When to "flee" the nest? [Putting indoor poults outside]

[Smidoid]

I have a couple of Silkie roos, now coming up to four months old and fully fledged (assume).

They've always been kept in a cool area of the house but our outdoor temps can drop into double figures (C) below freezing.

Does anyone have any advice on how to move my "babies" outdoors? I assume they will need some form of acclimating but this is something I'm very new too - and since these are my first hatch, I'd really hate to lose them at this stage!

Thanks

 

[roostersandhens]

You will want to put them outside once they have all there adult feathers. If you want to put them out now you could hook up a heat lamp in their coop.
Good Luck!

 

[Smidoid]

Thanks so much. But how do I know the adult feathers are in. Yes, I'm that much of a noob.

They are about 4 months old - both Silkie Roos.

 

[Den in Penn]

At six weeks most have their adult feathering. On most breeds they will lose the down on the head and neck near last. I know with silkies fluff its harder to tell, but if they have been in the cool they should be fully feathered now. I don't think you'll have to supplement the heat long, just long enough to ease them in to the colder coop. Put a thermometer in the coop to see how cold it is in there.

 

[jaj121159]

BTW poults are baby turkeys.

 

[Smidoid]

Really? Did I mean pullet? D'oh...

 

[bobbi-j]

Actually, you didn't mean "pullet" either, as those are young female chickens....

The correct term for a young male chicken is cockerel.

 

[aggiemae]

oops!

 

[Smidoid]

I Need to listen more carefully in class , methinks. Lol.

 

[bobbi-j]

Eh, around here we just call 'em chicks or chickens. Roosters or hens if we really need to differentiate, but generally skip over the "pullet" or "cockerel" part. Boys or girls, that's all we need to know.