Too early to be outside?

[saintbee]

I’m in the finger lakes - same forecast- Where are you? I grew up in Johnstown! I plan to do just that, never heard of it before but LOVE the idea!

I absolutely wouldn't have them in the house, there's no tubs big enough to hold this number of chicks and honestly your temps are pretty good right now.

While I liked using a heating pad since this is a large number of chicks I'd probably stick with the heat lamp, as pads don't work as well for larger groups (they simply don't fit).

Is there a plan for where they're moving to after this? They're going to outgrow that 4x4 coop in a few weeks.

yes I have a large fenced run inside my barn once they can be off heat. They’ll be there until large enough to join the rest of the flock.

 

[pennyJo1960]

Op has plant heating mats they are quite a bit larger

 

[Layke]

So. They are inside right now so please no hate! But, I got an order of chicks 3 weeks earlier than expected and I just can’t keep them in the house for long as we’re doing renovations to my usual “brooder” room. Unfortunately 2 chicks have died so far. Not sure why, they were warm enough and plenty of food and water but they are living in large totes. I got 33 chicks all alive and well in my shipment and was supposed to only get 30 so no complaints there but anyway. I’m not sure what happened to the 2 that died. Everyone was fine for 48 hours, found one dead this morning and culled another that was in rough shape an hour ago. Back to my question - I have a small outdoor coop and have a light and thermometer in there now to check the temp. Under the light the thermometer reads between 95-100. The coop is predator proof and much larger than the totes I have them in now. I’m in NY and coldest it’s supposed to be at night is 60 for the next week. It’s 70 and windy today - coop is draft free though. Does anyone have experience with these temps (with lamp) on baby chicks? I’m hoping to put them out ASAP as we have contractors coming tomorrow.

Your chicks are not too young to be outside. You can put them under a heat lamp. Here is what they say on the Purely Poultry Website about temps " . . . Start your chicks off at 99 degrees for the first three hours. Then 95 degrees the first week. Reduce by 5 degrees each week until they are fully feathered out. This is typically at 6 weeks and 70 degrees". I followed that rule with my chicks in the dead of winter and all 25 survived and should be laying any day now! We kept them in the garage for about a month. We sacrificed car space for the chicks. My hubby built a makeshift pen with chicken wire and we threw wood chips on the floor. Good luck

 

[Avian Allie]

I’ve raised chicks in the winter (southern winter) with only a heat lamp. They do just fine as long they don’t get wet; and the coop isn’t drafty. With thirty some they will also help keep each other warm, so if anything, it’s too warm and you should move the lamp higher. I would add more bedding though.
Somebody also mentioned them getting cramped. Put some short cardboard boxes in there for them, it will be fun for them to play in and they will have extra area on top. Good luck!