When Can Chicks Go Outside?

[Ahygre21]

This year I got chicks earlier than usual. They are 7 weeks old, fully feathered (I have attached an image for reference), and I am wondering if they can go outside– without a heat source? I am from Minnesota, and our temperatures fluctuate a lot. Some nights it is 23° and others it is 38°. During the day, it’s anywhere from 34° to 60°. With the temperatures fluctuating so much, can I put them outside yet? Or what is a good temperate to go by before putting them inside. TIA!!

 

[nuthatched]

Kick em out

 

[HorseGirlAbby]

They’re fully feathered, they can handle pretty low temps at this point. You might want the heat lamp out there if it gets below freezing at night, just because they’re used to having it and that would be a shock. But you should be able to cut down on that within a week or so. Your chicks will be your temperature gauge. If they’re cold, they’ll be huddled together peeping, if they’re too hot they’ll be far away from the light, holding their wings out and possibly panting. If they’re just right, they’ll be happily spread out.

 

[rosemarythyme]

I'd take them outside during daylight hours for a few days running, so they get exposure to some of that fluctuation, and then they can stay out permanently.