Ready to move outside?

[SamanthaDianne]

Thinking about moving pullets and roo outside. They turned 5 weeks on 11/13. We have had them in the garage with a heating plate up until now. They seem to rarely go under the plate anymore, and look fully feathered. This is our weather forecast this week. Thoughts?

 

[rosemarythyme]

Looks pretty good to me, provided that they've had some exposure to temperatures similar to outside already (most garages aren't well insulated and would fit that criteria, but just making sure there wasn't additional heating inside garage), and that you have a draft free coop for them to use. I raised chicks outdoors from 2 days old with a heating pad in those temps without issue.

 

[drumstick diva]

agree

 

[CindyinSD]

I moved 4 day old chicks to my growout coop with a brooding plate on a night that made it down to 31* F. I know this because I was pretty much awake all night worried and checking on them. The only problem I had was that they didn’t want to sleep under the heating plate and I NEEDED them to sleep there because I was worried.

They did fine. You’re in Texas. Your babies will be fine. They’re probably going to be more comfy than they would be in a TX summer. Chickens do better with cold than excessive heat.

 

[SamanthaDianne]

Looks pretty good to me, provided that they've had some exposure to temperatures similar to outside already (most garages aren't well insulated and would fit that criteria, but just making sure there wasn't additional heating inside garage), and that you have a draft free coop for them to use. I raised chicks outdoors from 2 days old with a heating pad in those temps without issue.

So our garage is insulated up to a point. We have been opening the roll up door while the sun was still out. We live in Texas so when it gets down to 40 that’s freezing to us lol. I just wanted to make sure these little ones aren’t going to be too cold. Do you think I should try to run that heating plate out there? I was going to put them in one or two of the smaller starter coops we have our in the chicken yard. And leave the big girls in their larger open air type coop. We have two of these: https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/innovation-pet-chicken-homestead-coop-222-87
There’s 16 little ones total. Should I keep them in one Small coop for a week just so they can huddle at night to keep warm for this last week of cooler weather, and not worry about the heater plate? The other option is go ahead and split them up into the two small coops or butt them up together. I just want to keep them away from the big girls so they don’t get their pint size butts kicked just yet.

 

[rosemarythyme]

If they already aren't using the heat plate much I doubt they'll need it outside. If it helps you sleep better then you can offer them the option of using the heat plate for a few days to let them adjust, then take it away. But I had my heat pad turned off at week 4.

 

[SamanthaDianne]

If they already aren't using the heat plate much I doubt they'll need it outside. If it helps you sleep better then you can offer them the option of using the heat plate for a few days to let them adjust, then take it away. But I had my heat pad turned off at week 4.

How many weeks should I wait before I openly mix them with the grown girls? After I put them in the little coops outside they will be in the same yard as the rest of the girls, so they will be able to see each other but not get to each other. The existing flock Consists of 4 hens, one of which I think is sterile (I’m only calling her a hen because she is about 8 or 9 months old) 6 pullets who most should be laying within a month or two and one rooster. The little ones are all 5 weeks old. 14 pullets, one roo and one extra mystery from the hatchery. All different breeds we wanted, same as the existing flock.

 

[rosemarythyme]

And at what point can I mix them with the grown girls?

Depends on your set up and how you were planning to manage integration. I do early integration (https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/integrating-new-birds-at-4-weeks-old.72603/ - my own set up is linked in 2nd paragraph). As I brooded outside my chicks and hens had very early exposure to one another and time for them to get used to seeing each other. The chicks started mingling with adults at 2 1/2 weeks and pretty much spent all day with them from 3 weeks on. The idea behind this is adults are less likely to view small chicks as rivals/intruders and their small size lets them escape into hiding spots that adults can't reach.

If early integration isn't a possibility for you due to set up, you'll likely need to wait until chicks are older and large enough to be able to stand up to the adults without getting clobbered.

Photos of your set up would help.

 

[SamanthaDianne]

these aren’t the best pictures and they were kind of random under construction ones but this is basically some of it. Sorry it’s dark out or I would take better ones.

Depends on your set up and how you were planning to manage integration. I do early integration (https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/integrating-new-birds-at-4-weeks-old.72603/ - my own set up is linked in 2nd paragraph). As I brooded outside my chicks and hens had very early exposure to one another and time for them to get used to seeing each other. The chicks started mingling with adults at 2 1/2 weeks and pretty much spent all day with them from 3 weeks on. The idea behind this is adults are less likely to view small chicks as rivals/intruders and their small size lets them escape into hiding spots that adults can't reach.

If early integration isn't a possibility for you due to set up, you'll likely need to wait until chicks are older and large enough to be able to stand up to the adults without getting clobbered.

Photos of your set up would help.

 

[CindyinSD]

You said they’re 4 wks, right? I can’t tell the size of the coop in your pic, but I’ll bet you’re not gonna be able to keep 16 chicks in there for very long at all. If it’s bigger than the brooder, I’d go ahead and put them in there with the understanding that they can’t stay long in just the one and when they get crowded, open up the other coop for them and join the two runs with a little door or two.

I would set up those coops/runs right up against the existing run and after a while, when the time seems right to you, make a chick-sized door from their run into the adult run. That way the babies can always retreat to their run which is inaccessible for the adults. I would also contrive some places in the adult run for the babies to hide in and/or creep into that the adults can’t access.