When do you put chicks outside?

[Pampered chicken girl]

It depends for me on weather but usually 6 weeks

 

[jus10inla]

Day one. Start integrating at 4 wks (door from brooder pen opend) by 6-8 wks there all sleeping together with big chickens.


door from brooder to layers is 4”x4”, chicks can run thru to hide back in there room but big girls cant get to them.

 

[junior67]

I got my first chicks last year and had them inside in a brooder until about 5-6 weeks when the coop was done that they could go in it.

This year I got chicks and made a brooder under my poop boards and put them in there around 5-7 days old, wanted to watch them for a bit first. Then opened brooder door for them around 4 weeks (was going to do it a bit sooner but had a broody on eggs so wasn't sure how she would be with them)..... the door was completely opened around 5 weeks old that anyone could come and go including the bigger ones.

I also had broody's hatch or was given chicks this year and I left them in the main coop with everyone and they decided what they wanted to do with them but I never separated them from the flock. Have chicks ready to hatch in my incubator on Sun/Mon and will be giving them to my broody to raise in the coop as well.

 

[HollowOfWisps]

I have a 10x10 brooder in the barn that everyone gets moved to day 1. The brooder has plywood at the bottom, hardware cloth all around the top and hardware cloth over the entire door top to bottom. I had an outlet installed inside to plug in my heat plate and an outdoor pendant light hung above for extra lighting. Everyone can see/hear the chicks without being able to touch them. This last batch at 4 weeks I opened the door and they integrated with the others seemlessly.

 

[jus10inla]

Are they Okay with them?

In 10 yrs of having chickens ive only had 4 die by other birds ; and thats when they have been singlely introduced or had been pecked / cannibalism took over after an injury

And if i have a mean hen who is just mean.. not the normal “peck” , she is culled .

 

[jus10inla]

Are they Okay with them?

Also if the 6-8 wk old were being bullied / not let on the roost they could go back to ther pen free choice. I am 100% hands off , work it out amongst themselves and only step in if i need to. Otherwise im therr for feed, water, shelter.

I dont lock them away at nite give a kiss and treat.. its a frikin chicken. Not a dog. Not a child. Some people take this to the extreme.

These mini dinosaurs survived since beginning of time without human interference. The way it should be

 

[Stacaroni]

The first time it was when I got tired of them stinking up my craft room.

 

[Battlepants]

The first time it was when I got tired of them stinking up my craft room.

Got lucky on that one, I have a fairly dead sense of smell. However, my wife was very glad to have the little stink nuggets out of our storage room though!

 

[Tonyroo]

It's always weather related and also if your outdoor brooder is setup properly, that's if you have one.

Mine go out usually at 4 day olds.

 

[Stacaroni]

Got lucky on that one, I have a fairly dead sense of smell. However, my wife was very glad to have the little stink nuggets out of our storage room though!

My husband lost his sense of smell a few years ago. There are definite advantages!