4.5 week chick, scared of being outside, advice?

[Cade S]

I've been taking my chicks outside (consistently warm, soil temp is almost 70F) so I can easily clean out the brooder, refill food/water. One of my chicks "cries" every time I put her on the dirt outside. I have to hold her and let her peck at the ground a bit before she'll climb down and walk around slowly. There is no obvious issues with her legs or feet, she runs around her brooder and climbs all over the roosting bars. I have to clean their brooder near them or she makes loud, distressed cries (and it has to be me, if my partner or kids hang out near her, she still cries). She hides in my legs when I squat down out there.

What can I do? Should I keep her inside except when I can sit with her? Should I be worried about how attached she is and how the future transition to the coop is going to go?

 

[rosemarythyme]

I would put her outside and walk away. Just because she's crying for attention doesn't mean you have to give it to her.

 

[Cade S]

I would put her outside and walk away. Just because she's crying for attention doesn't mean you have to give it to her.

I hate stressing them out, but at the same time, I'm not going to be with them in their coop every second of every day, so she needs to gain some independence

Your advice reaffirms what I figured I need to do with her. Thank you.

 

[rosemarythyme]

I hate stressing them out, but at the same time, I'm not going to be with them in their coop every second of every day, so she needs to gain some independence

Your advice reaffirms what I figured I need to do with her. Thank you.

It's tough love for sure. I constantly ran to my first batch of chicks at any little sound. With second and third batch, I learned to check on them and then just walk away. They know how to pull at your heartstrings if you let them!