Transition to outside

[Cara83]

Hi my chicks are about to be 4 and 5 weeks old this week. They have been outside in the chicken tractor all day on sunny days and I bring them in around 5pm we have highs of 26 degrees and lows of 16 overnight ATM.
It's been raining alot though and more rain forecast. I won't put them out on wet days yet they get restless in the brooder is it best to wait a little longer to put them outside completely?
I still put a 75w heat lamp on them ATM I have a puppy plan pen I can set them up in the garage on wet days to give them more room to move around.

 

[DobieLover]

Hi my chicks are about to be 4 and 5 weeks old this week. They have been outside in the chicken tractor all day on sunny days and I bring them in around 5pm we have highs of 26 degrees and lows of 16 overnight ATM.
It's been raining alot though and more rain forecast. I won't put them out on wet days yet they get restless in the brooder is it best to wait a little longer to put them outside completely?
I still put a 75w heat lamp on them ATM I have a puppy plan pen I can set them up in the garage on wet days to give them more room to move around.

I assume you are talking about Celsius and not Fahrenheit because you are getting rain and the grass is green.
I would not hesitate to leave them outside permanently. I would just give them a huddle box inside the coop for the night so they can pile into it to hold in some of their own heat for the night.
A huddle box is just a box laid on it's side with bedding inside it tucked into a corner of the coop to keep drafts away from the entrance to the box. I would not put a heat source in that small coop. They look pretty well feathered and your temps are very mild.
You can leave the coop door closed but the windows open on rainy days if the chicks haven't learned how to navigate the ramp to get back into the coop. But they could still get under the coop to stay dry if they wanted to.
Where in the world are you located? Do you get harsh winters? The coop is very small for 6 full size birds.

 

[Cara83]

I assume you are talking about Celsius and not Fahrenheit because you are getting rain and the grass is green.
I would not hesitate to leave them outside permanently. I would just give them a huddle box inside the coop for the night so they can pile into it to hold in some of their own heat for the night.
A huddle box is just a box laid on it's side with bedding inside it tucked into a corner of the coop to keep drafts away from the entrance to the box. I would not put a heat source in that small coop. They look pretty well feathered and your temps are very mild.
You can leave the coop door closed but the windows open on rainy days if the chicks haven't learned how to navigate the ramp to get back into the coop. But they could still get under the coop to stay dry if they wanted to.
Where in the world are you located? Do you get harsh winters? The coop is very small for 6 full size birds.

Yes Celcius, im in Qld Australia.
I'm not sure I will have 6 yet as my 3 lavender Sussex are unsexed and I'm positive at least 1 is a roo.
This is just sleeping quarters, they have free range of a day and go into this of a night and they say they fit 6 easy to roost at night up in the top part it also has nest box up in there.

 

[DobieLover]

they say they fit 6 easy

Yes, they do. It doesn't mean it's accurate.
When you lock chickens up in a coop at roost time, they have to have enough space or they can get pretty brutal with each other. Even when they do have enough space, roost time is a very brutal time for chickens. They need about 1 linear ft of space per bird. They also need four square feet per bird in the coop. That's just to keep them from really pecking the crap out of each other before you can let them out in the morning.

 

[Cara83]

Yes, they do. It doesn't mean it's accurate.
When you lock chickens up in a coop at roost time, they have to have enough space or they can get pretty brutal with each other. Even when they do have enough space, roost time is a very brutal time for chickens. They need about 1 linear ft of space per bird. They also need four square feet per bird in the coop. That's just to keep them from really pecking the crap out of each other before you can let them out in the morning.

Here in Australia this is pretty standard for backyard chickens. I won't end up with 6 in there and they will be roaming freely of a day.

 

[Mrs. K]

As for the chicks - outside is way better than almost anything, but especially a too small brooder. I think the most vulnerable stage for chicks is the first 4 days, after that, they are much tougher than people tend to think.

As you have been letting them outside during the day, I would not hesitate to keep them outside coop during the night. Just check to make sure they get in there.

MRs K