When is it safe to put my chicks out in the coop?

[dianneS]

I have 8 incubator chicks that were born Thanksgiving day. I guess that would make them, six weeks old?? I forget what date Thanksgiving was this year, and my husband threw out all of last years calanders!

Anyway, they are fully feathered OEGB chicks and they haven't had a heat lamp on them in about two weeks. They're in my 65 degree basement in a huge plastic tote. Can I put them in the coop with a heat lamp now?

 

[Slywoody]

Where are you located? If you are in Minn. or some notheren climate, you may want to wait a bit. Taking young ones like that from 65 degrees out to sub-zero temps may be a little rough on them.

 

[Happy Chooks]

Will it be just them or will you be putting them in with older chickens?

 

[dianneS]

I will be putting them in with older chickens. Although I could keep them confined by themselves and put the heat lamp back on them again? We're having below freezing weather here, and high winds right now. I'm in southern Pennsylvania.

 

[pkeeler]

I can't imagine how big that tote is

They have probably outgrown it. Of course they can go into a coop with a heat lamp at 6 weeks. If it is cold there, I'd try and close off any windows with plastic or something. Roof vents are ok, it is direct drafts that would be a problem. While they are full feathered, OEGB are not the thickest feathered birds to say the least. So, you might want to run two heat lamps, in case one stops working during the night. I would say, "cold" is any temp under 55 at 6 weeks.

 

[dianneS]

Okay, I moved the chicks out to the coop today. So far, so good. I was going to leave them in their tote with the heat lamp above them, but when I turned them loose in the coop, they seemed unphased by the cold. I closed all of the windows and the flap. I put their heat lamp close to the ground and put down a fresh, thick layer of shavings. I put their food and water near the heat lamp (bonus* the heat lamp will keep the waterer from freezing!) and their chick feeder and grower feed under the lamp.

They are running around just fine, and they know where to find the warmth. All of the other chickens are headed for their roosts for the evening. As long as those little ones know to get under the warmth when it gets cold, they should be fine.... I hope!

I'll be checking on them throughout the night to be sure they're okay!