temps in 30's ok for 6 week old chicks?

[Ann Wellhouse]

We have temperatures in the 30's and low 40's all spring.

My chicks are 5 weeks now.

At 6 weeks can they be outside in those temperatures?

 

[JustAChickenLoverOverHere]

If they're fully feathered out, they should be. Also depends on your setup outside. Will you have them in a cage with non ventilated sides, a pen, a coop?

 

[Ann Wellhouse]

They have a run with a coop inside it. It is a hard sided coop with ventilation and I plan to cover it with a tarp at night to keep out the wind.

I'm just trying to decide if I should set up their heat pad inside of the coop for a couple of weeks.

 

[rosemarythyme]

As long as the coop is draft free and they've otherwise been weaned off heat they should be fine outside, though depending on where they've been brooded you may need to acclimate them for a few days to outside temps by cracking open windows in their brooding room, putting the in garage, or taking them outside for increasing amounts of playtime.

 

[Playfulroost]

Here in Colorado I don't put my baby chicks outside without heat until 8 weeks old. So many factors besides weather, how many chicks you have, size of the coop, etc. I usually have an intermediate place to keep them with heat until 8 weeks old. You can get a wall heater that will keep your adults warm in subzero temperature, it would be a long term investment. I have put a heat lamp on any chicks at night during these temps, have had luck with them being wired up, but these can shatter or cause fires. Recently I bought some mini hair dryer like chicken brooder that screw into a light socket. If baby chicks get cold they don't grow as well etc.

 

[Aapomp831]

Here in Colorado I don't put my baby chicks outside without heat until 8 weeks old. So many factors besides weather, how many chicks you have, size of the coop, etc. I usually have an intermediate place to keep them with heat until 8 weeks old. You can get a wall heater that will keep your adults warm in subzero temperature, it would be a long term investment. I have put a heat lamp on any chicks at night during these temps, have had luck with them being wired up, but these can shatter or cause fires. Recently I bought some mini hair dryer like chicken brooder that screw into a light socket. If baby chicks get cold they don't grow as well etc.

It’s never a good idea to get heat for adult birds. All they need is ventilation and shelter from elements.

 

[Playfulroost]

It’s never a good idea to get heat for adult birds. All they need is ventilation and shelter from elements.

I agree not to give adult birds heat unless temperature is below zero. I have several roosters now with black combs from frostbite when our temperature dropped to 15 below and stayed below zero for 3 days with 6 inches of snow on the ground. That happened 7 weeks ago. I didn't end up with frostbite on their feet, but I used a heat lamp inside their large coop to help them. I wished I had one of those wall heaters at that time. Your climate might be less harsh.