When should I move my chicks outside?

Posted by Natalie Deatsch on April 14, 2010 at 2:49pm

As new "mother hen" if you will.  I feel like I have read just about every chicken rearing book I can get my hands on, but I still have questions.  When is the best time to transition them outdoors?  They spent 2 weeks in my laundry room and now nearly a week in my garage.  I keep moving them as thy grow, but I can't seem to pull the trigger on putting them in the coop.  Any help at all is greatly appreciated!  I think they are about 3 weeks old and 3 of the five have feathers everywhere except their heads and the two slow pokes are still pretty fuzzy, but do have wing feathers...

What I keep reading is 6-8 weeks, but I'm worried they'll cook in my garage if I wait that long.  Thanks.

You need to be a member of AZ Herb Forum to add comments!

Join AZ Herb Forum

Email me when people reply –
Follow

Replies

  • Natalie Deatsch April 16, 2010 at 8:11am
    Thanks for your help guys. Think I will keep them tucked away in the garage for another week or two if I can get them to stay put. They seem very intent on exploring lately : ) I haven't actually seen it with my own eyes, but there are little piles of chicken poo in random spots of my garage which can only mean they are escaping.... No one is missing and they come back to their home... It's a mystery, but I think it's time to put a roof over them! Really, thanks again for the info and the luck. I don't know anyone else with chickens to ask.
  • Rachel April 15, 2010 at 5:20pm
    I wouldn't move them out yet. At this age their temperature regulation isn't great, especially the fuzzy ones. The minimum temp as Chris said is your primary concern but you also want to think about the highs. As a first time chicken owner it's always best to play it safe until you get a better feel for your birds. At least another week and then give them the night time heat lamp. Preferably 5-6 weeks old, but it is a pretty nice time of year. ;) When you do move them outside, remember to lock them in the coop for at least 2 weeks so they learn to recognize that as home and will come back to it every night to roost. Good luck!
This reply was deleted.