Throwing the Gals Outside

[Kris5902]

Also, seeing as you’re on a time crunch you should probably pull the plug on that lamp now. They will probably be ok inside at your house temperature by now. But do it when you’re home so you can observe their behavior... if it will make you feel a bit better, I had one of my 3 Day old chicks get isolated in my barn away from my heat plate and all his buddies last night, at 40 degrees, for four hours. He survived just fine and is completely unfazed. He wasn’t even distress chirping, just doing the “where are you guys it’s bedtime?” chirp.

 

[Kris5902]

how about getting them a huddle box for outside in the run? Like a old tote or pet carrier with something over it to keep them dry and safe if they can’t get into the coop yet? or is there any way you can rig up a ramp that they can use to get into the coop until they are bigger?

 

[Wee Farmer Sarah]

I can't drop the temperature of their room without dropping the temperature of the whole house. To @Wee Farmer Sarah 's point, my grandparents put their broilers outside at four weeks, and since they're farmers I'd thought that was fine and promised my family they'd be out by then. After doing more research especially as of late, it's probably not fine but I really can't afford a heat plate or an air cleaner cause I'm just a lousy kid. I feel so bad for my chicks. I'm trying to give them a great life but I feel like I'm messing everything up, and now I can't take back what I promised about the 4 weeks thing. My family doesn't want to deal with it. I can set them up in the garage for indoor time but for most of the day they'll have to be outside. They're still too small to be able to get in the coop on their own because the ladder is so stupidly wide in between the things that they fit right through and they don't see the point attempting when it's so fun in the run and the ladder is so scary anyway and I can't teach them like a momma hen and ahhhhhhhhh this is stressful!

First take a breath it will be OK. Can you find a scrap piece of wood to attach to the ladder so there are no empty spaces between the rungs? Then try to find some chicken wire scraps to shape into a little hut. You can cover this with an old towel or something similar. This will be their huddle hut. I turned the brooder plate off this morning and the temps averages 60F to 65F in the room my chicks are in and they seem happy and calmer. One just sang a little tune to me, how very cool. Chickens don't do heat all that well and if they have their feathers they'll prefer cooler temps. Keep breathing and stay calm. Good luck.

 

[Wee Farmer Sarah]

how about getting them a huddle box for outside in the run? Like a old tote or pet carrier with something over it to keep them dry and safe if they can’t get into the coop yet? or is there any way you can rig up a ramp that they can use to get into the coop until they are bigger?

I didn't think about using a tote. Good answer!

 

[aart]

I can't drop the temperature of their room without dropping the temperature of the whole house.

Could you close the heat register in your room and keep the door closed?
Maybe even crack open the window?

Before I starting brooding out in coop(with heat pad),
I made a huddle box for the transition:
Make them a 'huddle box', put it in the brooder after turning off the heat(you might have to 'persuade' them to use it) then move it out to the coop with them.

Cardboard box with a bottom a little bigger than what they need to cuddle next to each other without piling and tall enough for them to stand in.

Cut an opening on one side a couple inches from bottom and big enough for 2-3 of them to go thru at once.

Fill the bottom with some pine shavings an inch or so deep.

This will give them a cozy place to sleep/rest, block any drafts and help hold their body heat in

 

[sean_wonder]

I always have the window open in my room. I did turn off the lamp the other day to test how they did and they were totally normal. Full crops, shifted bedding, grit eaten, little chattering and sleeping in their usual groups. I have started using a blanket over the brooder to cover a gap in the lid that they kept slipping through and now they sleep almost exclusively under that blanket. It's quite adorable. I will use that blanket over the wire scraps to make them a comfortable home. They can get up the ladder if I move their legs for them but they don't really understand the point of it just yet. They've only been in it once anyway. I'll start removing the indoor heat and taking them on more field trips into the coop itself. Is it a bad idea to put the food inside the coop rather than in the run? I'm worried about attracted wild birds. There's a crap ton of them where I live. They'll have water in the run, but if I end up putting the food in the coop I'll put a small waterer in there too.

 

[Wee Farmer Sarah]

I always have the window open in my room. I did turn off the lamp the other day to test how they did and they were totally normal. Full crops, shifted bedding, grit eaten, little chattering and sleeping in their usual groups. I have started using a blanket over the brooder to cover a gap in the lid that they kept slipping through and now they sleep almost exclusively under that blanket. It's quite adorable. I will use that blanket over the wire scraps to make them a comfortable home. They can get up the ladder if I move their legs for them but they don't really understand the point of it just yet. They've only been in it once anyway. I'll start removing the indoor heat and taking them on more field trips into the coop itself. Is it a bad idea to put the food inside the coop rather than in the run? I'm worried about attracted wild birds. There's a crap ton of them where I live. They'll have water in the run, but if I end up putting the food in the coop I'll put a small waterer in there too.

Maybe it would be best to keep them inside the coop for a few days until hey adjust to the temperature change. Can you upload a picture of the coop and run so we can give more appropriate suggestions?