When can my chicks go outside?
Were you an early bird and got those chicks in February? When it was still cold and now you want them outside?
Planning their exit from inside the house or barn is important when starting birds. Let’s chat about the different species, starting with the smallest.
Button quail are really a tropical bird and do best in hotter environments. Not saying they cannot acclimate to cold temps, I am saying if you need them to lay, they will prefer warmer areas. The chicks are super fragile and while they grow fast, they need protection from the elements until 7 weeks or so. I pull the heat around 3 weeks but they are still in a tub, protected from drafts and have a screen to prevent flying out. With these guys, err longer brood times.
Coturnix quail are up next. I pull heat at 3 weeks but keep them protected from drafts for another week then into grow out cages inside my insulated barn. If you wanted to put them outside, exposed to the elements, i would wait until 5 or 6 weeks. They are mostly mature and have adult plumage. If it is extreme cold, you will need to acclimate them over several days
Chickens, excluding the prissy ones, LOL , pull the heat by 5 weeks. I will typically leave the heat plate but unplug it, so they can hide. If they sleep under it, it can prevent piling up also. They can go out at 6-8 weeks depending on nightime temps. They need a dry space with bedding and a roost. As long as over 60 at night, put them out by 8 weeks for sure. Dry is the key to this scenario and can be tricky in spring. Try to find a 4-6 day stretch of dry and put them out.
Ducklings are fastest! They will be ready for space after 10-14 days, they will still need heat and safe environment but they are off heat quicker than chickens. Typically, mine are totally off heat by 4 weeks and out in outside pen. I provide stall pellets to keep them dry and they are draft free, mostly. Keep in mind, numbers matter, 3 ducklings will be different than 30. 30 will keep each other warmer and 3 will need the brooder longer.
Turkeys will test your patience. Poults need draft free as long as you can do it. They need it hot and dry. When you walk in to check them and they meet you at the door, they are ready to graduate to a pen, preferably in the barn or off the ground. Turkeys have a bad reputation for being hard to raise, but its mostly because people put them out too fast. I have brooded them 4.5 months in the barn. I do not want to do that again but I will if weather makes it necessary. They are large birds and their size will make you think they are ready. They also get bored and do odd things like climb the hardware cloth. Aim for a minimum of 3 months off the dirt. Get their gut health up to par before you expose them to all the germs outside.
Plan your timing to make brooding flow best. I personally do not like brooding ducklings and try to set all i need at the same time and do it once. Turkeys take up alot of space but I only get a certain number of eggs per week, therefore I set them as quick as I can to limit big age differences, but even a week makes a big size difference with them. Also do some reverse math for point of lay. If your season is short, like Michigan, then it is hard to hatch in spring and get eggs the same year. Try hatching in summer to make brooding easier and they will be ready to lay in the spring.
Lastly, do not rush them, if in doubt, wait. You have raised them this far, do not risk them unnecessarily. Go with your gut, your environment and your needs. Your Farm, Your way!