? When can chicks move to the coop with modifications?

[chantald]

I'm wondering what everyone's thoughts on this are.

I live in Mid State NY.. 1/2 way between Albany and NYC. It gets cold.. but not super cold.. My coop is an 8x10 converted amish style shed, fully insulated with r11 insulation and then paneled over it (sides and ceiling). The floor is not insulated but has a nice layer of wood shavings. The window is closed but there are ventilation vents on one wall where the roof line meets the wall.

I would like to move the newer chicks to the coop asap..they are just feathering out. I would provide them with a seperate mini enclosure within the coop and they would have a heat lamp on them at all times with adequate room to move around to get warmer or cooler. The coop is current home to my 9 other chickens who get shut in at night but roam the yard during the day.

When can I do this safely? As much as I'd love the chicks out of the house..I don't want to kill them off...

thanks

 

[morelcabin]

They will be fine with a heat light. I start mine off right in the coop in April before the snow is off the ground sometimes:>) I can't stand them in the house.
Oh just make sure they have a solid wall between them and the chicken door to protect from drafts. It doesn't have to be high, but give them something to hide behind if the wind blows in the chicken door

 

[chantald]

thanks.. I stuck them in the coop and also put an opened top cardboard box in the corner of their mini cage to add extra draft protection...

fingers crossed!!

 

[morelcabin]

they be okay:>) the cardboard was a good idea

 

[skeeter9]

They should be fine! There's no reason for them to be in the house as long as they have a way to stay warm enough and draft-free.

 

[NorCalMtnChick]

We have what sounds like a similar coop setup. (Well insulated and draft free.)
We have one Delaware rooster and one all black hen who are both almost 5 months old. (no eggs yet) They have the run of the yard during the day, and come in at nght.
We also have 15 chicks (RIR, Delaware, Black Star, Red Star and Auraucana) who are all 3 weeks old today.They are just feathering out. Most of them are hens, but there are supposed to be 1-2 Roosters in the mix. I'm not sure who's who yet. (any hints on figuring this out?)
I would love to get these stinky little ones out of the house and into the coop. Any thoughts? Thanks.

 

[ROC4K]

Northern Wisconsin here and I just started 28 chicks in the main coop on day 3. We have had 5 nights already in their 16 days where the hard frost has settled over night. My ladies and 3 roos have been happy as a clown in the coop. IMO winter isn't going to get any better..get them out there. Last night the mercury dipped to 22 here. I look forward to sunrise as much as they do...like to see the new feathers they grew over night.

 

[Heather J]

If you can heat their corner of the coop and stop drafts there's no reason not to move them out really early--I like to move mine out by the time they reach two weeks old--when I have somewhere to put them, which I don't right now so my craft room is covered in chicken dust--this coop *will* be done by Halloween, and my new hatches *will* be living there by then, lol

 

[whatsup chickenbutt]

are any of you concerned with the way the older hens will treat the babies? Ive got 4 week old babies I would love to put in the coop also. Mine were very aggressive to some new older battery hens I picked up, they wont even roost in the coop, so Im concerned about my babies. Do they do the same to chicks?

 

[chantald]

Quote:
I keep the babies in their own mini cage in the main coop.. Just have to figure out how to get my hens to stop sitting on the top of it! The seemed to do fine last night. Yay!