chicks sleeping outside

[jgervais]

For the first 3-4 days my chicks were in their new coop I placed each chick in the roost house and shut the door at night. It was in the 30-40's and wanted to make sure they were warm and felt safe all night.

Since its been 40-50's at night for the past few days, I've left the roost house door open for them to freely go in at night from their run area (all fenced and well secure) and did not close the door once it was dark - 2 of the past few days they went in their roost house and stayed all night. And 2 days they stayed out in the run area on a high perch at night.

Should I still be placing them in the warmer roost house or let them decide on their own? It has been 50-60 at night, maybe they like the fresh air better?
I thought chickens preferred to be safe and secure in a house at night, maybe they just arent bright enough to fully get the idea yet?

heres the coop:
http://simplelifeainteasy.blogspot.com/2011/05/best-chicken-coop-ever.html

 

[Nausicaa]

If I leave it up to mine, they will be out parting all night

Mine are going on 3 1/2 weeks old and still sleep inside because I make them. It gets very cold at night but I have noticed they are very resilient with their little feathers and fluffs.

I think it does take them a while to get it though. Mine are really hard to convince... xD

 

[jgervais]

do you think they will eventually just get it on their own, or should I continue placing them in there?
Theyre getting big and much harder to grab :-/

 

[Bravo]

How old are they?

I would not expose a chick under 6 weeks old to temperatures under 70 degrees at night.

After they are fully feathered, say 6-7 weeks I don't have a problem putting them out in a temporary coop where they are protected from winds and they can huddle together to stay warm--as long as it isn't winter. What I like to do with my birds between 7-12 weeks is set up a temporary coop in the garage. We show them how to get there and after a few lessons each evening they walk to the garage, go in through the dog door and go straight into their pens. It also helps that I feed them in the evenings so it's a race to get to the pen for first choice of all the goodies

 

[jgervais]

they are in a covered secure run with open access to their mostly enclosed roosting house. Sometimes they are smart enough to head up the ramp to their warmer quarters, sometimes they sleep out in the run on a high roost. Should I make them go into the house? Or leave it as their choice?
They are all well feathered and 8 weeks old.

 

[Bravo]

If they are 8 weeks old, they'll figure it out. Sounds like you have great setup!