When Can I Let Chick & Mamma Outside?

[france]

Our chick hatched on the 10th. S/he is hopping around inside a little coop with mamma. Eating and drinking fine. When would it be safe to
open the door and let them outside? Our coop is tiny with a long steep ramp down to an enclosed space underneath the coop.

 

[teach1rusl]

It depends on whether there are other chickens in the run?? And do you mean the 10th of this month? If it's just mama and baby, she'll help out with any warmth issues. Is there any way you could temporarily modify the ramp??? Like wrap hardware cloth around the bottom in a U so that there are wire sides a few inches tall on the way down (since you said it's tall and steep). That way he/she wouldn't fall off.
If there are other chickens in the same run though, I'd wait a while, unless you are closely monitoring the others' behavior. Some have good luck with their chickens accepting chicks, while others have found their new chicks pecked to death.

 

[france]

The coop/run is it's own contained unit. Coop over the run area. See photo below.
The only other chicken is another silkie hen who is fine with the
chick already. The ramp does have mesh sides so it could not fall off. And yes the chick hatched on the 10th of this month so
it is less then a week old.

 

[teach1rusl]

Ahhhhhh!!! I HOPE that's an old picture, and that you guys DON'T still have snow!!! I have never raised chicks (well...never brooded chicks). But if mama has been doing a good job as mama, she should offer protection if the chick gets too cold. I'd try it for an hour or so, and observe whether mama is tucking the chick under if he/she gets cold. If she is, then I'd certainly offer the option daily, at least during the main part of the day. We're pretty much hanging around 50 here during the day, so I'm hoping you guys are in the upper 30s or lower 40s by now. Ahhh...but now I'm rethinking, because the baby is only a week old (almost). On 2nd thought, I'd wait another week and try it. Sorry, I was no help...lol. Hopefully someone with broody experience will give you a better answer.

If you don't get one in an hour or so, try reposting with something like "Is ___ degrees too cold for new chick with mama?" or something like that...

 

[france]

Yes old photo. Snow is gone and the mid day highs are looking to be mid to upper 50's this week.