Putting chicks out in coop at 5weeks?

[noahsmom]

Where we live were looking at Temps between 20s-60s and this has been the wildest clutch I've had yet indoors, and ready for them to go outside. Will they be ok to put outside now with a heat lamp? They are feathered almost fully and there is 14 of them. We're making some lower roosts in the coop right now then find a way to connect the heat lamp and put in the pelleted bedding and should be ready to go! I'm not going to give them access to a run yet, worried with these temps they wouldn't go in to get the heat they need and die.
If this sounds Ok, then how far from the coop floor should we connect the heat lamp to provide plenty of heat you think? And should we aim it towards a corner or? I really don't want to risk them dying out in the cold but like I said I've never had a more wild clutch, they escape out of their brooder and wreak havoc in my spare bedroom and my carpet is paying the price! Also with the dust... Maybe I'm just a little more sensitive being 6 months pregnant too lol

Any advice is appreciated?! And our coop is not large I think 4x6 is a close rough estimate.

 

[pfields]

With that small of a coop I would be afraid of a fire or overheating them. They've got to have a way to get out of the heat.

I put my first baby chicks out in the coop (4ft. x16ft.) when they were about the same age but it was March. We put a thermometer on the floor where they were which I could read the temp from inside the house. We have one of those inside/outside weather stations, not expensive at all. Anyway, the light only came on at night and I could monitor the temp and they had plenty of room to get away from the heat if necessary.

 

[pfields]

Since you have power, you can put a heating pad under a towel but yet where it can stay plenty dry and then put a cover over that. I did that with my second batch. I took some hardware cloth and bend down the sides, put the heating pad under a puppy pee pad and then covered the hardware cloth with a towel. They could go inside and stay warm, I kept the pad on low because they generate lots of heat all huddled together. Later I put a plastic dish pan over the heating pad with one end cut out for a door. That also worked great and they loved to jump on to of the pan.

Hope this all makes sense. I understand your wanting them out of the house and also not wanting anything to happen to them.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Oh my yes. Get those things out of your house. Read my post in this thread, Post #4.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1069403/brooder-question

I don’t know how high to put that lamp. It’s going to depend on the wattage of the bulb and your coop a bit. Put the lamp in a corner then put a thermometer on the floor under the lamp to see what temperatures you are getting. If you think you’ll have 70 degrees at the coolest time of night you are good to go. Another very important consideration is that in the far corner, it should be no warmer than 90 degrees at the very most, 70 degrees max would be even better. In that small area too much heat during the day is just as dangerous as too little heat at night if not more so. Watch their behavior and let them tell you if they are too hot or too cold.

My 3’ x 6’ brooder is built in to the coop. I put chicks put there straight from the incubator in the heat of summer or even when it is below freezing in the winter. In the winter I keep one end toasty but the far end sometimes has ice in it in the morning. They stay where they are comfortable.

I’ve had chicks raised in my brooder and exposed to the cold go through overnight temperatures in the mid 20’s Fahrenheit before they were six weeks old with no supplemental heat. They were fully feathered out and acclimated by growing up in my outside brooder. It wasn’t a problem.

I’d suggest in about a week you give them access to that run during the day to start getting them acclimated. One potential problem, especially if your coop is elevated, is that they might not go back in at night. Mine normally don’t at first on my elevated coop, the coop on the ground isn’t a problem. The first nights mine normally huddle on the ground right under the door. I have to pick them up after it is really dark and physically put them inside each night until they get the message.

This sounds like it is not your first rodeo with chicks. I trust you have a larger coop ready for them. 14 chicks are going to quickly outgrow that 4x6 coop pretty fast.

Good luck on the pregnancy. My second grandchild, first grandson, is due early February.

 

[noahsmom]

Thanks for all the great info! This helps me think about things a little more clearly... I don't worry about anything catching on fire especially since we keep it at least 68 in here and our lamp is 250watt and have never had any issues with over heating the brooder or the chicks. Our brooder isn't very big and believe they are getting a little more wild because of the size too.
Also, at the most we plan to keep 10 but these chicks are to young for me to figure out which are roosters and hens. I just want one rooster and the rest hens. I'm more likely shooting for 6-8 in this coop. Next year we do plan to have a bigger coop put next to this one and then this one will go for my silkies, I just LOVE them! So sweet and docile.
Right now I have light Sussex, several colors in orpingtons and a couple cream Legbars. It will be hard to give away any of the lemon cuckoo or light Sussex hens though they are my fav!
This is my 3rd clutch indoors and don't think I'll do it again indoors, I'm going to have my husband build a nice size brooder outside.

 

[noahsmom]

Well we've got everything set up for them in the coop including heat lamp and heated waterer. I just put them out there and so worried, some Fluffed up immediately as if to tell me I'm crazy for putting them outside so cold lol! My little black Orpington was the least happy with me but the light Sussex seem to acclimate so quickly. Once I showed them where their food and water were the light Sussex came right over to check things out. Makes me feel good to know at least a few will know exactly where to find the food and water as I know the others will follow their lead.

I put the feeder on the ground for now just to get them use to their new surroundings but will raise some here in the next few days. Wish us luck they do Ok!! And thanks so much for all the help, I thought the lamp would really heat the coop up but I believe because there's so much ventilation it won't get to warm. I aimed it towards one corner mainly even though it doesn't appear that way but so they can get away from
It if need be.

 

[Weehopper]

Very nice set up.

 

[pfields]

Yes, very nice.