when can chicks move outside?

[king4]

ok guys i live around dayton,ohio, i bought 6 red pullets ( red sex link) thursday so im guessing i have about another 4 1/2 to 5 1/2 weeks before i put them outside. my question is what does the minimum temp need to be at night to safely keep them outside without a lamp? any info will be greatly appreciated.

 

[SD Bird Lady]

I don't have any scientific data but I always figure once they are fully feathered at 4-6 weeks they can handle down to about 20*F with no heat. They can probably do fine at lower temps if there are enough of them. It is their small body size that keeps them from being able to handle subzero temps like a large chicken.

 

[heronz]

We are supposed to get a big storm Monday night through Tuesday night.
I would get through that first because we could lose power and that could be tragic.
Always better playing it safe.
Spring just doesn't to want to come to N.H. this year it seems.

 

[RyanFunFarm]

I live in Mass n our EEs are 5weeks. Im waiting!

 

[angelobutter]

yes i heard about the storm. I am going to wait until they are a few weeks older anyways. i just busted out my old vacuum cleaner to take care of the fluffs and that has helped a lot. really they just have to be out by the time this easter hatch a long is done cause i need the space for the new chickies lol.

 

[owennreedsmama]

Glad you asked this, I was wondering this too.

 

[darkside1]

At 23 days old now they're so big!! As tall as the tsc red plastic base one quart waterer!! And they easilly get 2-3 feet into the air while playing and testing their wings. I noticed some head feather spots yesterday and today they are showing on all of the birds. Ill bring them back in if the power goes out but they're doing fine under their 250w lamp. This is in North East Ohio

 

[bilder]

Mine are just over 2 weeks and I have moved them to an outside brooder. I covered some of the wire with cardboard to keep the drafts down and have the heat lamp on them. They seem to be doing fine. I was a bit worried this morning as it is about 30 degrees outside, but the chicks are huddled under the lamp sleeping away and a few were even at the feeder braving the cold in order to get an early morning nibble.

 

[jphendrix]

We just put ours outside yesterday it was nice and sunny shorts weather here. It didn't get below 55 last night, and I also have the 250W bulb outside for them. I looked this morning and they were huddled under the lamp sprawled out sleeping, and they have now started to wonder around the food this morning! They seem so much happier outside with lots more room to move and play! We moved them to our smaller coop and run that we moved our grown birds out of! It works great! There is not much draft in there either. But I do live in Southeast Ga. We shouldn't be getting any more freezing temps here. Oh and they are about 4 and 5 weeks old.

 

[runneranne68]

I"m in the same situation here in Indiana. It actually snowed last night. I have four chicks, born 2/17, so a little over 4 weeks. They are about 80% feathered out. I have them in my guest bathroom. They are also getting a little squirlly in there, but it seems too cold outside. I have a full size coop, but nothing for the interim period. I am thinking of getting a wired crate so I can get them used to being outside, but this week our hight temp is only 40 degrees. They have an indoor temp of 80 degrees, so it still seems drastic to take them to the garage.