When can chicks go out into coop?

[aart]

Well, if you can take their heater out there..I wouldn't wait a moment longer.
If the 'chick coop' is adjacent to the main coop, even better.
Check this out:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/integrating-new-birds-at-4-weeks-old.72603/

Or if you don't want their heater out there you can close off brooder room from rest of house, close house heat off in there and open a window to acclimate to the cooler ambient temps....and consider a huddle box:

Make them a 'huddle box', put it in the brooder after turning off the heat(you might have to 'persuade' them to use it) then move it out to the coop with them.

Cardboard box with a bottom a little bigger than what they need to cuddle next to each other without piling and tall enough for them to stand in.

Cut an opening on one side a couple inches from bottom and big enough for 2-3 of them to go thru at once.

Fill the bottom with some pine shavings an inch or so deep.

This will give them a cozy place to sleep/rest, block any drafts and help hold their body heat in.

 

[ChickNanny13]

With power in your coop, you could do MHP (heating pad) brooding in your "side coop". You've gotten great advice from everyone. The main thing is they are protected from the draft, wet weather & the flock (See but no touch).

 

[lazy gardener]

No matter what is used for a heat source, by 3 weeks of age, if chicks are in the house, they should be weaned off heat. My chicks are brooded in a grow out coop, in April with night time temps down to 20's. They do fine, starting as young as 2 - 3 days old. By 4 - 5 weeks of age, they completely wean themselves off heat. By then temps range from occasionally below 32 to occasionally high day time temps of 70. The important thing is to wean them off heat. That process, if using a heat lamp can and should start during the second week, IMO. If OP has not started the weaning process, that is the important first step. They could be assisted in an early acclimation to the coop with a MHP, a wool hen or a huddle box.

 

[Colt Frost]

Ok I think tomorrow, I'm going to start cleaning up the side pen a little bit, and then move them out there, still in the boxes they're in (3 very large cardboard boxes) with the heat lamp still on them, and then everyday near evening shut the light off for a little bit? And I'm a bit confused on the huddle box, can someone explain more on it? Or should I leave them inside and just turn the light off at night to acclimate them?

 

[tnkhazel]

It depends a lot on the wether. Your chicks will still need a heat light. We usually wait until our chicks are 4-6 weeks old.

 

[lazy gardener]

They will need the heat more at night than they will during the day.

 

[Colt Frost]

So if the weather is nice tomorrow, put them outside with a box that's big enough for all of them and put wood shavings in it and have a small hole for the heat lamp to shine through. And then just have them live out there until they're big enough to go into the main coop.

 

[BlueChai]

Usually I start supervising the chicks outside at 2 months, just so the adults and the young ones get used to each other. I usually don't let them outside with the adults without watching them until 3 1/2-4 months old.

 

[Colt Frost]

Ok, I moved the chicks outside, with the heat lamp on. Tonight it's supposed to be getting down to 26 degrees. Will the chicks be ok? It's a 150 watt red Infrared light.