When can I safely move 6 week old chickens outside?

[PhillyDelcoChix]

It’s winter here, not that it feels like it. We’re in south eastern PA, and the lows are between 11-42 degrees F overnight and between 30-55 during the days.
Our coop and run will hopefully be completed this weekend and our poor girls have our grown their brooder soo many times I’ve run out of boxes large enough, even after gorilla taping some cut boxes together and topping with chicken wire.
I have 4 Marans and 4 Easter eggers.

 

[boskelli1571]

Your chicks should grow their full adult feathers between 7-12 weeks, even so I would not put them outside until the temp is consistently above 50F.
If the nights get down below 32F they should still have a little heat or insulation.

 

[PhillyDelcoChix]

Your chicks should grow their full adult feathers between 7-12 weeks, even so I would not put them outside until the temp is consistently above 50F.
If the nights get down below 32F they should still have a little heat or insulation.

Wow, that’s a lot longer than I thought I’d have them inside.
Some people have told me it’s more important to get them outside into fresh air and that they can tolerate the cold .
Not so, huh?

 

[boskelli1571]

Wow, that’s a lot longer than I thought I’d have them inside.
Some people have told me it’s more important to get them outside into fresh air and that they can tolerate the cold .
Not so, huh?

They can tolerate some cold, but bot below 60F minimum.
Once the daytime temps are pretty consistently above 50F, you should be able to get them outside. For the nighttime you will have to have lots of straw/bedding for them to maintain warmth.
Adult chickens are very tolerant of cold, but those babies of yours have some growing to do yet

 

[PhillyDelcoChix]

They can tolerate some cold, but bot below 60F minimum.
Once the daytime temps are pretty consistently above 50F, you should be able to get them outside. For the nighttime you will have to have lots of straw/bedding for them to maintain warmth.
Adult chickens are very tolerant of cold, but those babies of yours have some growing to do yet

Thanks! All makes sense now

 

[azygous]

Well, actually, with gradual acclimatizing, the chicks can begin their move outside immediately. You should take full advantage of your nice weather and take the little guys outside for a romp. When I was brooding indoors, I would begin this process at age two weeks, well before they were fully feathered out.

At six weeks, a nice calm day in the 60s is prefect weather. Begin with an hour outside during the warmest part of the day. Carry them outside in a carrier and leave the carrier handy with the door open. If the chicks feel chilled, they will gather in the carrier and huddle. That's the signal to take them back indoors.

At the same time, eliminate their heat source during the night, and reduce the temp in their room, gradually making it cooler each night. After several cool nights without heat and romping outdoors during the day, the chicks will be ready to move into their new coop. If it's near freezing, they may need a little heat at night, but only to take the edge off the deep chill.

 

[PhillyDelcoChix]

Well, actually, with gradual acclimatizing, the chicks can begin their move outside immediately. You should take full advantage of your nice weather and take the little guys outside for a romp. When I was brooding indoors, I would begin this process at age two weeks, well before they were fully feathered out.

At six weeks, a nice calm day in the 60s is prefect weather. Begin with an hour outside during the warmest part of the day. Carry them outside in a carrier and leave the carrier handy with the door open. If the chicks feel chilled, they will gather in the carrier and huddle. That's the signal to take them back indoors.

At the same time, eliminate their heat source during the night, and reduce the temp in their room, gradually making it cooler each night. After several cool nights without heat and romping outdoors during the day, the chicks will be ready to move into their new coop. If it's near freezing, they may need a little heat at night, but only to take the edge off the deep chill.

Very interesting. I may try some of these things and get back to you.
We have taken them out a couple of times when it was so warm out recently.
Although we’re supposed to get snow and ice this weekend.
Transporting them is the most difficult part.
They freak out when we try to pick them up, and don’t like going into the carrier... etc. Makes it a big job.

 

[azygous]

That brings me to the next thing you need to do with your new chicks. Teach them to come to you when you call or signal. It's even easier than training a dog to come, and chickens respond to signals with more ease than you'd think.

Determine what their favorite treat is. Then decide what signal you wish to use, then use it every single time you distribute treats. It can be a word, a training clicker you can buy at Petsmart for $1 or another kind of noise such as rattling grain in a can.

First use the signal, then give the treats. By the second day, the chicks will come running when they hear the signal. They will never forget it. To get them into the carrier, signal, then toss the treat into the carrier. No one ever needs to chase and grab chickens. They are ridiculously easy to train to come to you.

 

[PhillyDelcoChix]

That brings me to the next thing you need to do with your new chicks. Teach them to come to you when you call or signal. It's even easier than training a dog to come, and chickens respond to signals with more ease than you'd think.

Determine what their favorite treat is. Then decide what signal you wish to use, then use it every single time you distribute treats. It can be a word, a training clicker you can buy at Petsmart for $1 or another kind of noise such as rattling grain in a can.

First use the signal, then give the treats. By the second day, the chicks will come running when they hear the signal. They will never forget it. To get them into the carrier, signal, then toss the treat into the carrier. No one ever needs to chase and grab chickens. They are ridiculously easy to train to come to you.

Genius!
That’s such a good idea. I’m going to start that tomorrow!