Tranferring of chicks

[flewthecoup]

When do you typically transfer the little chicks you get from the brooder......to their coup? Certain size/age?
Thanks!!!!!

 

[Double Laced]

Hi,

It depends on the breed and the time of year and how fast they feather up.

If it is the middle of summer with warm dry weather, long days etc then they can be out as early as 4 or 5 weeks.

You may need to keep overwintering birds indoors for 9 weeks.

It also depends on what you mean by moving them out, Is it an enclosed shed/run or straight into the coop with outside access.

We have just moved a batch of 50 Guinea keets to a shed at exactly 4 weeks with no extra heat. we do give extra light.

Strangely it can be the long nights if you live north that can be more of a problem than the cold, There is just not enough eating hours for fast growing birds.

As a rule they should alway be fully feathered before being moved outside, even on the head.

If you are adding them to an existing flock there may be a bit of bullying so they will need careful watching for a few days and may need putting to bed till they get the hang of it.