Outside ok?

[MaBell2001]

Hi there! Got my chicks Easter and some are fully feathered out, mist are just about there. Been having day trips in a dog X Pen outside on sunny days. Coop and run was supposed to be done tiday, but frame for run not being delivered until Monday.
So, my question is, if I put the xpen to the coop door, can I go ahead and leave them in coop overnight at average night temps in upper 40s, low 50s with no lamp? Thanks

 

[thebulg]

Maybe? The anser is maybe haha! Generally speaking you want 6+ weeks old and/or temps at solid 70s at night to put chicks out with no heat source. I think 50s and 40s are a risky low temp at 7 weeks old. I dont know that it would necessarily kill one--it could-- but i would worry about the energy used to keep warm and regulate temperature, which would mean that energy isn't being used to develop and grow the chickies.

If you can find a battery lit light of some sort and suspend it in the coop, maybe you could turn it on and check on them well after dark and see where they are in relation to the light? If they choose to sleep under it, they aren't ready to be without a heat source.

 

[azygous]

Since you've been taking them outside on day trips and they are well feathered, they should be acclimated to cooler temps already, barring anything down below 40 at night. In that case, a 100 watt bulb would see them through the night.

 

[Choco Maran]

They should be fine if they are feathered and about 6-8 weeks old. Since they are used to being outdoors during the day I would think they would be fine.