Time to move outside?

[Beccichka]

Our chicks are 4.5 weeks old. We have 17 in a bit less than 4x4 pet pen. The room is currently at 62. I don't know how much the chicks are huddling at night. Some perch. They talk quite frequently throughout the night. There's one brooder plate in there that only one or two use occasionally, on top or under. Outside temps are high/lows of 40-45/30. Since these are our first and we got off to a rocky start, I've felt better having them in our house. But they are getting really active and I think they would like a bigger enclosure even if they can't go out yet. The coop is 8x8x5. I was thinking we could put up a divider to keep them in a small area. Do you think they could go in there? Should we get buy a heat lamp? Is one lamp enough to hear that size area? Since losing so many at the beginning from travelling, I'm especially nervous to move them outside too soon and have them freeze.

 

[Sally PB]

Should we get buy a heat lamp?

No. Hard no, IMO. Heat lamps have caused a lot of coop fires.

If they are feathered out, the can be outside in an enclosure, and they are waaaay too crowded in their pet pen now.

Make them a "huddle box." Something big enough for them to get in, cuddle up, and keep each other warm. Get/build an enclosure that is 3 sided, and orient the open side so that it doesn't get a breeze.

8x8 (64 sf) is close to being too small for 17 birds, unless they're bantams.

The usual rule of thumb is 4 sf/bird in the coop, 10 sf/bird in the run. 1 linear foot of roosting space/bird.

And, very important, 1 sf of ventilation per bird, open 24/7/365/ "Open" means covered with hardware cloth to keep out predators, but allow air to pass through.

Can you post a picture of the coop?