This may be a dumb question....

[1dog1cat6chicks]

My Easter Egger girls are around 7 weeks old, and have been in the unheated nursery in the big girl coop. (Alongside, but not touching, the big girls.)

I have a small "cat playpen" which is laid on its side to give them about 4' x 2' of ground space. This is situated next to the big girls' fence. The pen has a bottom tray (which we removed, obviously, since the "playpen is on its side) which I put on top to afford them a bit of shade when it's warm. This could also potentially give them a place to get away from rain (though the big girls certainly don't seem to mind the rain).

The weather has turned cold again, after a few days of 75-80---it's been in the mid 40's the past two days. Yesterday I didn't put them outside because it seemed so cold. Same thing today. The grass is wet, since it's rained, and obviously they have no way to get back inside if they'd want to. I do put water and food in there for them when they're outside.

So the dumb question is--is this weather too miserable to put them into their outside playpen? Or am I just being overprotective?

 

[sourland]

I think that you are being realistic. As small as they are once they become wet they can be subject to hypothermia.

 

[rod5591]

A photo would help to better understand your set up. The best kind of set-up would be to allow the chicks access to the grass when they want, but also allow them to retreat out of the rain and wet should they so desire.

 

[cmom]

I agree with the others. I wouldn't leave them out. With that temperature and if they get wet they could die should they get wet. I have a chick/grow-out coop that the chicks can get into out of the weather they also have a pen. The chicks are 2 weeks old and some a week and a half old, so for now they are staying in the coop. I let them get used to the coop and then it becomes a safe place for them and is easier to get them in in the evenings. Before I let them out I will weed wack their pen. All of my coops and pens have rain/shade tables. The pens are covered with good heavy duty netting to protect them from aerial predators, concrete under the gates and electric wires around the coops and pens.

The coop is divided. On the other side are some older birds that just started laying and another pen.

 

[littlechickenmama17]

I would watch them in that weather, but remember, they need to get used to colder weather if they are going to live outside in a coop for their whole lives.

 

[littlechickenmama17]

But yes, that weather may be a little too cold

 

[1dog1cat6chicks]

Thanks for all your feedback. I think they’ll stay inside since they can’t really get inside once they’re in their playpen.

This is their outdoor setup. I know it’s not ideal and not all that much space but it’s the best we can do right now.

 

[rosemarythyme]

I guess I'll be the voice of dissent. I don't think you need to be TOO overly cautious - my chicks are brooded outside in the run even with rain. As long as the chicks have access to some place that they can reliably shelter from the rain, they'll do fine. At 7 weeks old they can stand getting a little wet, and 40 isn't that cold for them since they have almost all their feathering in.

Certainly not "soaked" but it was raining heavily through the night before this photo was taken. These guys are around 3 weeks old, I think?

 

[Mamatomany123]

I guess I'll be the voice of dissent. I don't think you need to be TOO overly cautious - my chicks are brooded outside in the run even with rain. As long as the chicks have access to some place that they can reliably shelter from the rain, they'll do fine. At 7 weeks old they can stand getting a little wet, and 40 isn't that cold for them since they have almost all their feathering in.

Certainly not "soaked" but it was raining heavily through the night before this photo was taken. These guys are around 3 weeks old, I think?View attachment 2620384

Was just thinking the same thing. We were a high of 57 today with rain and my 3 week olds spent the day outside. They did run under the heat to warm but then ran right back out. I have them set up where half of the enclosure is covered and half is not. Once the rain stopped a bit they would run to the wet dirt and start scratching away. My chickens love wet dirt.