Question re: 5 week olds from new chick mom.

[Rustic Chicken]

My babies are now 5 weeks old. I just have a few questions that I was hoping you seasoned experts out there could help out with:

1) Is it time to put them out in there coop? They are in a 20 sqft brooder in the garage. They are doing well, but at some point they need to transition to the coops, but I'm just not sure when is a good time. I'm concerned about the heat (live in KY), but they can't stay in the garage (has AC) all summer! The coop has a significant amount of shade trees and will have fans installed after this weekend.
2) Why do my Australorps look so disheveled? The Barred Rocks and Speckled Sussex have beautiful coats but my Australorps seem to be missing small patches of feathers and look like they've been out drinking all night. They seem healthy and happy though. Is this normal for that breed?
3) Some of my "girls" within the same breed have tail feathers that are much larger than the others. Is this normal. Please tell me it is!!!

Thanks for your help!

 

[Ridgerunner]

Chicks are normally fully feathered out at 4 to 5 weeks old, so yours should be able to make the transition to the coop OK from that perspective. It now depends on your mental attitude.

My wife called our Australorps vultures because of the way they looked when they were about that age. It was body configuration as well as feathering. She did warm to them after they got older and started producing a lot of eggs. She likes the sheen on the adult feathers in the sunlight too.

If you post pictures of your "girls", you might get some opinions on sex. It is not unusual at all for chicks to develop feathers at different rates, but there can be a different rate for girls and boys too. It is not a dead giveaway but it can be an indication.

Good luck!

 

[Rustic Chicken]

Thanks for the response. Yes, they do look like mini-vultures! You're wife is so right about that. I will post some pics when I get home to get some expert opinions about gender.

 

[MMPoultryFarms]

your BA seem to take longer to transition least mine did I am assuming your noticing bald spots on the chest behind the wings. maybe down the straight of there backs this is a normal transition. think of it as the furrball fell and the feathers forgot to grow. they will come soon enough. To take a safe route I would check there vent area's closely under light for small mites just to rule that out.
I would move chicks when there fully feathered only if i were you. the BA's will be so beautiful soon as you start to see the green come out of the black you will completely forget how devilish and drunken they looked as peepers

 

[Rustic Chicken]

Perfect description MM! Don't get me wrong, I love them even though they are ugly and I know they will be very beautiful one day. I'm just glad to know that there isn't anything wrong with them. I will check their little vents tonight. This is going to sounds like a stupid question, but can they get mites even though they are in a garage? I will give them a few more weeks before we make the big move!

 

[MMPoultryFarms]

Quote:
Well this is completly theory here. Bird lands on top of garage. (outside) bird has mites. Mites fall off they take the really long adventure of walking down the house, Under the door. OMG birds

the crawl becomes a sprint and wha la we now have mites.
Point being better to be safe then sorry. another suggestion is alays disinfect your shoes before you enter the garage. you step on bird poo or what ever bird is infected you track it inside and chicks are infected its sad but this is how it works in some cases heres a guide I wrote Hope it helps. https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=366516