Chicks can live outside once they are fully feathered, which for most standard breeds is around six weeks old. Age alone is not the test. Feathers and the weather decide it.
The three checks
- Feathers: no fluffy down left on the body, head or under the wings. Down does not insulate once it is damp; feathers do.
- Temperature: the coldest part of the night outside should be close to what they have been living in. On the standard schedule the brooder is at about 70°F by week six, so a coop on a 40°F night is a shock, not a step.
- Housing: a dry, draft-free, predator-proof coop that is ready before moving day.
Short visits come first
From two or three weeks old, chicks can spend short spells outside on a warm, calm, dry day, in a covered pen and with someone watching. Bring them in at the first sign of huddling or loud cheeping. These outings get them used to grass, sun and temperature swings before the move.
How to make the move
- Step the heat down first. Follow the weekly temperature schedule so chicks are already at room temperature with no added heat.
- Pick a mild, dry spell and move them in the morning so they have a full day to learn the coop.
- Keep them shut in the coop for the first few days so they learn where home is, then open the run.
- Check at dusk for the first week. Young birds often pile in a corner instead of roosting; make sure nobody is left outside.
If the weather will not cooperate
Chicks bought in February in a cold climate may be feathered before it is warm enough. Keep them in a larger indoor pen, or give them a safe heat source in the coop for the first cold nights and remove it as nights warm. Space matters as much as heat at this stage: crowded six-week-olds start pecking each other.
Adding chicks to an existing flock
Do not put young birds straight in with adult hens. House them where the flock can see but not reach them for a week or two, and combine them when the youngsters are close to adult size. Check coop space before you add birds.
