When to move my chicks to outside brooder?

[audiebell]

I live in North Carolina and have 19 bantam chicks currently I have them in a 55 gallon tub with heat lamp in my home, but they are out growing it quickly. The chicks will be 3 weeks old on Thursday. When can I move them outside to a larger cage? My husband is not too fond of my feathery friends being in the house.

 

[Fugly1100]

i just put my 5 OEG's outside in the coop with the big girls in a brooder cage. They were new years day hatchlings so there only 16 days old. they seem to like it out there, its not that cold here in north alabama but i still keep a 250w heat lamp on them. I will miss watching them in the house but i needed to make room for 8 more expected by the 21st.

 

[tinydancer87]

I just put 9 bantam ameraucanas and 3 cayuga ducklings, all about 3 weeks old, into my big coop today. They were just making too much of a mess in the house, they stunk so bad even though I cleaned pretty much constantly. The highs here are ranging from 63-72, and the lows from 37-50. They did very well during the day today, foraging in the straw.

My big chickens couldn't care less. My husband hung their 250 watt red lamp about 2 feet from the ground, I put their food and water right there at the edge of the light circle. When I checked on them about an hour ago they were all sleeping together under the light, I picked one up and he was very warm, lol.

They seem to be doing very well, I am pleased. So I would say as long as they have their body feathers in, you provide a heat source, and a draft-free coop or cage, chicks can go out.

 

[ChickenDal]

I'm in Maryland and have 5 barred rock chicks.They are 5 weeks old and about to hit the coop.We have no other chickens and don't know if we should add a heat lamp or bring em in on the really cold nites.

 

[ronniewayne]

chicken dal i would for sure have a heat lamp available for them. with plenty of room to get away from the heat if they want to they will do much better with a heat source untill around 10-12 weeks..after that they should be roosting with plenty of feathers ...like a goose down coat for you.....good luck..