How early is too early to let chicks outside?

[Cierra]

Hello,


I've read wildly conflicting things about the appropriate age to let chicks outside. I have a flock of 6, five day old chicks (three Brahmas, three Barred Rocks), and I would like to let them outside, supervised of course, so they can peck and eat some greenery. I live on California's Central Coast, and the weather has been mild and beautiful.

What do you think? Can I let them out at 7 days old?

 

[cooped up]

Yes you can. A mother hen would have her chicks out by now.Mama would also give them shelter,warmth and safety when needed.

 

[ianucilli]

I have 5 week old EE chicks and am wondering when i can leave them outside. How cold is too cold, remove the light, and finally why do I see coops raised off the ground? Any help with these questions would be greatly appreciated, Mike

 

[ChicKat]

I have 5 week old EE chicks and am wondering when i can leave them outside. How cold is too cold, remove the light, and finally why do I see coops raised off the ground? Any help with these questions would be greatly appreciated, Mike

Hi Mike,

I got my EE when she was just about 4-weeks. She lived with two other chicks/pullets that I got at the same time although they were older...it was October. She did fine and is now my best layer.

I think the rule of thumb is chicks need 95-degrees week 1, 90-degrees week 2, 85-degrees week 3 and for week 4 of their lives they can be kept at 80-degrees. When week 5 comes they can enjoy 75-degrees and when they are fully feathered can be moved outdoors. I suppose part of the variables would be their environment and your locale.

Oh and BTW---welcome to the BYC forum!!!

 

[ianucilli]

Thats along the same lines I have read, I live in NE Indiana and the nights still get pretty cold I will finish their coop and include an outlet for the light and shutters to keep them warm. Thanks for the info and welcome!

 

[themadchicken]

at 8 weeks old i moved my chicks outside to the coop. at night the temp was in the 30's and mid to upper 40's during the day. as long as they had water food and shelter from the rain and wind they loved to be outside. at night i did have 2 lights (1 at 40 watts 1 at 60 watts) in the coop about a foot above the floor for heat if the needed it. now at 12 weeks they will not stay in the coop no matter the weather. for the most part weather has been in the 70-80 degree but sometimes it is in the 50 during the day but it looks like those nice cool days are over. i do still keep a 25 watt light about a foot above the floor at night for a night light. (if its not on at dusk they don't all seem to find their way back into the coop for bedtime, I think maybe they are just spoiled like little children.)
my coop is 18' off of the ground. This gives them more run space, shelter from the sun, rain and snow. i also hang their feeders from under the coop. this gives them dry food at all times. even during the worst down poor and wind the feeders have stayed dry. i live in Utah and during the winter we can get any were from a couple inches to a couple feet in one storm. my coop is 8' x 5' so even with a couple feet of snow the girls still have a dry 40 sq feet to move outside and 40 sq feet to move inside the coop. oh ya if your coop is on the ground it will rot. wood and water do not mix.there is a better chance of mold to form if the coop can not dry out. also if the coop is on the ground anything that crawls ,creeps, slithers or digs can get in. also watch the locl brids in your area, if their chicks are out then why shouldn't yours be. just remember they don't have a mom to get them warm just you. anyways.... hope i helped.

 

[mustangsaguaro]

Just recently I had to move some chicks that were 10 days old (now almost 21 days) from my brooder out to a larger coop. I had the brooder split in half. One half was the larger chicks (my orps) and the other half were the smaller ones (silkies and Ameraucana's). Well, the orps during the middle of the night were jumping over the barrier. I decided to move then out to one of my coops. I am in the San Jose Bay Area of Ca. and the first couple of days chicks stayed inside. After about the 3rd day they felt comfortable enough to venture outside. After about the 3rd day temps got really hot here, like hi 80's/low 90's. The coop is insulated really good so w/ the heat lamp it got really hot in there so I took it upon myself to turn the heat lamp off during the day and at night turned it on. I figured if the chicks got cold at all during the day they would go inside and keep each other warm. Again this was on 10 day old chicks I did this and they did perfectly fine. The weather has cooled off a lot so the last few days heat lamp has been on 24/7 but they are still going outside. So I guess it's what you feel comfortable doing. Hope this info helps.

 

[aggiemae]

finally why do I see coops raised off the ground?

It's much easier to clean a coop when its raised and the area underneath provides a shady area for the hens when it's hot outside.

 

[Izzymoon]

The raised coop is easier to clean, but also helps keep predators out, especially at night. A lot of animals dig, (burrow) and they may make it to the run, but if you have the chicks locked up tight, then they can't get inside. They usually recommend you put fencing in the ground around the coop so they can't burrow, perhaps a better question for the coop part of the forum, many here have built some amazing coops, and could help you

 

[CorinneP]

on nice warm days I like to put my babies in a traveling cage for a while .. They seem to love it .. Many people put their chicks out younger as they think to much heat can actually prohibit feather growth . I have different degrees in which I do mine. (other than a play time on a nice dry warm day ) I keep my itty ones in the house then graduate to an out door brooder continuing with the light as I see feathers develop on their head that's when I put them in a closed area no light and not to long after they adjust I open the runner when I know they know the food is good inside .. I think there are many many different opinions on it.. I notice the broody hens are quicker to stop cuddling and babying the chicks they hatch than I am : )