what age do you put your chicks outside

[campergirl]

We are in northern michigan & I'm wondering how soon we can get our new little gals out of the house - they're currently in our living room in front of a south facing window and as much fun as they are, they (and I!) are ready (for them) to be out of the house! the dust is driving me nuts & they are getting pretty smelly, even with frequent bedding changes. So, they're about 6 weeks old, and the coop is just about ready - maybe another 2-3 days - is it okay to move them out when the coop is ready? temps are ranging wildly right now (again, n michigan!)- daytime can get up to 70-80, but some days are still cold - 35-40 - with Cold Cold winds, night time usually drops to 30-40.

Totally new to this chicken thing, and totally excited, but really ready to get my house back.

 

[Brickwood]

I want my four babies out of my house too! (5-6 weeks) Not that I don't love them, but I think they'd be much happier outside in the coop (when it's finished) and I know I could do without all the dust. I'm looking at them kind of like my tomatos and am trying to "harden them off" like I do my seedlings in the spring. We've still got them in the house but turned off the heat lamp and have taken them outside for a couple of hours the last couple days. It's been about 60 outside which is pretty cool but when in the sun, they seem fine. I'm thinking two more weeks, the coop is finished, it is a bit warmer outside and they're out there.

 

[gritsar]

I dunno. My chicks weren't raised inside. They were in an outbuilding with heat lamps until two weeks old, then on the screened porch with heat lamps and a draft guard until they went to the coop. We turned their light off at 5 weeks (mid-May).
The next batch will get the same treatment, only I'll be moving them to the coop much sooner; probably by 3-4 weeks. However, I'm not getting them until the first week in June.
I have two dogs, two cats and a pack rat for a DH in this house. The last thing I need to add to that is chicks.

 

[bakerjw]

My girls are 7 to 7 weeks old and there is only a slight bit of fuzz left on them and they went to the coup late last week. The temps have been real good here but the last couple of nights have been quite cool. With the hustle and bustle of the weekend and picking up more chicks I forgot to give them a heat lamp last night but this morning they seemed in good spirits but were a little cold. I'll have to get them one tonight for sure.

 

[michickenwrangler]

Hello fellow Michiganiac

I'm in the West Branch area so I understand the weather fluctuations you're experiencing!

Depending on when they're fully feathered, they can go outside.

My oldest ones are about 2 months old and will go out this week, my youngest are about a month and while they go outside during the day, they still come in at night.

All of them are on our enclosed porch right now, which gets down in the 40s during the night, so this way they are getting used to colder night temps. As soon as I get some grower feed, my first batch will be going out. Second batch will have to wait until Memorial Day +/-

 

[campergirl]

Hi Chicken Wrangler - thanks for your reply! So, your youngest ones do okay in the 45-55 degree weather outside during the day? I took ours out for a couple hours last week & they had a ball, but seemed to be chilled when we brought them back in. They look to me as if they're just about fully feathered - and they are about 6 weeks old, so I'm guessing we're just about ready. The coop we're building is insulated & the chick area is about 10 x 10, so I'm guessing once it's finished they'll be fine to move out...

Do you have recommendations on how to fence in their outside area as to keep the critters out? how far down do you need to dig & how high should the fence be?

thanks for your help!

 

[michickenwrangler]

I have 48" sheep fencing from TSC that I use for their run. Instead of digging down, I have a skirt of chicken wire under the fence, laying flat on the ground and drive t-posts through that. I don't have anything on top of the run as the chicken run has cedars and balsam fir branches intertwined like a cover and it's enough to keep hawks from getting them.

My neighbor dug down about 12" for her chicken fence.

Why don't you PM me for more info or we can move over to the coop section?

 

[Mrs. Fluffy Puffy]

I let a 2 day old chick go outside. He was just fine.

 

[Mille Duccles 6]

.......these are my babies they are D'uccles Bantams from left to right is Ginger a golden d'uccel, then Lucy she is a porcelain d'uccle, then Penny a Mille flure d'uccle and then Kurby he is our rooster he is a Blue Mille flure d'uccel. They have been going out side during the day but they only go out for about an hour and i watch the wind make sure its nice out. They are well feathered to they are 6 weeks old. I was told that if you have some adult hens you can put them out there as long as it doesnt get below 40 at night. He said the extra body warmth helps and they do like to huddle together sometimes. I must say I have learned so much from coming on here. Thanks to all !

 

[Writingbug]

What are the signs of chilling?