8 week chicks able to stay outside at night with temps in 40s/rain?

[KTay11]

I have 5 assorted egg layers that are 8 almost 9 weeks old. We live in Michigan and I got them at TSC, all supposedly cold tolerant. We’ve got the coop all set up, hardware mesh on floor, sand on top, and rocks around the outside. I’ve been keeping them in the garage, and letting them out on nice days here in Michigan. My question is: are they good to go outside tonight overnight in their coop with it being in 40s at night and raining? Will they know not to go out in the run in the rain tomorrow during the day? I just feel bad for them in the brooder with them getting so big.
Also I know they won’t lay for a few months. So my question is for nesting boxes- do I just put some bedding in there for them for now? Nesting pads later? My coop has one roosting bar for a coop that was supposed to hold 6-8 birds. So I feel like some might sleep in the nesting box? I don’t want to start bad habits lol. Is one bar enough

 

[SandyRiverChick]

My first thought is YES because they're probably fully feathered and you've been acclimating them which is good. But it sounds like you have a pre-fab coop? If so, that is very little protection from wind and rain. Or do you have a sturdier coop or is the pre-fab covered by something? All of that said, I do think they'll be fine with no heat. For nesting boxes, it's like you said, too soon to put bedding in and encourage sleeping. You'll want to block them out of those and open up with fake eggs much closer to time to lay. What breeds do you have incidentally? The roost bars in pre-fabs are tiny so if you have that, I'd replace with something more like a 2x4 that they can lay on.

 

[rosemarythyme]

My question is: are they good to go outside tonight overnight in their coop with it being in 40s at night and raining? Will they know not to go out in the run in the rain tomorrow during the day?

They would've been fine moved out 3-4 weeks ago, if allowed to acclimate to it. I presume they're completely off heat at this point? If not I'd spend a few days doing that first.

Rain is no issue as long as they have somewhere to shelter. They don't melt.

So my question is for nesting boxes- do I just put some bedding in there for them for now? Nesting pads later?

No need to put in anything at this time, though you can if you want to. As I have a mixed aged flock the nests are always set up for the adults, and I've not had chicks sleep in them. If they do try to sleep in them you need to address that before it becomes a bad habit.

My coop has one roosting bar for a coop that was supposed to hold 6-8 birds. So I feel like some might sleep in the nesting box? I don’t want to start bad habits lol. Is one bar enough

How long is it exactly? You need 10-12" of roost per bird. How high is the roost above the nests? Most breeds of chickens instinctively want to roost higher.