old enough to spend night outside?

[zumachicks]

hi - my three chicks are now almost six weeks old. i live in malibu and the weather is very mild. their BRAND NEW coop is done!!!!!! they have their feathers and spend all day outside...are they able to spend the night outside now???? they are SO cramped in their "box" at night...I feel so bad....thank you!!!

 

[ChickenToes]

They'll be fine, just leave a light on for them in case they get cold. I put mine outside at 6 weeks and the temps dip down into the 40s at night.

 

[zumachicks]

there is no electricity out there...yikes...still a good idea???? it gets to about 63 degrees at the very coldest....

 

[lovinthechickens]

Hummm, can you get an extention cord out there? dont want to take a chance at them freezing. a warm box to a cold coop is a big change :]

 

[zumachicks]

what would be the youngest you think they could do it without a light????

 

[gumpsgirl]

Send those chicks outside! They will be just fine! If you are that worried about the temperature, then just run an extension cord out to the coop and hook up that heat lamp for another week. Once they are 7 weeks old, they shouldn't need it at all anymore.

 

[pattee]

I just put my chicks out this week-end to their coop (chick withdrawals already!) Ou temp is in the high 40's. They will be 5 weeks tomorrow. I do however have a 250 watt light that hangs and give warmth to the coop...

 

[bangor777]

mine went out at 5 weeks, i live in central maine so it's still pretty cold at night. The coop 'holds' the days heat for quite a while, by morning though it's nippy in there. i had two 100 watt bulbs in there, but they're never under the lights. They seem happy and healthy, no problems at all. We get into the 40s at night. There's 11 of them out there and a deep layer of pine, but they've been sooooo happy outside! Go for it!!

 

[SundownWaterfowl]

My chicks are around 5 weeks old and I just put them outside tonight. There cage has very small wire, so that nothing can reach in. I do have a heat lamp on them at night.

 

[CityGirlintheCountry]

Mine are almost five weeks old and they have spent the last two nights outside. There are 17 of them in a space about 4x4 (I know... I need another coop that's larger!). While they still protest going in at dusk, they have been content as could be both mornings. I don't have electricity out there either and our temps have been in the high 60's both nights. I have about 6" of pine shavings on the floor as well as a low roost about 8" off the floor. They nestled into the shavings and hunker down.