When to move chicks outside?

[Brechin]

OH! And avoid medicated chick feed as you will not be able to eat the eggs from your layers. I personally like Modesto Milling feed. Organic soy free crumbles.

 

[RonC]

OH! And avoid medicated chick feed as you will not be able to eat the eggs from your layers. I personally like Modesto Milling feed. Organic soy free crumbles.

I was told by Purina that the eggs are safe to eat. The medication stays in the gut and is not transfered to the eggs.

 

[farmergalmaine]

U can eat eggs from Medicated feeds. You cant feed Medicares feeds to ducklings because they eat more than chicks and will over dose on the meds and die.

 

[farmergalmaine]

Medicated*****

 

[CluckyCharms]

3 weeks is too young to be without a supplemental heat source. Chicks should be at least 6 weeks old and fully feathered out before putting them outside.

Hens may pick on the chicks, or they may not. You will have to watch them closely at first.

You can feed an all-age ration such as Flock Raiser, or a grower/finisher ration. Just be sure to keep calcium available free choice for your laying hens.

Mine were without heat at 3 weeks old inside the house in a 60 degree room and they did great. Chicks will let you know when they are uncomfortable, and not all chicks are the same. They're still doing really great now at 4.5 weeks and they are outside in their coop. They're both fully feathered, and they were outside last night as well, and were up this morning happy as clams. I'm not saying it's great for all chicks and it also depends on the breed. For ours, they're much better now than they were when I was heating them unnecessarily.

[Edited to add] Ours are Norwegian Jaerhons and they have been cited several times as being extremely cold-hardy birds. That most likely has something to do with it. I doubt Silkies, for instance, would do as well. The *only* being in this household that is suffering from them being outside is me, I miss them.

This is a great thread:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/421122/think-its-too-cold-for-your-chickens-think-again

 

[daoustaj]

I put my 9 5 week old chicks outside, in the coop, inside of a large dog cage. Its been a few weeks and they are doing well. Better to do it now, not as cold as middle winter. They all did great! They are now almost 8 weeks!

 

[Roxannemc]

I am no pro on this but i am sure they need to have all their real feather first like 5-6 weeks Then i wonder if its cold theyll be so worried about the older ones that they crowd into some cold area the hens dont want in the coop. Guess i am a worry wart..
I have the same cold going on now here in Mo at night 20... and my 13,15 and 17 week old young chickens have a ;light bulb to help ward of the cold at night. Call me dumb but cant be comfy with myself in the warm house and them out in 20 degrees.... 30 degree 2x4 coop(water has had ice in it.).. even if they can "take it." Isnt it still not real comphy?I also have the coops imsulated some what.

Well I am a woos I guess

 

[TurtlePowerTrav]

I moved my last 3 out of the brooder into the grow-out tractor at 5.5 weeks, then moved them into the main coop at 9.5 weeks.

 

[Quyen Le]

I put a lot of 5 week old chicks to outside coop and when the weather was cold (40+) and the 60W bulb didn't provide enough heat, they squeezed themselves into the nesting area, which I made for them to lay eggs in future, and I lost about 20+ of them. I since changed to 250W heat lamp and it's much better now.

 

[Brechin]

I was told by Purina that the eggs are safe to eat. The medication stays in the gut and is not transfered to the eggs.

I'm sure many major brands feel their feed is safe. But considering the hormone/antibiotic free and organic movement I would say it doesn't hurt to wait a week or so before eating eggs from the medicated chickens. The way things work in the chicken's body are of course very different from any other animal's. So if you were so inclined to find out what medication is being used in the food, you can then call your local extension office or even the product manufacturer and find out what the relative safeness of the medication is. Usually the bag will tell you what to do.

But, don't mind me. I'm just a crazy lady who eats as healthy and close to nature as possible. Even my dogs eat a species appropriate diet of raw meat, bones, and organs. Obviously this is a matter of opinion and we just need try and decide for ourselves if the eggs from medicated feed chickens are safe to eat.