When can my chicks starting living in the coop? Warm climate.

purplespice

Hatching
May 31, 2020
4
1
5
I have read many people say chicks can transition outside anytime between 4-7 weeks. I live in a warm climate (Louisiana) that is upper 80's during the day and never lower than 70 at night (usually 74 or 75). When can I introduce them to sleeping in their coop? Can I do it earlier based upon the weather. We have a Eglu Coop so I feel really good about it being secure from predators. I am terrified of having a heat lamp in my house with kids and a dog.
 
I live in Texas, I'm new at raising chickens, I have 4 week old chicks, I put them in the coop a week ago. I turn off the light during the day and open the coop, they are going up and down the ramp on their own and spending all day outside, I never hear them so I occasionally look in on them and they are happy as can be. They even got some corn in the cob today. 😊 Around 7:30 I turn on the light and they go up the ramp, once inside I close the coop up and lock them in. It's still in the 60's at night but once it gets in the upper 70's lower 80's the light will go out. Mine are in a large coop, I would never use an igloo for them. They will get to hot in there.
 
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I had my first chicks out of the garage into their new coop three days after I got them, so six days old. (Hubby's doctor said no chicks in the garage or house.) They had a heat panel (safe and mild) and didn't want to use it. I went out several times that night and stuffed them back under. It was 31° Fahrenheit. They didn't need it. Please don't put a heat lamp in that Eglu coop. If you don't end up with a fire, you'll overheat them.

Six birds sounds about right in your climate, in that coop. As long as they don't have to be "cooped up" in there, are just using it as a bedroom, it should be okay. Keep an eye on the ventilation, though. Most pre-fabs don't have nearly enough and it's so important, especially in your humid area. Also super important they don't get too hot. The coop should be in a nice shady, breezy area. Chickens can take a shocking amount of cold and never suffer, but too much heat is extremely dangerous for them, esp. when young.

BTW, I just noticed you're new! Welcome to BYC!
 
You should NOT have a heat lamp in your coop, either. If you feel you need something, get a heating panel.

You can put your chicks in their coop as soon as you wean them off supplemental heat. At your temps, I'm gonna say inside of a week. Just be careful they don't get too hot out there. Those plastic coops worry me. How many chicks do you have?
 
I had my first chicks out of the garage into their new coop three days after I got them, so six days old. (Hubby's doctor said no chicks in the garage or house.) They had a heat panel (safe and mild) and didn't want to use it. I went out several times that night and stuffed them back under. It was 31° Fahrenheit. They didn't need it. Please don't put a heat lamp in that Eglu coop. If you don't end up with a fire, you'll overheat them.

Six birds sounds about right in your climate, in that coop. As long as they don't have to be "cooped up" in there, are just using it as a bedroom, it should be okay. Keep an eye on the ventilation, though. Most pre-fabs don't have nearly enough and it's so important, especially in your humid area. Also super important they don't get too hot. The coop should be in a nice shady, breezy area. Chickens can take a shocking amount of cold and never suffer, but too much heat is extremely dangerous for them, esp. when young.

BTW, I just noticed you're new! Welcome to BYC!

Thank you. My family had been thinking about getting chickens for awhile and purchased some on Saturday. We didn't realize how difficult it is to find a coop right now. We found the Eglu but saw they were sold out for the next few months. We went to craigslist and found one there. I am sure we will have a million questions and I think I found the place to go to. Thank you for your help.
 
We have 6.

You should NOT have a heat lamp in your coop, either. If you feel you need something, get a heating panel.

You can put your chicks in their coop as soon as you wean them off supplemental heat. At your temps, I'm gonna say inside of a week. Just be careful they don't get too hot out there. Those plastic coops worry me. How many chicks do you have?
 
We have 6.
I have 7 - 4 week old chicks in the coop. It's a large coop so the chicks aren't directly under the heat lamp. Once the weather stabilizes they will no longer have the light. Right now it's still in the 60's at night. I have had no problems with them. They are happy and spoilt. 😊
 

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