When Can I Transfer to Coop

[BigBlueHen53]

Just don’t put them in the garage like I did.
Chickens love power tools. I never understood why

What did they do to your tools, Featherhead?

 

[featherhead007]

What did they do to your tools, Featherhead?

They built a go-cart and ran over my mailbox. (They are who, my teen age son, blamed it on anyways)

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I've had chickens, mostly roosters sleep in the carriage house for one reason or other over the years. They probably found it because a light was on and the door was open.
One doesn't notice a nights worth of feces on pine shavings in the coop but they become obvious covering workbenches and power tools.

 

[NCBonnie]

3 weeks is too young for 30F unless you have a heat source out there.
I would start by removing their heat lamp in the house to allow them to begin acclimating to cooler temperatures.

I killed the heat lamp this morning, which will take the temps in their room down to around 70-ish.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Perfect.
Now see what you can do to get it cooler in there in the next week or two.

 

[NCBonnie]

3 weeks is too young for 30F unless you have a heat source out there.
I would start by removing their heat lamp in the house to allow them to begin acclimating to cooler temperatures.

I actually decided to evict them from the brooder last weekend (at 4+ weeks old) and transferred them to their coop. I managed to rig a couple of heat lamps beneath the coop to provide heat during the night. I gotta say, they couldn't be happier. Only thing now is getting them to "learn" going up into the coop at dusk, as I'm still needing to transfer them up by hand yet. They've definitely gotten the concept of coming down in the morning now, which is pretty fun to watch.

 

[rosemarythyme]

I would prefer moving them all at the same time, so you have no issue with reintroducing them to one another. If you can source a cardboard appliance or melon box (and cover with netting to prevent escapes), that should provide plenty of space for them to continue growing in for a few more weeks.

I'd also start gradually dropping the temperatures now so you'll have an easier time moving them outdoors.

 

[NCBonnie]

I would prefer moving them all at the same time, so you have no issue with reintroducing them to one another. If you can source a cardboard appliance or melon box (and cover with netting to prevent escapes), that should provide plenty of space for them to continue growing in for a few more weeks.

I'd also start gradually dropping the temperatures now so you'll have an easier time moving them outdoors.

Thanks! I’ve been following the 5 degree drop per week “rule” I’d read some time ago.