When can chicks go out into the cold

[Lili Smith]

my chicks are 5 weeks old now and I want to know if I should take their electric hen heat source away. I also don’t know how old they have to be to go outside full time considering it is the middle of December?

 

[lazy gardener]

More information: What is your general location? What are your high and low temps outside in December? January? How many chicks? Where are you brooding them? What are you using for a heat source? Heat plate, heating pad cave, something else? How much are they using it, if at all? Have you done anything to harden them off at this point?

 

[junebuggena]

You take it away when they are no longer using it on a regular basis.

 

[Lili Smith]

They have a heat plate, we had our first (and probably only) snow of the year today and it is about a high of 6 degrees Celsius and a low of 0 degrees Celsius outside most days, I live in London. My 3 chicks are in my bedroom and they don’t use the heat plate very often, only sometimes at night. They have been outside in my garden twice but only for 5 mins.

 

[junebuggena]

They have a heat plate, we had our first (and probably only) snow of the year today and it is about a high of 6 degrees Celsius and a low of 0 degrees Celsius outside most days, I live in London. My 3 chicks are in my bedroom and they don’t use the heat plate very often, only sometimes at night. They have been outside in my garden twice but only for 5 mins.

They are more than ready to be moved outside. London, in general, has a similar climate to where I live in the Pacific Northwest. I usually have chicks outside, off heat, by about 4 weeks of age, even in the winter.
Since they aren't used to outdoor temps yet, you do need to gradually acclimate them. Start with short trips outside, gradually increasing the time they are outside. Also, try to keep them in a cooler room, if possible.