Best Outside Temperature For Chicks

Main Takeaways:

• It should be at least 70-75 degrees and SUNNY before you let chicks outside
• You can start letting them outside in very safe areas as soon as 48 hours after hatching
• Never, ever let them outside if there’s a chance of rain, you will leave, if there’s dogs, or if the temperature will drop below 70 degrees
• Temperatures over 95 degrees should be avoided, especially in direct sunlight
• Direct sun and shade is ok in temperatures 70 – 80 degrees, keep chicks in shade if it’s over 80 degrees
• Provide plenty of water and food
• Keep them in a contained area, no larger than a few feet.
• Keep a consistent eye on them
• Lots of chicks LOVE going outside and it’s good for their development

Additional reading:

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Maat van Uitert

Maat van Uitert is a backyard chicken and sustainable living expert. She is also the author of Chickens: Naturally Raising A Sustainable Flock, which was a best seller in it’s Amazon category.  Maat has been featured on NBC, CBS, AOL Finance, Community Chickens, the Huffington Post, Chickens magazine, Backyard Poultry, and Countryside Magazine. She lives on her farm in Southeast Missouri with her husband, two children, and about a million chickens and ducks. You can follow Maat on Facebook here and Instagram here.