Last Updated on February 9, 2024 by AwesomeChickens
Chickens are extremely resilient animals and can withstand warm and cold temperatures alike. That’s what makes them such a popular animal for people to keep. They offer great benefits to a chicken owner, such as eggs and meat, and they don’t require expensive or time-consuming maintenance. Plus, they live outside.
Chickens can live outside once they are between five and six weeks old. At this age, these young chicks are ready to be full-time backyard chickens. With the proper accommodations and a well-maintained chicken coop, they can remain outside for the rest of their lives, no matter the weather conditions.
Whether you are concerned for your newly hatched chicks or just worried about the upcoming cold winter weather, rest assured your young chickens will be just fine living outside. Continue reading this article for tips and advice on how to help your chickens through the most brutal temperatures and how to keep them comfortable all year long.
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When Can Chicks Be Moved to Backyard Coops
After a baby chick has hatched, they need to stay indoors and heated with a heat lamp or incubator until they are around five or six weeks old. This is because baby chickens cannot properly control their own body heat until this time.
If placed outside with your backyard flock too soon, they may not be warm enough, and they may die. However, if it is warm outside (around 70 degrees Fahrenheit), chicks around three weeks old can be left outside for a short period of time but will need to be brought back in before nighttime.
Once these babies reach the five- or six-week mark, they are ready to be outdoor birds full time and can survive the same conditions as the rest of your flock.
What to Know About Chickens and Changing Temperatures
A chicken keeper generally grows concerned when the summers begin to heat up or when the winters drop down below the freezing point. However, for the most part, you can rest assured knowing chickens are fantastic at taking on almost any type of weather they are faced with.
With a bit of help from you, your chickens should be able to live outdoors full time no matter where you live, or the weather conditions you face.
What Temperature Is Too Hot for Chickens?
Just like their ability to maintain proper body temperatures in the extreme cold, chickens can also stay healthy and relatively happy even when the temperatures start to soar.
Although chickens prefer the temperature of their coops to be maintained around 70 degrees Fahrenheit, they can do just fine when they get as hot as 90 degrees Fahrenheit. However, anything above this can cause your chickens to suffer from heat stress and dehydration, and they could possibly die.
During hot summer days, making sure your chickens have plenty of access to water and a breeze could be the difference between life and death.
Keeping water cool and refreshing is key to keeping your backyard chicken hydrated. If the water heats up too much, the chickens may refuse to drink it and will become ill.
What Temperature is Too Cold for Chickens?
Astonishingly, chickens can survive winter weather dipping down to below 20 degrees Fahrenheit inside their coops, although we’d never recommend your chicken coop getting this cold. However, thanks to their fluffy feathers and their comradery, chickens can gather together in bunches in order to maintain their body heat and keep themselves warm enough to make it through the cold.
Will Chickens Go Inside if Cold?
Yes, if a chicken gets cold while they are roaming around the lawn, or the ground is too cold for their feet, they are going to head inside the coop where they know the ground is going to be much warmer and there is a nest or roost, they can perch on to get away from the cold.
Can Chickens Sleep Outside in The Cold?
Sleeping in the cold is not an ideal situation for anyone; however, when push comes to shove, chickens can withstand sleeping in frigid temperatures, especially in a well-maintained coop with other birds they can huddle up with.
Should You Insulate a Chicken Coop?
If you live in an area where the winter months drop down into the teens or lower, it is necessary and crucial that you insulate your chicken’s coop. This is going to help keep them alive and comfortable during the colder days and nights.
Insulating a chicken coop shouldn’t have to cost you a fortune and can simply be done with cardboard, crumpled-up newspapers, Styrofoam, etc.
It is also crucial to patch up any holes or cracks in the coop’s wall to keep the cold breeze from blowing through.
If you have electricity running to your chicken coop, you can keep your chickens more comfortable with a heat lamp, ensuring it is in a safe and secure location.
Finally, the best way to keep your chickens healthy while living outside in the cold is to make sure their water is fresh and doesn’t freeze over.
Can Chickens Live Indoors?
Many people think having an indoor pet chicken is a great way to show your feathered friend how much you care for them. However, although your intentions mean well, you are actually doing your chicken a disservice. Chickens love to be outdoors and prefer to roam the grass and yard freely with other chickens. They were not meant to be indoor pets and should never become one.
With that said, if a situation arises where a bird is injured or their coop is under construction, chickens will do just fine living inside a home for a few days or even weeks.
Summing Things Up
Once your chicken egg has hatched, the baby chick must remain under a heat lamp until they are at least five or six weeks old. Once your chicks hit this age, they are big enough to fend for themselves in most weather conditions and can live comfortably with the rest of your backyard flock.
It is up to you to make sure that their coops are adequately built and maintained for your chickens to be prepared for any type of temperatures Mother Nature may bring.
