

Thanks again!

 

[Ridgerunner]

Do you think one vent is enough for a couple of days?

Probably. The main worry about high humidity in the coop is frostbite. If it's not below freezing you don't need to worry about frostbite. I am not looking at your coop or the vent so I don't know how effective anything is but I'd probably do it.

 

[Cloew88]

Probably. The main worry about high humidity in the coop is frostbite. If it's not below freezing you don't need to worry about frostbite. I am not looking at your coop or the vent so I don't know how effective anything is but I'd probably do it.

Thanks! I left them out last night and they did great