Time to go outside?

[nwe319]

Four weeks old, still have a little fuzz, but not supposed to get below 52 for at least the next week, is it time to let them outside full time?

 

[CorinneP]

Do you have a heat lamp for them ? If so I would .. If not I might be nervous.. I ERR on the side of caution .. I feel they should have lots of feathers .. and still be at 80 degrees at 4 weeks old . General rule is that you can drop the temp five degrees per week of age. If your Climate is very warm and you have several chicks that can cuddle you can usually put them out sooner .

 

[nwe319]

Okay thank you. I may wait just a couple of more weeks.

 

[Fierlin1182]

I heard a guideline that says at 4 weeks, the chicks can go outside if it stays above 60 degrees outside at night. However, as your temps seem to be a bit lower, I'd say still wait for a couple of weeks. While the chicks can sometimes go out at 4 weeks, it's better to be safe than sorry.

 

[babyelle]

My 6 week old chicks go outside in the morning but back in under the brooder at night. When the evenings stay above 50 degrees I will allow them to stay out 24/7. They will be in an insulated coop with the door closed during dark hours for warmth and protection from predictors.

 

[Teepov]

Have you been doing "day-trips" with them? If not, I would work them up to being outside full-time. It can be very stressful if they haven't experienced this new environment at all. It will also help them acclimate to the new weather/temperature fluctuations to have some of that on a small scale.