When can they really go to the outdoor coop?

[Raindrops]

Thank you everyone!

A coop fire is a scary thought, and I have read that it’s not good to provide a heater anyway, but I caved in and bought one because I think these girls are going to end up out there sooner than later. It’s not an actual lamp though, it’s like a panel looking thing. I chose buff orpingtons because they are cold hardy and the last thing I plan on doing is giving them a heater as adults! Haha.

Ok, I’m gonna wean them off the day-time heat lamp and see how they act!

The brooder right now is pretty large for 4 chicks. My husband made it out of those insulation boards from the hardware store. Problem is, the chicks learned how to peck at it and they are eating the styrofoam!!!! They are just crazy little girls. lol.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

If you can safely provide a warm spot in the coop and you don’t have adults out there, there is no reason they can’t go out there straight from the incubator or post office. There is no real difference whether that is in your house, your garage, or in the coop. Many of us do that. The basic idea is the same for a brooder and often easier to accomplish in a coop. To me the perfect brooder provides one warm spot and cooler areas so they can self-regulate. I’ve put chicks in my 3’ x 6’ brooder in the coop with outside temperatures in the teens Fahrenheit. I might see ice on the far end but the end they are on is toasty. If the outside temperature warms up into the 70’s they just go to the far end away from the heat where it is cooler. I use heat lamps but if you set them up properly heating pads, heat plates, hovers, and other methods work great. If you don’t set them up properly they don’t always work great.

When you can remove the heat depends on a few things. What are your nighttime lows? Normal or average temps are not the issue, what are the extremes. That’s where you can get in trouble.

How well is the coop protected from breezes hitting them when they are on the coop floor? You want them to be able to get out of the wind.

How well is it ventilated? You need for good air to come in and bad air to go out. There are different ways to accomplish this but a simple way is to have ventilation up high so air can be exchanged but breezes pass over their heads.

How have you been feeding them? If you feed them a regular chick starter it contains enough protein for them to feather out quickly. If you feed them a lower protein feed or give them a lot of low protein treats they might not feather out quite so quickly.

How well are they acclimated to cooler temperatures? If I’m used to a tropical climate and hop on a plane to a cold climate I’ll freeze, even if I’m dressed correctly. If I’m used to cooler temps it’s not bad. Even short exposures to cooler temperatures helps a lot.

For what it’s worth I raise mine in the brooder in the coop, I feed them a Starter so they get a good start to life, I have great breeze protection and great ventilation up high, and my brooder is big enough they can play in pretty cold areas. I’ve had chicks just over 5 weeks go through nights in the mid 20’s F with no supplemental heat. They can handle lower temps a lot better than many people think, but it can be a little different depending on the conditions they are raised in.

I’m not sure what your current conditions are or what your coop looks like, but if you can safely provide a warm spot out there they should be able to go out today. If you use heat lamps (which I do) throw that clamp away so you are not even tempted to use it and use wire to support the lamp so it cannot fall. Do not use string or plastic that might burn or melt, use wire. I’d leave them locked in the coop itself for a couple of weeks, then open the pop door and let them go into the run whenever they wish during the day. Sometimes when I open the pop door they are all on the ground within 15 minutes. Sometimes it takes 3 days for them to build up their nerve and check out the run. Some people like to micromanage these things but I prefer to just let them go at their own pace. They eventually work it out.

So well said! I brood in the coop now, from day1, but when I brood elsewhere I use minimal heat and wean them at 3ish weeks, moving them outside at 4+ weeks

 

[Raindrops]

If you can safely provide a warm spot in the coop and you don’t have adults out there, there is no reason they can’t go out there straight from the incubator or post office. There is no real difference whether that is in your house, your garage, or in the coop.

When you can remove the heat depends on a few things. What are your nighttime lows? Normal or average temps are not the issue, what are the extremes. That’s where you can get in trouble.

How well is the coop protected from breezes hitting them when they are on the coop floor? You want them to be able to get out of the wind.

How well is it ventilated? You need for good air to come in and bad air to go out. There are different ways to accomplish this but a simple way is to have ventilation up high so air can be exchanged but breezes pass over their heads.

How have you been feeding them? If you feed them a regular chick starter it contains enough protein for them to feather out quickly. If you feed them a lower protein feed or give them a lot of low protein treats they might not feather out quite so quickly.

How well are they acclimated to cooler temperatures? If I’m used to a tropical climate and hop on a plane to a cold climate I’ll freeze, even if I’m dressed correctly. If I’m used to cooler temps it’s not bad. Even short exposures to cooler temperatures helps a lot.

For what it’s worth I raise mine in the brooder in the coop, I feed them a Starter so they get a good start to life, I have great breeze protection and great ventilation up high, and my brooder is big enough they can play in pretty cold areas. I’ve had chicks just over 5 weeks go through nights in the mid 20’s F with no supplemental heat. They can handle lower temps a lot better than many people think, but it can be a little different depending on the conditions they are raised in.

I’m not sure what your current conditions are or what your coop looks like, but if you can safely provide a warm spot out there they should be able to go out today. If you use heat lamps (which I do) throw that clamp away so you are not even tempted to use it and use wire to support the lamp so it cannot fall. Do not use string or plastic that might burn or melt, use wire. I’d leave them locked in the coop itself for a couple of weeks, then open the pop door and let them go into the run whenever they wish during the day. Sometimes when I open the pop door they are all on the ground within 15 minutes. Sometimes it takes 3 days for them to build up their nerve and check out the run. Some people like to micromanage these things but I prefer to just let them go at their own pace. They eventually work it out.

That’s what I was thinking too! Why not have them outside with heat, what’s the difference you know?? Thank you for your advice!

The outside temps get down to low 30’s right now here in Cedar City. The coop is one we bought from a store(yes we were gonna build one but I got impatient!!!). It’s got a vent thing you can slide open and closed, higher up like you said. I’ll post a pic.

I’ve been feeding them regular chick starter and yes it seems like their feathers are growing so fast.

You’re right about micromanaging, I think that’s what I’m doing! LOL

 

[Raindrops]

So well said! I brood in the coop now, from day1, but when I brood elsewhere I use minimal heat and wean them at 3ish weeks, moving them outside at 4+ weeks

Thank you!! I just can’t fathom keeping these chicks indoors in the brooder much longer. I read a guide on a website that suggested waiting until 8 weeks to put them outside. I think think it’s a little overkill ?

 

[lcwmt]

Lots of solid info for you. I'll just add my experience. Our chicks broodered in the house.
We have a soft sided crate that was perfect.
After the second week or so we removed their supplemental heat (a seed starter mat). We also got them acclimated to natural light cycles.
When we moved them to a larger "coop" we faced the insulation board with cardboard to keep them from pecking the styrofoam. This also contained a lot of the scattered shavings <G>.
At 5 weeks they were feathered out, adjusted to day/night light and happy to be "on grass". 4 Buff Orpingtons, 2 EE and a little Banty that "needed a home". They went outside in early May, in Montana - temps were about what you are getting now in Utah.

Good luck, pay attention to what *your* birds are doing and trust your instincts. All will be well, They are resourceful and resilient, if we allow them to be <LOL>.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I think it’s a little overkill ?[/QUOTE]


We all do things differently for different reasons. Some people like the chicks in the house or an attached garage. Some just like having them there. Some want to train them to be lap chickens and it’s more convenient if they are close by to handle them. Some people don’t really trust us on this forum and are convinced the chicks can’t handle those temperatures. Maybe the heat out in the coop isn’t as reliable as the heat in the house in case of a power outage. Lots of different potential perfectly logical reasons.

Just because the chicks can handle going out in the right conditions doesn’t mean they have to go out. We all have our own goals and reasons to have chickens. There is hardly ever one way that is right for everyone where every other way is wrong, though you don’t always get that from some posts on here. Some people really feel their way is the only right way or so superior that they feel every other way is wrong. A prime example is when you get into which roost is best. You get a lot of very strong opinions on different answers. Some of those discussions can get personal. The reality is that there are a lot of different ways to do practically anything successfully. If anyone ever tells you that their way is the only way to do something and you don’t love your chickens if you don’t do it exactly that way it’s often wise to get a second opinion.

 

[Raindrops]

Thanks again Ridgerunner, makes perfect sense. I guess it does come down to personal preference too.

Icwmt: We lived in MT for 10 years, great place! Thank you for the advice also!

 

[speckledhen]

Not all chicks are equal. If it's a tiny bantam, yes, they'd need heat at those temps at that age outside in a coop without a mom. Some are extremely slow-feathering like my Brahma cockerels who are just past 4 weeks old and still have only fuzz on back and undersides, not even full shoulder feathers yet. Some of my heritage line Barred Plymouth Rock males are still pretty bare at that age, too. Those Brahmas are with a broody hen so extra heat is a moot point. They're fine with mama.

They can keep warm if they are fully feathered, but most 3 week old chicks are not. And they don't have the body mass to offset the lack of feathers at that age. I would never put mine out in an unheated coop with temps below freezing at 3-4 weeks of age without some added heat (safely secured, of course) in one location. Once they are full feathered so you cannot see bare skin or just down in some areas, they will probably be okay at those ages as long as it's not in single digits or something that extreme.

My first bunch of hatchery chicks feathered out very quickly. At four weeks old, they went into an 8x8 insulated coop with good, high-up ventilation and one 250 watt heat lamp suspended in the center of the room over their heads--it was 12* outside just afterward and they did fine, but they were all very fluffy by then, unlike the ones we have now.

This is not a "one-size-fits-all" rule, age and heat or no heat. Depends, really. JMHO for what it's worth.

 

[ChattyChickens4Life]

It all really depends on the chick. Some chicks will be almost completely feathered by 3 weeks. Others may still have fuzz at 8 weeks! I would suggest waiting until your chicks are AT LEAST 6 weeks old. By then, they will have most of their feathers, and produce enough body heat for themselves, and the other chicks. To me, it's just not worth the risk of a chick freezing to death, or a coop fire if you used a heater. My best advice would be to tough it out for a few more weeks, and then put out the chicks. In the long run, it will be better for you and your flock! Best wishes!

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I definitely would wait too. 30 degrees and 3 week old chicks don't mix. I would provide extra heat for a minimum of 6 weeks this time of year, and they need to be acclimated to your outside temperatures.

What I often will do is put them out during the day if it's warmer, than bring them back to the brooder at night. Brooding in fall is different than brooding in spring.