Rant: people keep moving chicks outside way too early

I see folks around here putting 3 week old chicks out in the coop at night because it feels warm at noon, then wondering why the little ones are huddled and chirping. Mine didn't go out until they were fully feathered at about 7 weeks, and I kept a heat plate going in the coop for another week after that, which is why I think mine made it through that cold snap in April without a single loss. How long are you all waiting before the first night outside?

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sethb452d ago

Temperature is the thing people get wrong every spring, and it's not just the night temps. A 3 week old chick still can't regulate its own body heat well, so even if it's 70 at noon, that coop drops to 45 at 2am and the chicks have no way to warm back up. The heat plate in the coop for that extra week is smart too, because moving them out is a big change and having that warm spot to go back to takes the stress off. I'd add that the "fully feathered at 7 weeks" rule is a good one but you also have to watch the actual weather, not the calendar. A warm April fooled a lot of people this year and then that cold snap hit. Slow and boring beats fast and sorry when it comes to chicks.

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