When can I move them outside?

[paulandashia]

I'm new to chickens, so I am learning. Please bare with me.
I currently have 15 little ones.
Some hatched March 1st, and other March 10th.
Our coop is nearly completed, and I an excited to move them outside.
HOWEVER:
I am located in Alaska. The weather here lately is just making me MAD.
It was getting so nice and warm, the temperature was up to mid 40's, and I was getting SOOOOO excited about moving the birds outside into their new coop...

And then THIS happens!!!!!!

And believe me when I tell you that the photo does not show how BADLY it's snowing!
The flakes are 1/2 the size of Golf-Balls! Ugggggg....
I am SO frustrated. I WANT SUNSHINE..!!!!
The chickens are getting older, they are all over the garage now, and I am sure they are eager to get out as well.
Not to mention we have 7 ducks in the garage also, which are pretty much full grown and ready to go!
(And comparing to the Ducks, the chickens are NEAT-FREAKS!) I had NO IDEA ducks STANK as badly as they do!

At this rate, I will not be able to get my birds into the coop for another YEAR.!!!

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.............
Can anyone give me an idea when it would be SAFE for me to move them?
Hubby is getting frustrated, because he wants his garage back! LoL

(BTW: that's Hubby and my father-in-law working on the coop about 4 minutes ago!)

 

[faykokoWV]

You really shouldn't move them out until they have all of their feathers and no fluffy feathers left on them. Sometimes they just have to move out though. I've moved mine outside at four weeks, but provided a heat source for them. I have a little mini coop that I put them in that's just a 8x3 x3 foot wood frame with a plywood top and bottom, the sides are covered in welded wire and bird netting, but chicken wire would have worked fine. I enclosed one end in by tacking a tarp to it Basically a really cheap chicken tractor. I use a drop light (the kind with a cage around it) with a red bulb for heat.


you have a very nice coop! you could put them out there and provide heat in the form of a heated base for a metal waterer maybe

 

[happymomof5]

I moved mine out at 3 weeks. I put a board in my coop to divide it, so the chicks are in a pretty small space. I have a lamp in there for warmth. The outside walls of the coop are insulated with stacked straw bales. It has been warm here (60s) but at night we're into the high 20s, and my birds have been fine. The first night, I woke up all night long worried about them, but they've done great. Maybe do a trial run with a thermometer but no birds to see how warm it stays?

 

[chickensducks&agoose]

not to sound like a bad chicken mommy, but I moved mine out at a week for my SLs, and 4 days for my Barred rock roos. they are in a shed, with a 125 light and I insulate the tub at night. They are doing great. It's low 30's in the night and 50's in the day. I fully expect to have them on a regular house bulb within another week (they'll be 4 weeks about) , and then only have the light at night as soon as they seem okay and the weather isn't so cold. they're tougher than most people think, and as long as you use good judgement, and go by their behavior, as far as the grown up ducks in your garage, put them out! They're much more cold-hardy, and horribly stinky

 

[BarredBuff]

I would say 8 weeks some say 6 weeks but in your perdicament I would say 8 weeks.

 

[paulandashia]

I can wait 2 more weeks to put the chickens out. They don't smell at ALL to me.
My new batch of 15 babies (RIR, CQ's and BL's) is going to be here 1st week of May, so I can put them out when the new babes get here.

I took the below photo about an hour after the first one. The snow slowed down, but now it's going again.

25 years in this state, and still I can't get used to the dog on "last storm of the season" thing.

Anyhow, as per your advice, the ducks got the BOOT about an hour ago, and are now outside.

They have a red heat-lamp, food, water, but the exit to the run is blocked off for the night (I want them to get used to the inside of the coop for now).
Here is another photo of the coop when the snow slowed down for a bit (before it started again).
I will post more photos of the coop (front, back side, inside, etc) in the "Coop" section of the forum...