ready to go outside? ?

[LaQuail]

I have 24 chicks, rir, cornishx, and a few barnyard mix. There all around 2 weeks old. The temp gets down to low 50s at night. I have a old rabbit cage with solid sides on 3 sides and can put a heat lamp in there with them. The cage has wire mesh bottom and top. Do you think they will be fine or should i keep them in a litte longer??

 

[sunflour]

IMO, I would keep them inside until they are fully feathered, 5-6 weeks old. Ready to move to a fully secured outdoor coop. Not just a temperature thing, but still would worry about predators.

But I am an overly concerned chick mom.

 

[ChristieB]

Yeah 6 weeksish once fully feathered

 

[ChickenLegs13]

Mine go outside to a wire cage 3-5 days after hatching. I drape a tarp over the top & side and put a piece of cardboard under the light (to prevent drafts through the wire floor) for them to stand and & sleep on. It was unusually cold this year and was 30* first night I put them out. They formed a nice little circle under the light, didn't pile up or cheep. Next week it got down to 25* one night and I had to lower the light a bit because they started to cheep & pile up.
Biggest thing you have to worry about is the bulb blowing while you're gone or asleep.

 

[djh1982]

Hi.. I'm new to BYC. I had a few questions about this myself.. I have 10 chicks inside... 5 BO and 5 BR.. They are all 6 weeks old this coming Wednesday. I've been wanting to put them outside but here in SC the weather has been crazy. I have them in a 3' x 5' brooder right now that I built. I was planning to move them outside keeping them in that brooder until they are old enough to go in the big girl coop.. Will they be okay in that with a tarp over it along with the brooder light? I was thinking I may have to add on to the brooder because that seems rather small to keep them cooped up in for another 10 weeks.. Also I was wondering if 16 weeks is old enough to add them to my flock of 5 adult GC. What's everyone's thoughts on this?

 

[ChickenLegs13]

Rule of thumb is if they're fully feathered they are ready to face the cold cruel world on their own. In real life by the time they are 6 weeks old the hen has usually weaned them and they are taking care of themselves.
If yours have been warm & cozy in a brooder these last 6 weeks it's possible they haven't fully grown their feathers yet and if you put them outside and have a sudden freezing spell they could be in for a shock.
But you said you would tarp them and have a light so I see no problem with your plan.

When adding them to your flock it's best to add them when they are about the same size as the rest of your flock. All birds have different personalities so there's no set time, what might work for 1 flock will be totally unacceptable for another. There's plenty of threads on this board that give good ideas & info on how to do it.

 

[scott62]

You all have answers the 6400$ question for me I'm new to all of this

 

[scott62]

I do live in north Louisiana I bought them 2weeks ago from the co-op there were that old how do I tell when there fathers out ? What do I look for

 

[ChickenLegs13]

Fully feathered means they have no more fuzz anywhere on their bodies, usually at about 6 weeks old. A few wing, tail & neck feathers does not mean fully feathered.
For all practical purposes, even if they still have fuzzy heads I call them fully feathered enough to no longer need a brooder or light and are ready to face the real world , but it's 80* today here in LA while the rest of the country is shoveling snow.

 

[scott62]

Thank you so much