What is the minimum temp for 4 week old chicks?

[pwand]

We're looking at the last week in April - 1st week in May...


They'll be in a large tupperware container and I keep hearing from BYCers that they'll need more room than that at that age... and my husband doesn't like to leave lamps and things on in the house while we're away on vacation. We even go around and unplug stuff.... so the idea of leaving a lamp on dangling above flamable straw isn't flying.


At first I was going to take the chicks with me in their big tupperware box, but everyone on here told me I was nuts when I posted that. /img/smilies/hmm.png


I'm really trying to do the right thing for these chicks...

I know this is an old post. There wouldn't be anything wrong with taking your chicks on vacation We had gotten a seasonal campsite for the summer, well my daughter really wanted chickens, so we decided to order four chicks, guess what, they spent there first 7 months camping with us. . It was fun and a memory my children will never forget. It was entertaining and fun. The things we do for our children.

 

[Buffmama]

Hello I have a temp question. My B.O.'s are about 6 or 7 weeks now and we are expecting freezing temps for a few days. Do they need to come inside? We can't put the brooder light outside Not sure if I have enough protection for them and DD is worried about Happy who doesn't have all bottom feathers in yet. She's getting there though. Any suggestions would be helpful. Thanks
Jodi

 

[pwand]

Bring them inside.

 

[ColoRockies]

No they do not need to go inside. Here in this part of Colorado the night temperature never really gets above 40 all year long. The average high in spring is 55 during the day. We have very good success with putting out 4-6 week olds in their coops. As long as they have food/ water and a warmer place in the coop you should be fine. We have never used heat lamps or alternative heat. We have to change frozen water every morning but they aren't really up in the middle of the night anyways so we're not concerned if it freezes overnight. Everyone has an opinion and their own experiences... this is just my our family's

 

[lazy gardener]

Old thread, but agreed.

 

[djaousfarm]

I have had 3 week old chicks outside in northern Michigan and it gets below 70 at night... they tolerated it just fine... even the colder days... no heat lamp... these were wellsummers I had...

 

[Chickglamma]

Marlinchaser - my issue is that I want to put them outside with NO light since we'll be on vacation, so I want to know what the minimum temp they can tolerate at night will be. My husband doesn't like the idea of us going on vacation and leaving a dangling light above straw, especially because we have severe fire warnings going on around here because we're so dry.


If we were going to be home, this would not be an issue. I'd be home monitoring them and could bring them in at night... but we have to leave for vacation when they're about a month old. We'd like to keep them outside in their coop, but can't make this decision until we know what the minimum temperature is they can tolerate at this age.

 

[Chickglamma]

May I ask what you did when you left for your vacation. Im up against this same dilemma. I have no choice but to leave them in there coop. I purchased a heat stand. As i heard there safe.
But tonight, the good ole heat lamp is on. I PROBABLY WON'T SLEEP, worrying about my girls all night .

 

[FiFi-FaFa-FooFoo]

Mine have been outside since they were two weeks old all through end of March and April in Maryland. We have a Sweeter Heater and it’s gone down below freezing. They are fine. Read blooies article about the mama nesting heating pad.

 

[BackPacker307]

I've been reading this forum like mad and have found lots of info about putting the heat lamp on the new chicks and reducing the temperature by 5 degrees each week.

But what is the minimum temperature that 4-week to 5-week old chicks can tolerate??

I will probably be leaving my chicks to go on vacation when they are 4 weeks old and returning when they're 5 weeks old.... So I want to know if I can leave them in the coop outside without a heat lamp at this age.... but of course, this would depend on what the minimum temperature they can tolerate is. We'll have pet sitters feeding and watering them...

Thanks!!!!

Edited to say - I've found a few posts that say that 8-weeks old is the rule of thumb for moving chicks outside, but wouldn't this depend on the area of the country you live? There's a big temperature difference between Oregon and Florida, for example... Is there some sort of chart showing chick-age and necessary temperatures??

My broad breasted white turkey at 4 1/2 weeka are living outside right now and it is 23 degrees Fahrenheit. I just have them fenced-in with no shelter and they have been doing great. Every day on their third week I put them outside for 1 hour 2 ta 3 times a day in order to prepare them for the really cold temperatures. If there's only one turkey itll die. But multiple turkeys will huddle together and keep alot warmer then you would think