When can they really go to the outdoor coop?

[Raindrops]

Hello,

I’ve been reading lots and lots of forum posts on here and I have some questions about when is it ok to bring chicks to the outdoor coop.

I have 4 three week old buff Orpingtons that we got from a hatchery, there is no hen. They are currently in brooder that I made in the garage. The chicks grew so fast and they seem really eager to get out of the brooder, because they keep picking on everything to escape!

We have a coop outside already set up and I let them go out there in it for a few hours a day when it’s sunny and warm. They never act like they are cold even though the temps here in Utah are getting chilly.

I just don’t understand how I can keep these girls for another 2 or 3 weeks in their brooder because they SEEM so ready to go out there in the real coop.

So my question is... can I put them out there now at 3 weeks? I have set up a heater inside the coop but the problem is that they haven’t learned yet how to go in and out of it... if I have a heater running in the coop, how is that so different from having them under a heater in my garage?

Any advice is appreciated!!

 

[getaclue]

The rule of thumb is 90 degrees the first week, 85 the second, and lower by 5 degrees each week until they are feathered out. What type of heater do you have in the coop? Many types of heaters are fire hazards, and are not recommended. Considering they are still chicks, and not adult birds that are familiar with coop life, could make a difference too. In short, they should probably stay in the brooder a bit longer.

 

[ChickNanny13]

At 3wks they've got feathering, in another weeks or so they'll be completely feathered. Read up on the MHP thread started by Blooie. It's alot safer than a heat lamp and can be used outdoors. Thinking it will work in your situation. Yup, them little fuzz ball grow fast and BOs grow "bigger" than other breeds.

 

[Raindrops]

Thank you! I use two kinds of heat lamps. I have the big 100 watt going during the day, then I switch to the smaller 75 watt at night which is a red bulb... the red light seems to calm them down.

I’ve been keeping em really warm in the brooder. It seems like they avoid it maybe because I have the light too low. Gonna do some adjustments tomorrow morning.

And you are right about that fire hazard.. so I ordered this cozy coop product from Amazon that I’m gonna start using.

 

[PoultreeKing]

Hello,

I’ve been reading lots and lots of forum posts on here and I have some questions about when is it ok to bring chicks to the outdoor coop.

I have 4 three week old buff Orpingtons that we got from a hatchery, there is no hen. They are currently in brooder that I made in the garage. The chicks grew so fast and they seem really eager to get out of the brooder, because they keep picking on everything to escape!

We have a coop outside already set up and I let them go out there in it for a few hours a day when it’s sunny and warm. They never act like they are cold even though the temps here in Utah are getting chilly.

I just don’t understand how I can keep these girls for another 2 or 3 weeks in their brooder because they SEEM so ready to go out there in the real coop.

So my question is... can I put them out there now at 3 weeks? I have set up a heater inside the coop but the problem is that they haven’t learned yet how to go in and out of it... if I have a heater running in the coop, how is that so different from having them under a heater in my garage?

Any advice is appreciated!!

Usually i wouldn't take my my chicks out of the brooder before they reach at least 4 weeks of age, but you can move them to the coop if you have a heater, but keep the coop closed for one week, two if possible, so the get used to it as their new home, then you can release them and let them free range, but i would keep the heater until they are 8 weeks old, but it depends on the temperature, if you see them staying far away from the heater then it should be time to remove it.

 

[Frazzemrat1]

Once you turn off the heater, usually around 4-5 weeks, you can put them outside in the coop. Sooner if your where there's a warmer climate. I wouldn't use a heater in the coop at all unless you absolutely have to. Its a dangerous fire hazard. I can't remember who, but somebody here had a coop fire that almost burned down his house because he had the heater on. He also had it too close to the bedding, but it scared me enough that I won't put a heater out there.

 

[Redhead Rae]

Once you turn off the heater, usually around 4-5 weeks, you can put them outside in the coop. Sooner if your where there's a warmer climate. I wouldn't use a heater in the coop at all unless you absolutely have to. Its a dangerous fire hazard. I can't remember who, but somebody here had a coop fire that almost burned down his house because he had the heater on. He also had it too close to the bedding, but it scared me enough that I won't put a heater out there.

I had this happen to me, but with older birds. It was a really cold winter, so I put a red lamp in their coop to take the edge off. We found the lamp on the floor. we picked it up, dusted it off and didn't think anymore about it. The next day, I kept smelling smoke and couldn't figure out what was happening. I picked up their overturned nestbox and all the wood chips under the box were black and smoldering. I got a snow shovel and threw the burning chips out on the snow to put them out but it left a nice scorch mark on my coop floor.

 

[twilightgecko]

mine were 5 weeks old.. they were hopping out of the brooder.. i didn't heat my coop, but it was small and i had 9 chicks that huddled together for warmth.. they do grow fast..

 

[lazy gardener]

Thank you! I use two kinds of heat lamps. I have the big 100 watt going during the day, then I switch to the smaller 75 watt at night which is a red bulb... the red light seems to calm them down.

I’ve been keeping em really warm in the brooder. It seems like they avoid it maybe because I have the light too low. Gonna do some adjustments tomorrow morning.

And you are right about that fire hazard.. so I ordered this cozy coop product from Amazon that I’m gonna start using.

At 3 weeks, they should be weaned off heat if the temps are around 70*, and these chicks are showing you that they don't need that day time heat. They probably don't need it at night, either. What is the night time temp of your garage? By the time they are 4 - 5 weeks old, if they've been properly weaned from heat, they will be fine WITHOUT HEAT even with temps down into the 30's. But, the key here is that you have to wean them off that heat. Providing too much heat is actually detrimental to chicks.

This is what I'd do: Turn off their day time heat. They should be fine. You have a weekend coming up. How big is their brooder? By this age, they should have a minimum of 2 s.f. per bird. You can give them a huddle box or wool hen, and take away their night time heat. You will need to teach them to use either the HB or the WH. After they have spent a night or two using the huddle box/wool hen you can then move them to the coop and take their HB/WH with them.

 

[Ridgerunner]

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.