Taking chicks to the coop

[Afterburner]

I have a pair of April 20th hatch and three April 28th hatch chicks. The older ones are getting pretty big and seem to be feathering in quite well. The younger ones still have baby fuzz on their heads and neck area. I have read you are supposed to take the chicks outdoors when they get fully feather. The problem is that this is my first time raising chicks and I'm not really sure what a fully feathered chick looks like. Generally how many weeks of age will they be fully feathered and what are the minimum outdoor low temps that the girls require. Pics of a full feathered chick would be nice. My breeds are a Wellsummer, Austrolope. These are the two older hens. EE, Barred Rock, and Silver Cuckoo Maran are the younger hens.

BTW, my present daytime high averages around 65-70F. Nighttime lows vary from 48-52 F.

 

[gardendufus]

I have Barred Rocks, Welsummers, Black Australorps and a Gold Laced Wyandotte. They were in the coop, in a brooder since they were picked up from the feed store at 2 days old. At 3 weeks I let them loose in the coop with access back to the brooder and the heat lamp. By 4 weeks they were perfectly happy not going back into the brooder as long as they had the heat lamp at night. They have had access to the outside run ever since I released them from the brooder.

I stopped using the heat lamp as soon as the youngest was 3 weeks old (the others were 8 weeks and 5 weeks). They all cuddle together and are perfectly fine. Temps here in colorado have been ranging (gotta love this off and on weather) between 50's to 70's during the day and last month as low as the low 30's at night.

Don't know about the EE or the Maran, but they should be fine. Chickens love the kinds of temps you are having now. Let them enjoy it.

 

[Afterburner]

I have Barred Rocks, Welsummers, Black Australorps and a Gold Laced Wyandotte. They were in the coop, in a brooder since they were picked up from the feed store at 2 days old. At 3 weeks I let them loose in the coop with access back to the brooder and the heat lamp. By 4 weeks they were perfectly happy not going back into the brooder as long as they had the heat lamp at night. They have had access to the outside run ever since I released them from the brooder.

I stopped using the heat lamp as soon as the youngest was 3 weeks old (the others were 8 weeks and 5 weeks). They all cuddle together and are perfectly fine. Temps here in colorado have been ranging (gotta love this off and on weather) between 50's to 70's during the day and last month as low as the low 30's at night.

Don't know about the EE or the Maran, but they should be fine. Chickens love the kinds of temps you are having now. Let them enjoy it.

Would the older ones be okay in the coop without light and heat?

 

[gardendufus]

I am sure the Barred Rocks, welsummers and australorps would be fine. All 3 breeds are pretty well full feathered (enough for outside) at 3 - 4 weeks old. No heat, no light would be fine.