when are Orpintons "fully feathered"

[popcornpuppy]

I have 3 BBS Orps in the bator that are 3 and 1/2 weeks old. They are all fuzzy with just wing feathers and a few tail feathers. I do realize they are a slow developing breed, but how slow are we talking?
All the other chicks I have raised to date have gone outside around 3 weeks of age when they were mostly feathered. These Orps are definately slow going and I don't want to put them outside until they are fully feathered. It is snowing here today and the temps are only going to get colder. How old will they be before they have all of their juvinile feathers, and can maintain their own body temp?

 

[hinkjc]

About 8 weeks they should have their full juvenile plumage. The problem in the northern climate is that you really shouldn't put them from a 70 degree house out into a significant temperature decline (i.e. 30-40 degrees). I have this problem here as well. We are lucky if we're getting above 40 degrees during the day. I am putting them out under a heat lamp around 8-10 weeks and just keep the light slightly higher than usual to take the chill off the air in their pen. Do you have a way to provide them a heat source in their coop?

 

[popcornpuppy]

Yes, I can provide heat in the coop. We have heat lamps for the pupose, but the coop is unoccupied at the moment because we didn't want to rush this batch of chicks out into the cold.