Really need to get these chickens out of the house

[Crickett B]

I have had these 6 chicks since they were about 2 weeks old (brought them home 10-28) inside the house. I had to separate them about a month ago, due to to size differences, and cage space. Two are ee's, one RIR, 2 chochins and one Houdan. I really need to get all 6 out of the house as I have 6 more ee's, and a Silkie and two bantam I don't know whats, that are going to need the cages the first 6 are in.

So I think the first 6 are now close to 2.5 months old now. The weather up here in the north Georgia mountains hasbeen brutal this winter. I had older chickens(5 months and older) that I moved outside before the bad weather set in, and they did fine outside. I did cheat and hook up a lamp to the cage for a few nights, however.

Can I move the chicks out the same way, or is there more precautions I should take since these are younger? Temps have been in the high 30's (if we are lucky) and single digits at night the past 2 weeks (along with the 10 inches of snow that fell Christmas) The weather is suppose to "warm" up the next few days:
47° F | 31° F, 52° F | 32° F, 58° F | 43° F, 58° F | 38° F, 49° F | 27° F.

These guys just really need to move outside.

 

[cbeth95]

What I would do is let them out side all day, and keep an eye on them, when it gets into the high 40's, low 50's. And bring them back inside at night.
But with the cold temps your saying you have, I wouldn't put them outside until they are a little older.

 

[WoodlandWoman]

I've brooded chicks in a coop, with the chicks in a draft free area. The coop had ventilation. The chicks were in a box that kept them from being in a draft. I've finished brooding older chicks in a chicken tractor. In both cases, their heat lamp was set up in a safe and secure manner. The temperature was checked and adjusted, just like in an indoor brooder. They all did fine.

 

[fiberart57]

I think that at 2.5 months if they're fledged and can thermo-regulate and if they have draft-free housing outside, they will be fine, especially if they can get the heat lamp for a while. Insulated coops are better but not everyone has that option available to them.

Of more concern would be how they would be treated by the other chickens that are already in the coop. Have they met each other? There may be hard feelings on the side of the current outside residents.

I remember when I raised mine in the front room of my house. I couldn't wait to get them outside. It was summer time but I think that I would have found a way to get them out even in the winter.

Mary

 

[jasonm11]

move them outside