Wondering when to move chicks outside? I’ve absolutely loved hatching chicks inside our house using the new incubator I got for Christmas! It really was a special thing to walk my kids through over the approximately 21 days of incubation, but Oh. My. The smell of the brooder was quickly becoming too much for us even after moving it into the garage. My husband nearly danced for joy the weekend I announced we were moving the chicks outside. Nothing signals the warmth of spring time quite like moving your chicks out of the brooder and into the chicken coop!
When you’re able to finally get those cute little peeps outside will depend on several factors such as the weather of your location, your coop set up, and your chicks’ age, but the most important thing is that they are fully feathered out. Once you see more feathers than fluff, it’s time to check the weather! You can safely move your chicks outdoors when the outside low temperature matches the target temperature to keep your babies at by age. Below is a handy dandy chart to help you out.
Remember that you need to be looking at your lowest temperature for the day. If it is 70 degrees in the afternoon but still dipping below 65 degrees at night, then your chicks aren’t ready to leave their heat source just yet. As with all animal things, find what works for you and your farm. Not all chicks will be fully feathered by 6 weeks of age so use your best judgment.