Too cold??

[jenjack72]

Hi! My little girls are going to be eight weeks in a few days. I still have them in a large box in my barn. I usually move my chicks outside to the coop by this time, but our weather has been colder than normal....its going to be in the low 30s overnight for the next few days. Is that too cold for them? I hate to keep them in the box much longer, they want out pretty bad!

 

[azygous]

Asking if two-month old chicks are ready to go live in a coop is like asking if a ten-year old human child is ready to stop sleeping in a crib or a sixteen-year old child is ready to cross the street by themselves. All of these are considered long -overdue.

You could have been taking your chicks outside for short day outings by age two weeks. They could be acclimatizing to cooler temps all this time and could have moved into the coop by five weeks at the latest.

Have the chicks been weaned off heat or are they still under a heat lamp? If so, turn it off now. They are thoroughly outfitted in warm feather envelopes and no longer need heat to keep from losing body heat. However, they will need acclimatizing.

After a few days of romping out in the run, going back indoors to sleep at night, with no heat, they will be ready to go live in the coop.

 

[chameleon]

Are they off the heat lamp yet? Then at that age they should be fine. If you are very worried about them you could temporarily provide heat in the coop just till they're properly acclimated. They're tougher than they look, and if you have a few, they can huddle together for warmth if they really need to.

 

[jenjack72]

Well, thanks azygous for making me feel like an idiot!

No, I have not used the heat lamp for quite a while now. I willl move them out today. Chameleon, thank you for your kind advice!

 

[azygous]

I can get carried away with sarcasm. Sorry about that. Your chicks will have a ball outside!

 

[chameleon]

I can get carried away with sarcasm. Sorry about that. Your chicks will have a ball outside!

x2 They will be very happy outside. I only brooded indoors once and when they got to go outside they were so happy that I only brood outside now in the coop or in a tractor. It's easier for me though because temperatures rarely drop below freezing where I live. Good luck with your girls, let us know how it goes.

 

[PirateGirl]

Mine are in the outdoor coop at that age in those temps. I put the heat lamp on any night if it will be below freezing, but they have been exposed to temps down to about 10 degrees F and been ok. Also the coop gets locked up before dark to trap some heat from the day. Next winter when full grown I don't plan on using the heat lamp at all... we'll see if I change my mind when it's below zero though.

 

[megnchicks]

My seven week old chicks were moved to the coop three days ago and boy do they LOVE it. I was also worried about the dips in temperature but so far they are doing just fine. In fact I think they are doing better in their coop than they were doing in their box in the house.