What age do your chicks go outside without heat?

[FriscoRaven]

Hello all! My chicks are just shy of 6 weeks old and all have feathers. For the past 3 weeks, I've been taking them outside during the day and letting them stay in their run all day (except for particularly cold or rainy days).

I bring them in in the evenings to warm up in their brooder with the heat lamp. Daytime temps have ranged everywhere from 50s to 80s in the past few weeks .. gotta love that crazy Maryland weather

Nights have been around the 50s lately .. so I'm wondering if these chicks will be okay to live outside full time now? They have a fully covered coop which opens into their run, so they'll have plenty of shelter if they need it. I would prefer not to run electric to it for a heat lamp.

Also, our weather man is calling for rain this week .. should I be concerned about damp/cool weather too (60s and raining)? Or will the chicks be okay if they stay in their coop those days?

Thanks!

 

[ChickenCanoe]

They're ready.

 

[blakeh1]

I got my 4 br's and 2 gsl's at 5 weeks. They went straight to the coop with a red heat lamp hung high. Let them out everyday and leave their coop door open, they go in and out as they please. Usually play and scratch for 30 mins at a time before going inside for a break.

 

[locoguru]

My Lorps will be 6 weeks wed and they are headed out into the coop on Saturday.

 

[nuzzymom1]

I'm in VA and getting the same crazy weather. My babies are not quite 7wks, but they are out full time. I do have a heat lamp for nights when it gets below 50. They have all done very well. They don't seem to huddle near the lamp too much. I have placed a large object in front of the coop to block winds, but room for ventilation. Yours should be alright.

 

[NCChickLovers]

My girls are 5 weeks old and live outside full time, and we have the heating lamp set up, but they don't really seem to use it unless it's really cold at night, which doesn't really happen where we live. Yours should be fine.

 

[FriscoRaven]

I'm happy to report that they spent their first night outside last night with no heat! They seemed fine this morning and were bopping around in their run when I left for work