Putting chicks outside

[DustyBoot]

I haven't raised chicks since I was a kid and didn't pay attention to details, so checking in for a refresher. Our chicks are just over three weeks old and doing well. Right now I'm putting them outside during the day in a small chicken tractor thing, and bringing them in at night. But they're getting big and smelly, like chicks do, and I'm wondering at what point it's safe to let them stay outside at night with shelter. The official rule seems to be 6 to 8 weeks. I can do that, no problem. But I wondered if that's reality, or if that's the overcautious official literature.

Lows here lately are ranging from the 40s to the 60s, and highs from the 60s to the 80s. 40s seems a little low just yet, but if the low is in the 60s can I let them spend the night outside? I'm putting their chick tractor inside the chicken pen so that they're exposed to the adult chickens but separated, hoping it'll help with the eventual merger. The tractor includes a covered area where they all sleep, and the chicken yard is electric fence with LGDs outside it so predators aren't a big concern.

 

[rachels.haven]

How much feathering do they have? Pictures would be awesome if you have them.

 

[rachels.haven]

Also, does the covered area of your tractor close out the wind?

 

[Latestarter]

The biggest determining factor is their feathering. If they're fully fledged, they can handle 60's easily and would probably be fine down into the low 40s as they'll all huddle together for warmth anyway. My last (LF) chicks were outside at 5-6 weeks with temps you described.

 

[DustyBoot]

Best shot of one of them I could get (they sure move around a lot!):

Getting feathery, but still fuzzy too. Adding a couple more photos of different chicks at different angles, just in case.

The tractor has walls with a hole in one side for entry, so it'll block the wind as long as it's not coming through the entry (and the entry isn't the full wall so they could get some shelter even if it was, but not much). Of course if the ground is uneven there could be drafts underneath. I thought about giving them some sort of box inside the shelter so they'd be extra insulated, but not sure if it'd make much difference.

 

[DustyBoot]

The biggest determining factor is their feathering. If they're fully fledged, they can handle 60's easily and would probably be fine down into the low 40s as they'll all huddle together for warmth anyway. My last (LF) chicks were outside at 5-6 weeks with temps you described.

5 to 6 weeks sounds about right. Wouldn't mind if they're ready sooner, or we get some warm nights so they can stay out more, but I'll keep bringing them in as long as they need. I've read that in some cases it can be easier to add them to an existing flock if you mix them while they're still small so they don't seem like a threat to the pecking order, then everyone sort of grows into it. Once they're a little bit bigger we'll probably try some supervised mingling and see how it goes. If it flops, we'll keep them separate. We had good luck early this year reacclimating a hen who was injured by a dog and required nursing. She lived in the house for a while, then in a stall in the goat shed, then we put her in the chick tractor inside the chicken pen and started letting her out of that for an hour or so at a time. After a while she was back in with the flock full time and we haven't had any problems since. So I'm guardedly hopeful.

 

[Latestarter]

They sure look fully feathered to me... I'd wait till there are a couple of nights in the 50s/60s back to back to start them outside and then they should acclimate just fine.

 

[Baymule]

I have a small wire cage that I used to put new chicks in to the coop. I put the chicks in it with food and water for a week. Then I propped open the door. The chicks could come out and run back in for safety. It took several weeks for them to fit in and start roosting with the flock.

 

[Dani4Hedgies]

How many chicks do you have? If you 6 or less then you will want to keep them in until they are 6wks old if you have 6-12 or more then just put a box(can be cardboard or plastic in your tractor in the coop. Or if you have a heating pad that doesn't have an auto shut off you can put them out now no matter the numbers just turn the heating pad on at night and place it in a box and they will cuddle in there and be perfectly warm.

 

[DustyBoot]

There are 12. No heating pad, but can definitely do a box. They'll get a couple more nights inside, then it looks like we should have some warmer nights to start them out. Woohoo!