Hey! I'm from very upstate ny, like 10 minutes from Canada. I'm wanting to get chicks this year but I'm wondering what temp should it be outside when they are ready to transition to the outside coop? I read they can go to the big coop at 4-5 weeks but should the outside temperature be a certain number? Or will a heat lamp in the coop be sufficient? Thanks!!
Hello from a fellow NYer! Chicks need to be at 95 degrees when they first hatch, and you can lower their temperature by five degrees each week. At four to five weeks old they'll be fine with a temperature of 70 degrees or so. You can put them in the coop with a heat lamp at that point, just so they have a place to go to to get warm if they need to, but make sure it is very secure - heat lamps cause coop fires every year. Also, please feel free to join us over in the NY thread if you'd like to chat with other NYers! Here's the thread if you'd like to join: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/231485/ny-chicken-lover/43230#post_14879560