Three weeks and outside....advice please

[ChickenMama18]

We have six chicks. Two are about seven weeks. Two are about five weeks and then two are three weeks. The four older were ready to go out. I didn't want to seperate the younger ones, and have to worry about reintroducing. Also we have one adult EE (beat up in our original flock) that we are introducing to the babies so she won't be alone and we want them all together. That introduction is going excellent by the way and they are fine together. There's a light in the insulated coop, and shavings. I have a heat lamp in the run. Sigh, it started raining this morning a low of 51 for the day high of 60. I've been out there watching them and when they are cold they go under the lamp and start grooming themselves. Are we doing the right thing for those little three week ones? I need some reassurance here. Last night they all slept together and did fine but...now I'm worrying...is it too cold? But then I worry about seperating too. LOL!

 

[aelizabeth]

I have a dozen chicks that have been living in a large dog pen since 3 weeks. There's a roof over half of the pen to shelter them from the sun/rain and I have a small-medium doggie igloo that has a light in it for them to go in at night. The night I put them in the temp dropped to 38F and they were fine. They are now 7 1/2 weeks old and thriving.

Your setup sounds awesome. They'll be fine.

 

[ChickenMama18]

Quote:
I really needed to hear that! Thanks!

 

[hen-at-home]

New to this, but I just wanted to say that your set-up does sound great! I don't see why there should be a problem.

 

[Zahboo]

We have our 3 week old silkies outside and have been out for a week. You can look at my page to see the coop, it's not insulated and isn't closed up. They are fine. The hottest its gotten is 91 and the coldest is 40. We just have a bucket on its side with straw on it. Works great.

 

[ChickenMama18]

Whoo-hoo...I'm feeling a lot better!!!!!!!

 

[lemurchaser]

I would put the heat lamp in the coop, and some food and water, so they don't have to go out in the bad weather. But they are all plenty old to be outside and only the youngest ones even need the heat lamp anymore.

 

[ChickenMama18]

It was the young ones that I was concerned about. Once I open the coop door to the run..they stay out and don't go back in. I kept checking on them and they were using the heat lamp so I feel great about that! Whew! Some of the older ones were under there too.

Off topic but I used to have a horse that would stand in the pouring rain instead of under his shelter and it drove me nuts!! I'm so thankful I'm not going through that right now with the chicks! LOL

 

[Painty]

I'm glad you posted this. I have a 2-week old, two 1-week olds and two eggs that, if they hatch, will be hatching when the girls are about a month old. I was wondering what I'd do when I had month olds outside and babies inside.

Also, speaking of animals standing in the rain, I used to have an angora rabbit that loved to play in the snow. Her fur would matt just by looking at it funny, the snow would cake in it horribly! But if there was any snow in her enclosure at all you could bet she'd be laying in it!

 

[ChickenMama18]

Quote:
Glad the post helped...I felt like a geek asking but I just had to be sure. It was driving me crazy!

That's funny about your angora rabbit! I hope you took lots of pictures! I ended up getting the best end of the conflict with my horse. I bought him a nice gortex blanket to wear in the rain! LOL!