When can i put my chicks outside. 4weeks

[GrandmasAWolf]

Hello, i have 4 chicks 4 weeks old. They have been using the ecoglow heater not a heat lamp. It gets to be about 35° the coldest out here right now but stays at 40° mostly.
When can i put them outside in there coop without a heat source

 

[Oncoming Storm]

The safest bet is to wait until they are fully feathered with no baby fuzz left. Especially with it being that cold.

 

[GrandmasAWolf]

How do i know when they are completely feathered? Is it about 6 weeks or 8 weeks

 

[Oncoming Storm]

How do i know when they are completely feathered? Is it about 6 weeks or 8 weeks

They won’t have any chick fluff at all and will have only adult feathers. Roughly around eight weeks they’ll usually be fully feathered, but it can vary.

 

[NatJ]

How do i know when they are completely feathered?

Pick one up and look at it all over--head, breast, back, under the wings, and so forth. If it has feathers all over, it is fully feathered. Some chickens get their feathers much faster or slower than others, so I can't tell what age will be right for yours.

When can i put them outside in there coop without a heat source

If you are not willing to put the heat source outside, then start by taking it away from them while they are inside. If they really peep and are unhappy, then they need the heat for a bit longer before you can take it away.

They need to change temperatures a bit graually, so first they have heat and are indoors, then you take away their heat but still have them indoors, then maybe later have them somewhere a bit cooler (like by opening a window where they are), then finally move them outdoors.

Also, you can take them outside for a bit during the daytime, and gradually have them outdoors for longer. So you might start with half an hour the first day (they probably have enough feathers for that already), and a little longer the next day, and in a week or two they might be outdoors all day long and only come in at night, and a bit later yet they would stay out all night as well.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I've had 5-1/2 week old chicks go through nights in the mid 20's Fahrenheit with no supplemental heat. The coop they were in had really good breeze protection down low where they were but great ventilation up high.

Most chicks are fully feathered at 4 to 5 weeks, but different things affect that. If you feed them a fairly high protein Chick Starter, say 18% to 20%, they feather out faster than with a lower protein feed. If they are exposed to cold temperatures they feather out faster. I typically have around 20 chicks in a brood so they can better share body heat. I raise them outside where they are exposed to cold temperatures.

It's hard to come up with numbers that fit every chicken in every situation across the globe, we all have different circumstances. I would not be comfortable putting yours out without heat now. They might be OK in another week. I would be comfortable putting them out in 2 weeks unless your facilities are breezy.

 

[GrandmasAWolf]

Pick one up and look at it all over--head, breast, back, under the wings, and so forth. If it has feathers all over, it is fully feathered. Some chickens get their feathers much faster or slower than others, so I can't tell what age will be right for yours.



If you are not willing to put the heat source outside, then start by taking it away from them while they are inside. If they really peep and are unhappy, then they need the heat for a bit longer before you can take it away.

They need to change temperatures a bit graually, so first they have heat and are indoors, then you take away their heat but still have them indoors, then maybe later have them somewhere a bit cooler (like by opening a window where they are), then finally move them outdoors.

Also, you can take them outside for a bit during the daytime, and gradually have them outdoors for longer. So you might start with half an hour the first day (they probably have enough feathers for that already), and a little longer the next day, and in a week or two they might be outdoors all day long and only come in at night, and a bit later yet they would stay out all night as well.

Okay thanks so much! Thats helpful