5 week old chicks in coop, but won't go outside?

[OpenHands]

Hey folks,

Thanks in advance for your collective wisdom! We put our 5 week old chicks in their big, secure outdoor coop w/ a heat lamp a few days ago - night temperatures here are in the 60's, day temps in 80's and 90's - they seem plenty warm, happy scratching around their coop. All is well - but they have a door to a big outdoor run, and they won't go outside! We've tried hand placing one or two outdoors and they book for indoors as quickly as they can. Should we push the issue? force them outside? or just let them do their thing and hope they eventually discover their outdoor run and all the treats out there?

Thanks for your thoughts!

if it matters, they are 15 chicks, a mix of Rhode Island reds, Cochins and Cuckoo Marans. Thanks!

 

[Domestic_goddess]

I put my 23, 4 week olds out in the coop and had the same issue. I started offering treats to encourage them to come out...and little by little they figured it out. Now at 11-12 weeks they can't wait for me to open the run door. I wouldn't worry, they will figure it out soon!

 

[JulieNKC]

They will figure it out eventually. My girls took a week or so, but now they don't go in the coop but to lay, eat, sleep, or drink. They wait at the door of their run for me to let them out. My silkies were in the coop for 4 months before they ventured more than a foot outside the coop, but they aren't the brightest birds on the block.

 

[fshinggrl]

They will eventually go out!