heading outside for first time...

 Chickens will need a pen/coop at night so that they can be safe from predators, but it's perfectly okay to allow them to free-range in your yard as long as they are safe and have an adequate food and water supply.

I felt the same way when I put my girls out at 6 weeks.  They did fine, except the 3rd night our favorite got smooshed:(  RIP Princess.  They were huddling together in a crammed corner of the coop in between the nesting boxes and the inside wall of the coop ( i suppose) because when I went to let them out the next morning she was still there :(  I felt terrible!!  Looking to replace her with 2 more chicks soon. That night I physically placed the girls on the roosting bar so they knew to huddle there.  They've been doing it ever since!  Wish I had known!  Good Luck!

Quote:

Originally Posted by miamor 

I felt the same way when I put my girls out at 6 weeks.  They did fine, except the 3rd night our favorite got smooshed:(  RIP Princess.  They were huddling together in a crammed corner of the coop in between the nesting boxes and the inside wall of the coop ( i suppose) because when I went to let them out the next morning she was still there :(  I felt terrible!!  Looking to replace her with 2 more chicks soon. That night I physically placed the girls on the roosting bar so they knew to huddle there.  They've been doing it ever since!  Wish I had known!  Good Luck!

  That is a great point Miamor. It is best to get them to roost at night instead of sleeping in a corner or in their nesting boxes. It's especially important not to allow them to sleep in their nesting boxes because they will tend to poo in their nesting boxes. If you break the habit early then you will have less to worry about when they starting laying eggs. 

I started putting my pullets out at 3 weeks...they will be 6 weeks this Friday. For the 1st week I still had to bring them in at night, but now that the coop is finished...all is well.

Weather has been mild, one or 2 rainy days where they had to spend a day in the coop; but they love being outside...there are 2 ducks with the pullets and they all graze the grass in my yard and they hunt for worms and grubbs in the garden. I have not been able to teach them to come to the coop at night. That will be my next activity for the flock.

Depending on your night temperatures, this time of year I (in washington state) put a heat lamp in the coop so they have a warm area to go to.  :) 

I guess my question is how old are they and how cold is it at night? If they are feathered and it's staying above 50 degrees they should be fine without a light. You will probably have to put them in the coop for the first few nights but learn pretty quick where to sleep.