When can the girls go outside?

[Catijoe Farm]

Good morning all! Since this is our first go at chickens I have about a million questions but for right now I'll only ask 1,000 or so.

The girls are about 6-7 weeks old (got them from a store, they weren't sure). They have quite a lot of feathers and I've been putting them in the outside coop in the morning during the day; morning temps are around 50 degrees. It's been in the 60's-70's here during the day and they are loving it. They're out of the inside part and exploring. At night I've been bringing them in to sleep in their box (no more brooder light). Temps here at night are in the 40's and 50's. When do you suggest I move them outside for good? Love them but the house is a little too small and noisy.

Thanks and have a great day!

Cath

 

[lcertuche]

...and not mention smelly, lol! I moved mine to the porch outside for a couple of weeks. The lowest temps have been in the 40's. My chicks are 5 or 6 weeks old now. They are feathered out. The first week I was bringing them in the house at night but the second week I just covered their cage with a comforter. I moved them outside Sunday but they are walking right through the wire 2X4 welded wire. Big mistake! They are foraging well but I lost one to a dog. I keep trying to keep them in putting up small mesh poultry wire over the other wire but then they began to fly over. I will trim one wing on each bird today. My husband said I must have Einstein birds. Good luck with them but remember they may look big but if they can get their heads through the wire they can escape.

 

[Catijoe Farm]

Thank you! The coop we have is a manufactured one so the wire fencing has very small holes. We're adding more fencing around it and will put chicken wire over the top so they can't fly out. We live in a development and I know our one neighbor would NOT be happy to have chickens in his yard.