7 week old chicks outside temps.

[Kkoleckar]

I have 7 week old and 8 week old assorted egg layers i got through tsc and have them outside (day2) my question would be. What temp should I consider putting a heat source in for them? What are appropriate temperatures for this age. Every where I research it states they are of appropriate age but never what temps should be when you do put them out. I currently have them in an enclosure within my chick run stead that has a miniature coop for them as they transition to be with my older flock. There’s lots of straw for bedding and I even insulated the mini coop with the straw for warmth. Any advice or feedback would be great….our outside temps this week have night time lows of 36-39 degrees. Day time can be anywhere between 50-70 degrees. I live in a coastal area of California so the temperatures can be all over the place this time of year.

 

[LaurenRitz]

At this age they should be fully feathered and able to withstand most temperatures as long as they're out of drafts.

My six week chicks have handled down to 20 F with no problems, and could probably go much lower.

At 6 weeks they can regulate their own body temperature, which young chicks cannot.

 

[Kkoleckar]

At this age they should be fully feathered and able to withstand most temperatures as long as they're out of drafts.

My six week chicks have handled down to 20 F with no problems, and could probably go much lower.

At 6 weeks they can regulate their own body temperature, which young chicks cannot.

They are also being treated for coccidiosis.they seems to be fine I just am having a hard time letting them go out because inside they are just so safe with me able to keep an eye on them 24/7

 

[Ridgerunner]

Most chicks are fully feathered at 4 to 5 weeks of age, you can have a rare exception. I've had chicks 5-1/2 weeks old go through nights in the mid-20's Fahrenheit a few times. Yours should be fine. They do need a place they can get out of a wind if they get cold and to sleep in. You don't want a breeze ruffling their feathers and messing up their insulation from the feathers.

As long as they have sufficient room and the brooder stays dry you can keep them inside longer. It will not hurt them. It is more your tolerance, especially if they start to smell or make a lot of noise, that decides if they HAVE to be outside. But I like them to be able to learn to be chickens at an early age.

Now to your specific question.

What temp should I consider putting a heat source in for them?

At that age, as long as they can stay dry and get out of the wind, I'd consider them OK probably to below zero F. One risk when it gets below freezing is frostbite. I'd want the area where they are to be well ventilated to remove excess moisture. One way to achieve that is to have your vents up high so any wind is over their heads. To me frostbite is your concern but if you don't get below freezing you don't have to worry about frostbite.