I live in New England and we are getting five chicks the second week of April. I will be brooding them in my house, but my question is because of the cold weather how long should I keep them in before I put them in their coop?
I would keep them inside until the temperature outside remains above 50 degrees, and they are fully feathered (usually at around 8 weeks of age).
Well, it depends on how you handle the heat inside and if you have power in the coop. Best to have them in a room you can keep cooler, closed off from the rest of the house so you can crack a window. I put my chicks out in the coop the first week of April at one week old with their pseudo heat 'plate'. Most chicks, if kept cooler, will fully feathered by 4 weeks.
