Chicken bald back

[Clucky the Great]

Unfortunately Dory, one of my ex-barn birds died last week. I therefore thought that now we have more room, I can get some more (my brother would like a Dory no. 2). I rehome hens from a big commercial farm near me and they have their cage birds leaving in a few weeks. Therefore the plan was to get 2 ex-cage birds (which will probably be quite bald) and a hermaphrodite chicken (a bit of a long story!)

 

However, I don't have 2 coops so I was planning on temporarily splitting the run in two so they can still see each other (but have a bit of time to settle in before they fight!). I was planning to do this for a week and bring them inside at night (they aren't really used to temperatures below 10 degrees as they have been in temperature controlled sheds) and I thought it would be a bit too cold outside for them at night?

 

Am I right in assuming everything that I have or can anyone come up with any suggestions? Will they be okay temperature wise going outside in their run straight away?

 

Thanks for any replies

[sparkysmum]

They should be ok so long as part of their run at least is covered and their house is well insulated. We got some ex batts in February last year and although it was cold and wet they flourished. Ours went straight into an eglu with a covered run and were fine.

[Beantree]

I think wind is the biggest threat Clucky, because that chills them off very quickly. If they stand on one leg they are too cold, particularly if they are shivering. If they stand with two legs down motionless and stare into space they have hypothermia.

[Clucky the Great]

Thank you so much, so you think it would be okay to stick them in with my other girls at night when it is dark... I am just worried they will be bullied? I would put them in the separate bit of the run in a morning. It has rain cover at the top and shades on the side to reduce wind flow.

[gavclojak]

They will be better together, they will keep each other warm and once they go to sleep nothing will wake them up, if she has been bullied just make sure you let them out early before they have a chance to kick off, my new girls have to run the gauntlet passed the old girls morning and evening, I have been doing introductions for several weeks but only just letting them bed down together

[Chickabee]

I got mine in October last year. Put them straight outside. They were ex caged girls. The weathers quite mild here at the moment. Don't know about where you are?