1st night in the coop

[SassyKat6181]

I got really tired of the dust in the house. Today we moved the girls to the coop. I used a dog play yard (10'x10') in the coop to give them a smaller area to get used to. The coop is about 14'x 20'. They are loving the space.

I put extra shavings in the center with the heat lamp. When I went back about an hour later, two of them were taking a dust bath in the deep section and were just about buried.

So I guess I don't need to worry, they settled in just fine.

 

[Armageddon]

Yeahh!!!!!!! that's so cool...how many times will you "check" on them tonight???

 

[SassyKat6181]

I'm sure they are fine. We said goodnight at 8, before my 3yr old went to bed.

 

[noodleroo]

I put mine outside when they were just 9 days old and I think DH checked on them at least 4 times before daylight. They are right at 20 weeks old now and have been fine outside since they were 9 days old...

 

[SassyKat6181]

We did one last check at 11. They were all sprawled out, cozy under the heat lamp. This morning they were peeping and running around. They were happy to see me and I tossed them some cheerios....they went nuts for them!

 

[Cluckn Crazy]

We put our 3 week olds in the coop last week, still in their cardboard box. Every day I remove a piece of the box, otherwise they don't leave it! Only 1/3 to go... and no one's too upset.

 

[HorizonSon]

I plan on putting my 25 chicks outside the day (or day after) I receive them. They will be staying under the coop we are building at the moment. They arrive the first week of November to us here on the southern coast of Oregon. They will be "boxed" into the 8' x 8' area with a lamp in the middle and another one out of one of the corners. There, they will remain for 2+ weeks. Sometime after that, we will "let them out" after the biggin's have left the coop (and fenced yard) to go forage out on the property. We will try to lock them up before the older flock return in the evening. We also to be incorporating a door big enough for only the 8wks and younger crowd. At that point (or sooner) it may be needed for the next clutch ;-)
These are the "plans in the works" and NOT a "been there, done that", lolz
Time will tell.