Outside to Coop

[Kenzie22]

Hello, I have chicks hatching today, the temp outside right now is 85-90 degrees F. How soon can they go into the “brooder coop”. Once they are in it, they will not have access to a heat lamp but there is an insulated closed in part.

 

[nuthatched]

I think they can go out right away, may heat at night.

 

[BoundlessLove]

What is your night time temp?

 

[Kenzie22]

What is your night time temp?

68-70.

 

[BoundlessLove]

They will need a heat source at night.

 

[Kenzie22]

How old do they need to be to not need a heat source at all outside?

 

[BoundlessLove]

It depends on how quickly they feather out and the outside temperature.
In the late spring/summer, I usually wean them off of the heat lamp at night and by 4-5 weeks or so they are ready to go outside.

 

[kattabelly]

How many are you hatching? My house is slightly cooler than those nighttime temps and I take chicks off heat at around 7-10 days old - maybe up to 2 weeks if there's only a few of them. They get a cardboard box or pet carrier with some hay in the bottom to snuggle up in at night and they're fine.

 

[Kenzie22]

How many are you hatching? My house is slightly cooler than those nighttime temps and I take chicks off heat at around 7-10 days old - maybe up to 2 weeks if there's only a few of them. They get a cardboard box or pet carrier with some hay in the bottom to snuggle up in at night and they're fine.

They are currently hatching, so no way to tell for sure yet but could be around 30

 

[kattabelly]

They are currently hatching, so no way to tell for sure yet but could be around 30

If your nighttime temps aren't getting below 68 in the brooder coop, I'd expect them to be fine by a week old so long as they have a box or similar to sleep in and know to use it.

If your house is warmer and you plan to have them in there initially, you could give them a night off heat indoors to check how they do before moving them outside overnight.