When to move out to coop?

[Cyneswith]

My chicks will be 5 weeks tomorrow, and are within days of being feathered out (only one Brahma with no head feathers.) They are bored in their 5x5ft brooder.

I had planned on turning down the heater today and Wednesday, off on Friday, then move them out for good at 6 weeks but... while it's 58 today, it's only supposed to be 39 degrees tomorrow. I'm pretty sure that removing heat right when the temp drops is a Bad Plan (the temp itself isn't concerning, but the drop is.)

Should I put it off another week, or just delay a day or two?

 

[SueT]

If they're still indoors, turn off heat now. I moved mine to coop at 5 weeks with lows in 40s. I weaned them off heat in the 10 days prior moving outside. I made a " huddle box" in case they were cold, but they never used it.

 

[Welshies]

Yes, you'll need to wean off the heat lamp but they are ready anytime.
They'll do okay, my chicks are fine in -35° temps

 

[GC-Raptor]

I put my pullets in the coop early May, at 5 1/2 weeks, after I weaned them off the heat lamp.
But I put the heat lamp in the coop. . . Connected to a dimmer, so I wouldn't have roasted chicken in the morning.
It got down to the upper 30s Fahrenheit at night. They survived with the heat lamp on low without a problem. GC

 

[Cyneswith]

The temp is dropping 30 degrees tonight - if I turn off the heater, it'll be more like 40-50. It'll be stable-but-cold for the next week.

 

[Cyneswith]

This morning, half were out of the brooder. Popped them back in. When I came back out, 6 came bolting out, so I moved them out to the coop. Now they are squawking like mad. They won't go in their huddle box, they won't go on their roosts...

 

[Cyneswith]

This morning, half were out of the brooder. Popped them back in. When I came back out, 6 came bolting out, so I moved them out to the coop. Now they are squawking like mad. They won't go in their huddle box, they won't go on their roosts...

 

[Welshies]

Give them time. Best of luck!

 

[GC-Raptor]

Yeah, I put my pullets in the coop in the morning so they could get familiar with the surroundings for a few hours.

They were in the house in the brooder about a week without the heat lamp before I put them in the coop.
I turned on the heat lamp at a dim setting if it was gonna be cold at night.
They did not use the roost for 10 to 15 days. They slept huddled on the floor. GC

 

[Cyneswith]

OK, added more bedding, put them back in, and they quieted down almost immediately. They have one huddle box with towels next to the brooder plate, a nesting box with deep bedding, and 2 roosts. They settled down on top of the huddle box.