When to move 3 week old chicks into a coop

[crazyhen]

AT 2 to three weeks mine go in the coop with a heat lamp. But the coop is solid and does not have drafts where they are put. Sometimes they have two heat lamps at night. The nights get quite cold in the mtns of NC. DN to 18 or so degrees so they have to have lots of shavings and heat in the coop.

I can not keep them in the house any longer than two weeks the dust and fine feathers get into everything .

 

[Usingmyrights]

I was wondering the dame thing about moving them out. I dont have a good place to put a brooder inside and felt that they were outgrowing their box. Mine are a little over a week old and I moved them to a brooder under a detached carport (its only open on the front). The brooder is completely enclosed except for the wire floor. I'm in FL and low temps look to be averaging in the 60s with the exception of this weekend when it will dip into the 40s at night. Ive got a heat lamp going, but would like to be able to drop it down to a regular 100w bulb. When I checked them earlier today they were spaced out in small groups, but none under the lamp. The broader is about 9x3 so im guessing that will suffice size wise until theyre feathered out.

 

[bagawk]

I put my six week old Buff Orpington out in the coop a week ago. I was putting her out in the day and up at night, unless it was below 50, then she came inside.

Right now, I lock her up in the house portion of the coop so the bigger chickens can sleep inside the coop and then during the day the big birds go free range and the one baby gets the whole coop to herself - locked up so the big birds cannot get back in.

I was told to wait until they are almost fully feathered so they can handle the heat and cold and regulate their temperature.

I have four younger ones that are almost 4 weeks old. Starting today, I put them outside for the day loose in the coop with the older bird. All get along well and will continue to be out in the day and inside at night until they are fully feathered like Tweety is.

 

[MaddBaggins]

I'm planning on putting mine into the coop/run at 5 weeks. Daytime temps will be mid 70's then and nighttime lows will be mid 40's. I think I will put a heat lamp in the coop at night for a week or so.

 

[bj taylor]

i moved mine into the brooder last winter once they had feathered fairly well. i used a heat lamp. they stay on the floor for while huddled in a corner until they feel they can sit on a roost all night. the biggest threat is fire w/the heat lamp. make sure they can't knock the lamp down or get tangled in the cage protecting the bulb - or break the bulb by flying into it.
i was careful to block any drafts, they had plenty of large flake bedding and hay on the floor to snuggle into. between that and the bulb, they did well until fully feathered.

 

[Rainey Ranch]

We put our Chickens in the coop at about 12 weeks, we had to wait to finish building our coop so we built a small coop in the garage to keep them in until the main coop was finished. but I've read about 4-6 weeks..

 

[salt and pepper]

We put our Chickens in the coop at about 12 weeks, we had to wait to finish building our coop so we built a small coop in the garage to keep them in until the main coop was finished. but I've read about 4-6 weeks..

we kept our last batch of chicks in for this length of time, and it was such a pain! I don't know if you had as much trouble as I did. but for the last two weeks, the chicks were flying, and dislodging the roof, so they could get out! I kept them in that long, because is was in the fall, but from now on, I will only get chicks in the spring. So much easier!

 

[gcbsmommy]

I live in FL, too, My chicks are 3 weeks old, and I am ready to put them in the coop! We had a cold snap earlier this week and I believe another one is coming (low in the 30s) so I am going to hold off another week or two. Our coop is completely enclosed except for a meshed window up high. I think they will be fine. There are 27 of them to snuggle with and keep warm, too.

 

[Egghead_Jr]

At over 3 weeks of age your chicks would thrive in Florida. Have you been raising their heat source to give them less heat during brooding? If they are still being brooded at 95F then they probably aren't ready for Florida nights. Get the temp in your brooder down to 70F, put a screen or mesh over the top to keep them from flying out and then kick 'em to the coop at 4 weeks of age. You could even turn the heat source off the last few days. Just get them acclimated to cooler temps and they'll feather out perfectly for Florida winter.

My chicks go out to coop at 4 weeks here in May. Days are in 50's and nights mid 30's. They do well as I decrease heat by 5-7 degrees a week then keep them at 65F in house last 4 days with not extra heat. They feather out faster if you stage down the heat.

 

[gcbsmommy]

I have raised the heat lamp 1/2 a foot twice...a couple days ago, I turned it off as it is 80 degrees in our enclosed porch where the brooder is. I open the sliders during the day so they can have fresh air... I woudl so love to get them in the coop as soon as possible. As much as I try to keep their brooder and surrounding area clean, it is an uphill job and the smell is hard to keep pleasant!