Brooder to coop question.

[Cow Hampshire]

Hi, new to raising chickens and I have a quick question. I have 11 chicks, 2 1/2 weeks old. The coop is 127" long x 81 " wide x 6' high. I have them confined to an area 81" x 37" with a barrier 3ft high. Some of the chicks are able to jump the fence. Are they old enough to have the run of the roost now or should I wait. The rest of the coop is ready for chickens and I have it set up so they can get back to food, water and roosts. Thanks for any help.

 

[gryeyes]

Two and a half weeks old is too young to go outside full time unless your night time temperatures don't drop below 85 degrees. (The general rule is to start with chicks at 95 degrees for one week, drop 5 degrees a week until they are fully feathered.) There shouldn't be a shock to their system going from brooder temps to night time temps in the coop; many people put their chicks out around 5 to 6 wks old, with a heat lamp used at night in the coop.

 

[Cow Hampshire]

Thanks for the reply. I won't be letting them outside for several weeks but what I'd like to know is if I can let them run about the whole coop, not just the section I have for them now.

 

[TurkeyMountainChickens]

That's probably OK, as long as they can easily get back to the area where the heat lamp is when they are cold. If the space is really big, some chicks can get "lost" and not be able to find the food/heat. But at 2.5 weeks they might be old enough to orient themselves. Just be sure you check on them often. You can always pen them back up if it doesn't work out.

 

[teach1rusl]

So it's basically a 6 x 10 ft. coop??? Or am I doing my math wrong??? Since they've been out there already and feel safe in their current space, I'd give it a go. I would make sure the floor is clear of anything extra other than food or water, so nobody gets "lost" behind something. I'd leave the food and water where it currently is, so that THAT element stays familiar for now... As was already said, I would spend time sitting and observing them to make sure that all is well with thier newfound freedom.