When to move chicks outside?

[Vamvakas]

About 3-4 weeks sounds good

 

[RonC]

Not to get off subject or try to force anyone to eat anything they may choose not to. There are no hormomes/antibiotics in any medicated feeds I have encountered. The only added ingredient is amprolium which blocks the coccidiosis parasite from developing in the chicken's intestines. Just wanted to clearify something that people are confused about.

About 5 weeks old for most breeds. Just let them acclimate to temps over a few days.

 

[countrygirl74]

I am curious about when to put my chicks out too! I have 12 chicks, 3 of them are silkies. They just turned 5 weeks old. They have had no heat lamp at all for a couple weeks. I have been putting them outside all day from about 9a.m. to 5:30p.m. and they love it! It's been sunny and around 65-70.
However, I still bring them in to the house at night because the temperature drops to 30 degrees. When would it be safe to put that amount of chicks outside for the night? Do the silkies need to wait longer? They are definitely outgrowing their brooder in the house.
The coop is not insulated, raised off the ground, vented, and filled with straw. I have a door cut out on the front of the house but it does not close. Should I make a way for the entrance door to be sealed or is it just fine permanently open? (the coop is enclosed in a run)
I am wanting to know if there is anything different I need to do to the coop and when the chicks can go out at night - I won't be supplying heat to the coop.
This is my first winter with babies this young. Last time I raised the chicks in the spring and so by winter, they were plenty fine! Thanks for any advice!

 

[TurtlePowerTrav]

I am curious about when to put my chicks out too! I have 12 chicks, 3 of them are silkies. They just turned 5 weeks old. They have had no heat lamp at all for a couple weeks. I have been putting them outside all day from about 9a.m. to 5:30p.m. and they love it! It's been sunny and around 65-70.
However, I still bring them in to the house at night because the temperature drops to 30 degrees. When would it be safe to put that amount of chicks outside for the night? Do the silkies need to wait longer? They are definitely outgrowing their brooder in the house.
The coop is not insulated, raised off the ground, vented, and filled with straw. I have a door cut out on the front of the house but it does not close. Should I make a way for the entrance door to be sealed or is it just fine permanently open? (the coop is enclosed in a run)
I am wanting to know if there is anything different I need to do to the coop and when the chicks can go out at night - I won't be supplying heat to the coop.
This is my first winter with babies this young. Last time I raised the chicks in the spring and so by winter, they were plenty fine! Thanks for any advice!

With that number of chicks they should be ok going out now. Leaving the door on the coop is ok open as long as the run is real secure. My only question is how many silkies do you have in the group. Since most birds like to roost and silkies like to sleep on the floor, so there needs to be at least a few to stay warm.

 

[Kennas Mom10]

I have the same question. I have 4 Dominiques that are currently inside with no heat lamp and are almost 4 weeks. We are finishing up their run this weekend and hope to have the coop done during the week. Are they old enough to go outside at about 4.5 wks and will they need a heat lamp at night?(temps from upper 20s-40s at night).

 

[weaversfarm]

I have 54 RIR, 5 weeks old. I am in NY and am hesitant about putting my chicks outside yet. Right now they are in a 4X8 foot brooder in a room off the house separated by a door, so there is no heat in there other than the heat lamp and we put an electric heater in the room. I have switched the heat lamp to a white flood light and the electric heater does kick on once in a while. I will shut the heater off and see how they do. I have never raised chicks in the fall and I am also hesitant about putting them outside, even though they have a chicken house to go into. It isn't as warm or air tight as I would like so I will leave mine in for a little while longer yet. I am a softie when it comes to any animal and cold weather. We also are getting into the low 20's here at night.

 

[TurtlePowerTrav]

I have the same question. I have 4 Dominiques that are currently inside with no heat lamp and are almost 4 weeks. We are finishing up their run this weekend and hope to have the coop done during the week. Are they old enough to go outside at about 4.5 wks and will they need a heat lamp at night?(temps from upper 20s-40s at night).

If you need to move them out now, you could put a 75W bulb in the brooder lamp and hang it so it is about 24" off the ground. That will make a spot under it about 45* if they need to warm up. Then take them off that at 6-7 weeks old.

I have 54 RIR, 5 weeks old. I am in NY and am hesitant about putting my chicks outside yet. Right now they are in a 4X8 foot brooder in a room off the house separated by a door, so there is no heat in there other than the heat lamp and we put an electric heater in the room. I have switched the heat lamp to a white flood light and the electric heater does kick on once in a while. I will shut the heater off and see how they do. I have never raised chicks in the fall and I am also hesitant about putting them outside, even though they have a chicken house to go into. It isn't as warm or air tight as I would like so I will leave mine in for a little while longer yet. I am a softie when it comes to any animal and cold weather. We also are getting into the low 20's here at night.

If you have 54. they would be fine with no heat at all. You need to ween them off it now. Put a low Watt bulb in the lamp and only use at night for 5 days then no light. REMOVE the heater. It is likely a fire hazard anyway. I had my 3 pullets in the tractor at 5 weeks with a 75W bulb on timer for only night. They were on that until 7 weeks and my temps have been in high 20's. I even let a broody hatch out 2 eggs and she is in the tractor with them now. Unless it is below 0 and have a few bodies, they do ok.

 

[pepsiokay]

Hi Everyone

I have 6 silkies that I have just moved out into their coop. The coop is in our garage, draft free.
Its 8C outside. Inside coop temp is 18C. Theyre all happy walking about in there and using their electric brooder/heater when they want to.
They have straw under heir brooder too! oh and a blanket over the entire coop...

They're only 3 weeks old, but hated their brooder box indoors and have loved scratching around their coop today!

My question is - are they sensible enough to tuck up warmly under the brooder to go to sleep tonight? and will they be ok????

Thanks

pepsiokay x

 

[celticgarden]

Quote: Yes, they will be sensible They will find the heat and huddle together.

I put (6) 5 week old and (3) 3 week old chicks out in the coop last night sectioned off from the adults. They have their ecoglow raised to the highest height and plenty of pine shavings. I too was worried but everyone was fine this morning. I put a blanket over their area last night to keep in some extra warmth. I'll continue to observe them and add extra heat if needed, especially as winter is far from over. These are not large breed chicks, all the more reason to keep watch. If nights were going to be 6F like last week they would not have gone out. But nights this week will be hovering near freezing, more manageable.

I just caution anyone looking to provide supplemental heat to chicks to be very cautious about fire hazards. Clean the dust often from the heat source.

The dust is why these little chicks went OUT. I spent half a day vacuuming the basement after I put them out. Dust on every surface. And since the treadmill is down there and this being a new year...well, time to conquer resolutions but be able to breath doing it

 

[pepsiokay]

Oh thanks for the assurance! I can relax now then x

Thanks again x