when to move my chickies. they're getting so big!

[jstlitlome]

This is my first experience with chickens, so I need your advice!

My chickies are 5 and a half weeks old and are overrunning their brooder box in my garage. (there are 10 of them in a 4x4 crate) I have 8 large fowl and two silkie bantams. The little roosts I made for them are a joke now and they are mostly sleeping in the bedding again. I took the lights off them last week, but has been really cold so put it on for the last 24 hours or so.

My coop will be ready this weekend (or monday), but I think that electricity is going to be harder than we thought so may take some time. We were originally thinking we didnt need it until winter, but now I'm thinking we will need it now. We could possibly just run an extension cord if needed, but there is supposed to be rain also and we are concerned about an extension cord in the water. The coop is a nice strong 4x8 coop. Its looking great and I'm really excited about it. I have a perfect spot picked out with southern exposure and shade.

The problem is that we live in missouri (you just never know about weather here! lol) and temps are expected to be lower than normal. when should I take them out?

Should I keep them in until it gets warmer, or just put them out there? How important is the light? they are fully feathered. I'm really surprised how attached I've gotten to these babies and I'm worried about them. (and so excited for them!)

Leslie

 

[GoldDogsMom]

Hi Leslie from another Leslie!

You really shouldn't move them away from a heat source until they are fully feathered-usually about 8 wks unless the temperatures stay above 60 at night.

 

[jstlitlome]

Wow! I'm going to have to re-vamp their brooder!

It will be good for us to have the extra time to fully finish and paint the coop and build the run. Maybe I will bring them out during the day if/when we have warmer weather to acclimate them to their new digs. Last week was 70 and beautiful. You just never know. Ugh.

 

[GoldDogsMom]

Wow! I'm going to have to re-vamp their brooder!

It will be good for us to have the extra time to fully finish and paint the coop and build the run. Maybe I will bring them out during the day if/when we have warmer weather to acclimate them to their new digs. Last week was 70 and beautiful. You just never know. Ugh.

Understood-Here in western PA the spring weather is so unpredictible!

I use cardboard boxes and duct tape when I do a brooder and enlarge it as needed but they always end up roosting on the edges! Last time I decided to put them in the garage instead of the basement and by the time I was ready to move them out they were roosting everywhere...on the tool benches...even my DH's motorcycle (not good!)

 

[winniem]

I just moved by 5.5 weekers (red stars) outside this past week. I noticed while inside they hardly ever stayed under the heat even at night with the house in the low 60s.
I started by bringing them outside in the run for several days and then started leaving them overnight when the night time temps were around 45. actually, the first night I did bring them back inside because they wouldn't actually go in the coop, they were just huddled in the run. but besides that, they have been out 24/7 and have just started free ranging with the big girls. I don't have any plans to
bring them back in, even with temps dipping into the 30's in the forecast ahead.
**i should add I do have 3 grown up
hens in the coop already so they help
give off some heat.

 

[jstlitlome]

Understood-Here in western PA the spring weather is so unpredictible!

I use cardboard boxes and duct tape when I do a brooder and enlarge it as needed but they always end up roosting on the edges!  Last time I decided to put them in the garage instead of the basement and by the time I was ready to move them out they were roosting everywhere...on the tool benches...even my DH's motorcycle (not good!)

Haha! That would NOT fly with my DH! We ride too, we must have more in common than just a name!

We have a lid on the brooder. But the first thing that happens when I open it is my friendliest Plymouth Rock (Edith) flys out to greet me.

 

[jstlitlome]

I just moved by 5.5 weekers (red stars) outside this past week. I noticed while inside they hardly ever stayed under the heat even at night with the house in the low 60s.
I started by bringing them outside in the run for several days and then started leaving them overnight when the night time temps were around 45. actually, the first night I did bring them back inside because they wouldn't actually go in the coop, they were just huddled in the run. but besides that, they have been out 24/7 and have just started free ranging with the big girls. I don't have any plans to
bring them back in, even with temps dipping into the 30's in the forecast ahead.
**i should add I do have 3 grown up
hens in the coop already so they help
give off some heat.

Thank you! I might feel better about it if I had big girls out there or had done this before.

I have a friend who got some chicks last year and she didn't really read up on all of this, she just threw them in a lean-to with a tarp and she has healthy happy chickens! I'm just a worrier at heart.

 

[GoldDogsMom]

Haha! That would NOT fly with my DH! We ride too, we must have more in common than just a name!

We have a lid on the brooder. But the first thing that happens when I open it is my friendliest Plymouth Rock (Edith) flys out to greet me.

Yeah...hubby wasn't too happy so I ended up covering the bike! I didn't want to disrupt the chickens!

 

[Mehjr10]

If they are fully feathered they should be good to go.. I moved my new Incubator chicks out last week at 5 wks, into the tractor. They like it much better than the brooder plenty of room to check out. You should be good without the light also.