Welcome to the forum, Nicole. Glad you joined us.
First let me say that you are likely to get a whole lot of conflicting advice on here. We keep chickens in so many different circumstances and conditions that there is hardly ever a right or wrong answer to anything. It’s more a case of what works for you in your unique circumstances.
Are you going to have electricity in your coop? If you are, there is absolutely no reason the chicks can’t go out there on Day 1. I’ve got a 3’ x 6’ brooder permanently built into my 8’ x 12’ coop. My wife would leave me if I tried to raise chicks in the house. They put out a lot of dust, are loud, and just might stink a bit.
I don’t know how big a coop you are planning on building so I can’t go into too much detail in recommendations for you in your unique situation. I don’t know if you could use the entire coop as a brooder or would need to section one area off. I only heat one area of the brooder and let the rest cool off as it will. That’s much like a broody hen. She does not warm the entire universe for her chicks. She warms a small area for them when they need it. A lot of people would be surprised at how much time the chicks spend in cooler areas, whether with a broody or in a brooder that gives them the choice.
So right there is some conflicting advice, 16 weeks versus Day 1. Actually that 16 weeks sounds like someone was going to mix them with an existing flock. I do that at 8 weeks so there is some more differing advice. For some people in certain circumstances 16 weeks is the right age. Some people do it younger than I do.
When can chicks go outside without heat in the temperatures you are talking about when no older chickens are around? It varies some. Part of it depends on what the coop looks like. What you want is a draft-proof coop where the chickens are but one that has good ventilation. A breeze hitting them means wind chill. Not good. Ammonia and moisture can build up in the coop if it’s not ventilated. Ammonia is lighter than air. Warm air rises and carries more moisture with it. If you have some ventilation over their heads when they are sleeping, you are doing it right. Any breezes will be over their heads and the lighter than air stuff can escape.
Part of it depends on how much they are acclimated. If they are used to cooler temperatures they feather out faster so they can better handle cooler temperatures. With my brooder in the coop and by providing heat only at one end and letting the rest really cool down, mine get acclimated well. I’ve put 5 week olds in an unheated grow-out coop at 5 weeks with the overnight lows in the mid-40’s. My grow-out coop has good draft protection and good ventilation. I’ve had 5-1/2 week olds handle temperatures down to the mid-20’s.
I don’t know how you are going to raise yours but I’d be thinking in terms of 5 to 6 weeks, not 16 weeks.
Your Barred Rock should do as well as the others in the heat. Where you are, once your chickens feather out cold will never be a problem. With their down coats, they are just getting comfortable in your winters. Heat is your real danger. Heat can kill any of them. If you could totally free range them during the day they would find enough shade and cool to handle it themselves, but most of us can’t do that. You need to provide as much ventilation as you can in your coop. Don’t worry about a breeze hitting them in the heat. Have ways to provide ventilation below the level they sleep as well as above or even at that roost elevation. Having one entire wall of your coop wire would be good if you can manage it in the summer.
Provide as much shade as you can. Trees, a roof, other buildings, whatever you can. Remember that a roof only provides shade when the sun is overhead. You may need something on the south and west sides as well as a roof.
I don’t mean to frighten you. Many people are very successful in your climate but heat is a real enemy you need to be aware of.
Good luck with it and welcome to the adventure.
