Updated Question on Chick Temps

[LizzzyJo]

Hi All,

I have already talked about this before and I have updated info. My baby chicks will be 6 weeks old and fully feathered this week. When they are 7.5 weeks old I would like to put them outside (temps high 45, low 25). Is a temp of 45/25 too cold for chicks at 7 weeks old? I am going out of town and need them to be outside for the sitter during that time.

Thanks!

 

[Relleoms]

Have they been outside yet? Are they weaned off heat? I would think as long as they have been acclimated and are fully feathered, they will be fine. I’d probably provide a huddle box for them too, just in case.

 

[LizzzyJo]

Have they been outside yet? Are they weaned off heat? I would think as long as they have been acclimated and are fully feathered, they will be fine. I’d probably provide a huddle box for them too, just in case.

The plan is for me to wean them off of heat in their 6/7th weeks by taking them outside in small doses. What do you recommend for this? I've never had to worry about this before. It was summer the last time I did it.

 

[Relleoms]

What are you using for your heat source? If you’re able to provide heat outdoors, I’d consider a mama heating pad or heat plate and move them out now. They’ll go to the heat source if and when they need it. Plus, it would give you an opportunity to monitor them and their behavior for a few days before you have to leave them with the sitter. I’m planning to move my week-old chicks outside Monday with a heat plate & huddle box. Our daytime highs are forecast to be in the upper 20’s to low 40’s.

 

[LizzzyJo]

What are you using for your heat source? If you’re able to provide heat outdoors, I’d consider a mama heating pad or heat plate and move them out now. They’ll go to the heat source if and when they need it. Plus, it would give you an opportunity to monitor them and their behavior for a few days before you have to leave them with the sitter. I’m planning to move my week-old chicks outside Monday with a heat plate & huddle box. Our daytime highs are forecast to be in the upper 20’s to low 40’s.

Unfortunately, I don't have electricity in the coop - only the run for the water heater. I was hoping that they would be OK if fully feathered.

 

[Relleoms]

Unfortunately, I don't have electricity in the coop - only the run for the water heater. I was hoping that they would be OK if fully feathered.

How many do you have? Are they using heat in the brooder now, and are they fully feathered now? If they have feathers, I would remove all heat sources in the brooder first and move them to a cooler space for a few days, increasing the amount of time away from all heat. If you can get them outside early next week, provide a huddle box & maybe a warm water bottle, heated rice bag or wool blanket inside. They will cuddle & help keep each other warm, too. I really think they’ll be fine, but I also know there’s no way I would feel comfortable leaving them without at least a few days observing them in the coop! Also assuming your coop provides proper protection from wind & precipitation...
Wishing you luck. They are far stronger than we are

 

[LizzzyJo]

How many do you have? Are they using heat in the brooder now, and are they fully feathered now? If they have feathers, I would remove all heat sources in the brooder first and move them to a cooler space for a few days, increasing the amount of time away from all heat. If you can get them outside early next week, provide a huddle box & maybe a warm water bottle, heated rice bag or wool blanket inside. They will cuddle & help keep each other warm, too. I really think they’ll be fine, but I also know there’s no way I would feel comfortable leaving them without at least a few days observing them in the coop! Also assuming your coop provides proper protection from wind & precipitation...
Wishing you luck. They are far stronger than we are

Thank you so much for the help! They are fully feathered except they have a bit of fuzz on their heads. They have a heat lamp to one side of their brooder now and that side is 75 degrees (they are 5.5 weeks old now). They only really use that side at night.

I am planning on introducing the 5 babies to my 3 - 1 year old Orpingtons during the warmer days next week. Maybe a few hours of supervised visits? I'm not sure. I also have people telling me that I should just pop the babies in the big girl coop at night. There's so much contradiction out there!

 

[Relleoms]

I can only share my experience, which worked well last year and what I plan to do this year...
So Monday (I’ll be out of town this weekend), I plan to put my 12-12 day old chicks in the coop, inside a wire rabbit crate. They will have a heat plate surrounded by cardboard on 3 sides to prevent drafts. They will have a “look but no touch” policy with my big girls for 2-3 weeks, then I’ll let them co-mingle for a few hours each day during supervised visits. I provide a small door to the rabbit crate so the littles can get away from the big girls if they choose. At night, I keep the littles locked in the rabbit crate while the bigs roost. Once the littles are feathered, I’ll begin leaving the door open & let them decide where they want to sleep. Last year, they were all roosting together at 6 weeks old. I’m a firm believer in putting them “together but separate” as soon as possible so they can become familiar with one another. If you’ve got a small dog crate, rabbit crate, hardware cloth that you can fashion into a box, etc., I’d get them out there ASAP. But regardless, I wouldn’t suggest just walking away & letting them figure it out on their own. Just my two cents...you’ve gotta do what is best for you!

 

[Relleoms]

This was the set up last year, and what I plan to do next week as well!

 

[Relleoms]

This was a few weeks later. You can see the bigs on the left, the littles on the right and the small door I added to the rabbit crates so that the littles could escape if they needed. I also had seperate food & water for the littles in there.