When To Go Outside

[Acre4Me]

Hello from Ohio!

They will be fine outside!

We have chicks (hatch date Feb 20), and they are being raised by momma hen. When the weather finally got to be "warm" and not so windy, we allowed the momma and babies out for the first time on March 12 (pictured above). They were not quite 3 weeks old. Since it was still quite cold and we didn't want any chick wandering too far from momma, we kept them confined to a small area of the run. They didn't spend much time under momma, but now and again. Since March 12, they have been allowed outside in the run every day. They spend much time out there, and their area has been enlarged. Today is their first day getting full access to the run intermingling with the rest of the chickens. Momma is still in protective mode and has already pecked another hen that dared to peck her chick! Prior to today, momma and chicks were separated from flock by a moveable fence (seen in pic).

 

[WhoDatChick]

I have a question... it’ll be down in the 40’s tonight and 30’s tomorrow night.. I keep my 3 chicks in a brooder on the porch with heat lamp at night and out in grassy run during the day. It’ll be warming up from there.. by the end of this week the chicks will be 5 weeks.. and was gonna move them to the big gals run in a small cage.. what I want to know is.. do they really still need heat..? I mean.. I can’t see chicks this size fitting under mama anymore.. anyway! Especially if she has 10 or so! So why do some people think they need heat till 6-8 weeks? If mama raised them.. they would be out from under her by 4-5 weeks.. correct?
@HuffleClaw @ronott1 @rjohns39 @Brahmachicken240

 

[debid]

I have a question... it’ll be down in the 40’s tonight and 30’s tomorrow night.. I keep my 3 chicks in a brooder on the porch with heat lamp at night and out in grassy run during the day. It’ll be warming up from there.. by the end of this week the chicks will be 5 weeks.. and was gonna move them to the big gals run in a small cage.. what I want to know is.. do they really still need heat..? I mean.. I can’t see chicks this size fitting under mama anymore.. anyway! Especially if she has 10 or so! So why do some people think they need heat till 6-8 weeks? If mama raised them.. they would be out from under her by 4-5 weeks.. correct?
@HuffleClaw @ronott1 @rjohns39 @Brahmachicken240

Why do people think they need heat until 6-8 weeks? The same reason people think they have to heat the whole brooder. Someone told them to do it this way and now they fear trying something else. It's really hard to let go of misinformation once you've embraced it as fact.

 

[Brahmachicken240]

My broodies have always parted with their chicks after 5-7 weeks. I’d say they’d be fine without it.

 

[Ryback530]

I'm sure they'd love the new digs. With 12 to raft up, they shouldn't be cold at night. I always do a couple days shut in the coop portion to home them so if you can tape a piece of plastic sheeting or something (feed bags are great for this!) over the doorway, they won't be confused about where to sleep at night or where to retreat when it rains once they have access to the run.

I was wondering this myself. Very good idea about confining them to the coop at first so they know where is safe! Gonna try that when it's time

 

[blackdog043]

It's a small homemade portable coop that I bought. About 3 feet, by 2 feet. It's temporary until they can go in with the older flock. It has a run attached for daytime.

Is the coop predator proof, is there an apron around it to stop digging predators?

 

[Mellysandwich]

Why do people think they need heat until 6-8 weeks? The same reason people think they have to heat the whole brooder. Someone told them to do it this way and now they fear trying something else. It's really hard to let go of misinformation once you've embraced it as fact.

I appreciate this. I was asking myself the same thing.