When to move to coop????

[jstp]

Yay! I will put the finishing touches on my run and get the girls outside!

 

[teria]

I've been eagerly reading this thread, but am still not certain if I can move my babies out.
They're about 3 weeks old. They've been in a box on our screened porch, but now they can all fly out, so they're really just free-roaming on our porch, which my husband is not thrilled with.
I'm in central Texas, so the weather is mild (upper 60's at night, 80's in the day). We have an Omlet inside our coop, so they will have room of their own and shelter. The only problem is we've been getting so much rain!
Can I put them out and trust that they will go in the enclosure when it rains or is that old saying about being so stupid they'll drown in the rain true?
My Bigs are fine in the rain, but these little guys are just look so helpless!

Thanks!

We use a window screen over our brooder box. Both our previous flock of 8 chicks that lived in the box until they were 8 weeks old and the current group of 4 chicks that are now 4 weeks old respect the screen, probably because, while they can see thru it, it is definitely not an open space. They do freak out a bit when I move it, so I talk to them before I do and while it is moving and that seems to help them know it's okay.

 

[teria]

We had our first group of chicks in their run during the day at about 8 weeks old when temps were at least 70 degrees. The coop wasn't finished yet, so they would just spend the day in the run and then we would gather them up and bring them into the garage for the night. We had about a week during that time that the temps suddenly dropped to freezing at night and not much better during the day, so, we kept them inside until the weather changed again. We kept that up until the coop was ready for them, only about two weeks from their first trip outside. They have been in the coop ever since. We now have four little ones that are 4 weeks old, and we are taking them out to play in the fenced in garden spot where the bigger group can see them, and if they get close enough they can interact a bit through the chicken wire but the little ones are safe and can run around and play. The bigger chicks, especially the roosters and one particular hen, now turning 11 weeks old, are fascinated with the littler ones. I'm a little hesitant about what will happen because they are so focused on the little ones the whole time they are out there, but, we've only done it twice so far, and this weekend promises to be very warm and sunny, so, hoping to have the littles outside most of the daytime, which may satisfy the biggers curiosity.

 

[SallyEdwards]

I was wondering its suppose to be 83° here today and the chicks will be 4 wks old tomorrow do u think it will be ok to leave them in their coop for a little but today?

 

[SallyEdwards]

I would think they will be fine

 

[Blooie]

With those temps and their age they could go out for good now! The first few nights they'll huddle in a tight little package of feet and feathers, but they should be fine. Mine are fully integrated with the flock, no heat, no lights, by 4 week old and I live in Northern Wyoming! We are finally getting nights up into the low 40s.

 

[ImNotYogi]

Ill be kicking mine out of the brooder this weekend. Gotta finish securing the coop then out they go. The daytime temps are in the 80s and then in the 60s on most nights. They haven't had a light for nearly 2 weeks now.

 

[jstp]

Moving mine to the coop Sun just 2 days shy of 4 weeks old. Can't wait.

 

[countrymomma008]

Ok so I was wondering my chicks will be 5wks Thursday,Its gonna be upper 80's this comin week during the day and lower 60's upper 70's during the night,would it be ok to move the chicks out to their coop full time this coming week?

 

[Blooie]

Absolutely.