Question about moving chicks outside

[jettgirl24]

Hi All,

My babies turn 6 weeks old today and have definitely outgrown their brooder. I had planned on finishing their coop on Sunday and them outside today but all of the sudden some bad (and cold) weather has rolled in. It's been pouring rain and windy as heck for three days now but fortunately the coop seems to be staying bone dry and it's virtually draft free as well. What I'm worried about is the temperature. It's supposed to drop down to 36 degrees or so for the next several days.

They are pretty well feathered at this point and have spent quite a bit of time outside on sunny days. I'm going to put up a couple of sheets of plywood to divide their coop in half to about 4' x 7' or so and I'm going to set up their heat lamp of course. I'm wondering if I should rig up a second one too? Also, their brooder is currently in an insulated shed which houses our water heater so it stays quite warm... Around 70 degrees. Will it be too much of a shock to change temps like that or will they be ok as long as they are in a draft free area with the heat lamp to snuggle under?

 

[chicmom]

I know you must be so anxious to get them outside at this age. (I'm in the same boat), but I wouldn't put them out if the weather was terrible........just my humble opinion. I would wait until it was kinda nice out so the transition could be smooth.

Sharon

 

[jettgirl24]

Thank you, that is sort of my gut feeling... I just feel so bad for them cooped up all day in a box that is definitely too small. When I go out to feed and water my roo makes a break for it before I even get the cover off

I've been throwing a sheet down and letting them out in the shed for a few hours when I get home from work but it's not really enough and I can tell they're feeling cramped. I wish I could just let them have the run of the shed but there are way too many places where they could get stuck or hurt if they're unsupervised and I don't have a way to adequately block those areas off.

 

[bigstack]

I took all of my 7 week olds out last night. Boy were they mad this morning. LOL I went out to check on them before work. They all just sat and gave me the stink eye! LOL I hung a heat lamp in the coop and put down the left over pine shavings to make it atleast seem familiar. it got down to the upper 40's last night. They all seemed fine but MAD! LOL I am going to open the coop door to the run tomarrow and see what they think. I think yours should be fine aslong as they have a lil heat and each other. they should be fine. I put out 47 last night. I have the scratches to prove it. LOL They really dont like being put in a plastic tote. I had them in a 5x5 cardboard brooder in the exercise room. They started to get a lil cramped and smelly. Time for them to go. They also kept trying to fly and knocking all the water out of the waterer. That did not help the smell!!! I kept the shavings changed but that many birds and wet shavings..... PHEW!!! They were fine until last week. I guess they know its spring already. They wanted more room and they got it. even if they didn't know it would be outside. haha I can't wait till I finish the new coop. They will love all the extra room and the new huge run!

Good Luck and God Bless!

 

[underground chickenman]

They are a little young for the 30s without supplemental heat, in my opinion. Can you hook up a couple of heat lamps without burning the place down?

UGCM

 

[mboreham1]

just my 2 cents

mine went out at 3 1/2 weeks old, they have the heat lamp, are now 5 weeks old, they feather out much quicker when they are outside. At 6 weeks, absolutely they should be outside, think about wild chickens, they are out in whatever the weather throws at them from day 1. 70 degrees with minimal draft is a palace for the girls!

 

[Joyryder]

Remember chicks are much hardier than we give them credit for. But if delaying the moving out process gives you peace of mind and allows you to sleep without worry, then that's the route you should go. They will never complain about it.