bringing new chicks outside

[ams3651]

keep then locked in the coop for a week or so it will help then know where they are supposed to go in after they do go out. It took mine a couple days to go out after the door was open.

 

[bigwhiskey]

Thank you all for you advice. I will let them be for about a week or so. Let them get used to their new house. I will also put a heat lamp in their coop at night. They aren't acting cold, but it wouldn't hurt. Today it is very windy so I closed their door that leads to their outside run. It is suppose to get warm again this weekend. I will give it another shot. I will let you all know if they don't wander down their ramp to go outside.

 

[bigwhiskey]

My girls came out of their coop today. We had a nice warm day and they seemed happy. They scratched, ate bugs, and dusted themselves. Then when it started to get dark, they headed up the ramp. Yeah! Thanks for everyone's advice. I am sure that I will be checking this website a lot because I am a newbie to chickens.

 

[cmom]

I would just leave their pop door open. Their curiosity will eventually get the best of them. When my birds started wandering out of the coop, they were in and out of it many times during the day.

 

[Judy]

They will go out. They are quite young yet. It may take more than a week. Chickens get frightened so easily, a good instinct to protect from predators. Just let them choose their own time. Curiosity will win out in the end.

Mine are 12 weeks and still spend a lot of the day in the coop, although I give treats in the yard, and they all come piling out when I arrive. They peck around the yard early morning and late in the day, but tend to stay in during the middle of the day, I suppose for the shade.

 

[Slywoody]

I put mine in out in the coop for a wk and then opened the pop door. Took about an hour and they were out exploring the pen and grabbing up bugs and scratching away. They go in and out all day. Just before dark they all go in by themselves and then i lock them up for the night. Just a sidenote; Everyday i dump a tub full of mulch ( broken down leaves, grass and some soil) in their pen and they scratch away at it all day. The next morning i scoop it all up manure and all and put it on the garden, then start all over with new mulch. Works great and they love it.

 

[Ladyhawke1]

Quote:
Why didn't I think of that!

 

[debilorrah]

At 6 weeks, they may LOOK fully feathered, but I can guarantee you they are not. They will need heat at night, especially if they are not closedup at night.

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
I agree with Dawn. Just give them some time to adjust to their new surroundings and they'll venture out on their own.
I started taking mine outside for day trips at 2 1/2 weeks old. By five weeks old they were staying out most of the day, but always ran back to the safety of their brooder when frightened.

 

[cmom]

Quote:
I agree with Dawn. Just give them some time to adjust to their new surroundings and they'll venture out on their own.
I started taking mine outside for day trips at 2 1/2 weeks old. By five weeks old they were staying out most of the day, but always ran back to the safety of their brooder when frightened.

I agree too.