What is a good outdoor temp to start chicks outside??

[tgblldog70]

We have almost 5 week old chicks that are getting cabin fever,

lol. Our daytime temps range from 45*-60*, gotta love the midwest. and I would like to eventually get them to the smaller coop outside with an enclosed run. at night is does dip down, when can we get them out??? We can put a heat lamp in the coop for them also. thanks for any info.

 

[stone_family3]

You should be able to. My chicks are a week old and in the coop with a heat lamp. They are eating and drinking fine.

 

[tgblldog70]

cool thanks, and our temps are pretty close. I hope to get the run for the big coop hubby built a few weeks ago done tomorrow.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I keep my brooder in the coop. I heat one area and let the rest cool down as it will, sometimes into the 40's or 50's. Some people would be surprised how much time the chicks spend in the cooler areas.

Last fall, I moved the chicks from the brooder to a grow-out pen at age 5 weeks. That grow-out pen was not heated but had good draft protection. When they were 5-1/2 weeks old, the overnight temperature was somewhere in the mid-20's Fahrenheit. They all did fine.

They would probably be OK without any heat in the coop, but if you could provide heat in one area without burning the coop down, you will probably feel better. And just notice where they bed down at night. It may not be as near the heat as you might expect.