when to put babies outside?

[chickensinMT]

I'm planning(

) on getting baby chicks the first week of march from Ideal. there should be 9 with out packing peanuts!! Any way I was wondering if they could be put outside with a heat lamp the 1st or 2nd week of April? should I wait longer or what?

Oh and at night they would be put into a shelter w/ the heat lamp

 

[red_raider_64]

I wouldnt be to worried about them being outside that young as long as they were in a pen. If you dont have a roof than I wouldn't because of predators.

 

[mdbucks]

when they are fully feathered they can be out on thier own, without the lamp. start at 95 and take away 5 degrees a week, so if temp is staying above 65 they should be OK without the lamp, regardless of feathering, but if your worried about it give them the lamp, they will chose whether to stay under it or not. Just make sure they can get out of the heat if they want.

 

[chickensinMT]

Thanks for the replys! they will be able to get out of the heat 'cause their shelters are kind of large and the pen they will be going into does have a roof

which is a very good thing considering the predators and cats that we have!! they only reason I asked is because we usually get them latter so it is usually warmer! (i live in MT and April can be kind of chilly!) the shop, where we keep them, is overcrowded with stuff so they need to get out of there as soon as possible, or so my parents say. So anyway i was just wondering. thanks again!