When are chicks ready to live outside at night?

[TaylorGlade]

I have 18 black Australorp chicks that have outgrown their brooder. They were hatched on July 31st. So will be 5 weeks old tomorrow. Is that big enough for 70 degrees without a heat source? I'm not sure if they are fully feathered or not? I've attached a couple of photos.

 

[ChickyCh00k]

I put mine out at 5.5 weeks and lows were in the 40s/50s at night (October in Michigan). I did/do have a Sweeter Heater above the roosts, but I don't think they needed it.

 

[TaylorGlade]

I put mine out at 5.5 weeks and lows were in the 40s/50s at night (October in Michigan). I did/do have a Sweeter Heater above the roosts, but I don't think they needed it.

Ty. I wouldn't have thought that that would be warm enough! So thank you so much for your input. That's definitely helpful

 

[Saveria]

If 70s is the lowest it gets at night, yes.

 

[SueT]

They can go out! They don’t need a heat source.

 

[ChickyCh00k]

In my cooler temps, some of them appreciated the extra warmth of the Sweeter Heater (pictured here) - mostly I think it just made me feel better that they had the heat if they needed it. I had been acclimating them to the outdoors, during the day, for about 3 weeks at this point (and we got really lucky with a particularly mild late Sept/early Oct here). At 70° lows you should have no problem.

 

[ShrekDawg]

I think they’ll be just fine.

 

[Red Mangrove]

I'm not sure if they are fully feathered or not? I've attached a couple of photos.

They're not fully feathered, they still have visible yellow baby feathers on the face. However they're more than old enough to easily live outside without heat

 

[TaylorGlade]

Thank you everyone! They seem happy . They've been going out everyday but we've been putting them back in the brooder at night. They've clearly outgrown it though and I swear they grew overnight.