What age??

[Hihamburger]

What age should chickens be when they are moved outside from a Brooder? I have been (over and over) telling my dad that our 3 week old chicks are too young to go out yet. Especially since they aren't introduced to the established flock and our established flock is 4 months old or so. How old should the chicks be before we move them out?

 

[BlackHackle]

What age should chickens be when they are moved outside from a Brooder? I have been (over and over) telling my dad that our 3 week old chicks are too young to go out yet. Especially since they aren't introduced to the established flock and our established flock is 4 months old or so. How old should the chicks be before we move them out?

Well, I would probably be of no help cause I mix all my chicks of every age together. But by the time my birds are 1 month old they are already a pound and feathered out

 

[Mrs. K]

The sooner the better, but you need things set up correctly in the coop/run when you do it, and you need to have enough space. Many of the posters are finding that the sooner you introduce them, the less time it takes. However, the big girls can be very aggressive in the beginning.

Chicks need a safety zone, a place where the big girls can see them, but can't get to them. You could bring them in at night if you want for a couple of days.

Wednesday I went and got day old chicks, and the broody hen has had them outside by Thursday. They are sturdier than you think.

However, in my set up, I have shade, I have platforms, I have an outdoor shelter, I have multiple roosts, and I have a 20 x 30 run.

Take a picture of your set up, measure it up so we know how big it is. Very difficult to give advice as we seem to picture the question in our own set up, giving advice that may be wrong in a different set up.

Mrs K

 

[Hihamburger]

Well, I'm not at home right now, I'm on vacation. But, our chickens free range (dangerous, I know, but my dad refuses to build a run for them, as he says they are unhappy in it.) But our coop is 16×8 ft and has numerous roosting spots. But, there isn't an area for babies to run and hide. The coop is in a shaded area, and they have a few bushes to hide in when they are away from the coop. But other than thay, we just habe baby pine trees.

 

[lazy gardener]

How many birds share this coop? What is your night time temp? How many chicks? Is your dad willing to help you set up a safe zone in the coop for the chicks, where they can come and go, but the adults can't follow? They should do fine with a huddle box, and a safe zone. Do you have a dog crate? THat would make a great safe zone for them.

 

[aart]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/integrating-new-birds-at-4-weeks-old.72603/

 

[RWise]

With a hen, mine are in the flock from hatch.
Without a hen, mine go to the brood house in full site of the flock (no touch) at 2-3 days old where they grow until 5 weeks old. At 5 weeks they go at night to the main coop. I keep an area surrounded with 3x3 wire (chicks move through freely, hens do not) with feed and water, lots of space and hiding places all around. I wait until 5 weeks old because they avoid cats much better at 5 weeks than they do at 4 weeks old.