Chicks won't go outside

[lomine]

A little background, sorry if it's long... I have my coop built into part of my barn. The pop door is on a sensor timer and leads outside to open space (no run, all free range). I have a batch of 5 EE chicks I raised that were/are 14 weeks and a bunch of 8-9 week old mix of layer breed chicks and 4 ducklings. For the first couple weeks of their lives they were raised in a brooder outside of the coop but still in the barn. After that they were moved to a section of the coop. They were raised in two separate batches. After a period of adjustment and introduction they were allowed full access to the coop. The newest batch has had full access for 2 weeks or so. I also have a broody with 3 chicks.

I butchered 3 cockerels from the first batch last weekend so there are just 2 of those left. That batch of chicks never went outside. I had tried putting them right at the door. I tried taking them out individually and as a group. Sometimes they pecked around a bit but mostly they just ran right back inside. I know they know how to use the door because they had no trouble finding it to go back inside and the older birds go in and out all day. The remaining 2 still spend all day in the coop. The younger ones don't seem to be showing any interest in going outside either.

I'll be butchering the remaining 14 week EE cockerel this weekend so the lone pullet will be on her own. I'm hoping it will force her to bond more with the older birds but she may also start hanging out with the younger chicks. I hate to leave her without a buddy but the older cockerel is starting to show signs of a naughty teen and I don't plan on keeping him anyway.

There have been a few days with bad weather but mostly nice fall days so I know it's not weather related. I do feed and water inside the coop but with so many feeders and waterers it's not practical to move that outside. I toss treats just outside the pop door but only the older birds will come. I don't want them to spend the rest of their days in the coop when they have 5 acres to explore. How do I get these chicks outside?

 

[twisted-acres-farm]

A little background, sorry if it's long... I have my coop built into part of my barn. The pop door is on a sensor timer and leads outside to open space (no run, all free range). I have a batch of 5 EE chicks I raised that were/are 14 weeks and a bunch of 8-9 week old mix of layer breed chicks and 4 ducklings. For the first couple weeks of their lives they were raised in a brooder outside of the coop but still in the barn. After that they were moved to a section of the coop. They were raised in two separate batches. After a period of adjustment and introduction they were allowed full access to the coop. The newest batch has had full access for 2 weeks or so. I also have a broody with 3 chicks.

I butchered 3 cockerels from the first batch last weekend so there are just 2 of those left. That batch of chicks never went outside. I had tried putting them right at the door. I tried taking them out individually and as a group. Sometimes they pecked around a bit but mostly they just ran right back inside. I know they know how to use the door because they had no trouble finding it to go back inside and the older birds go in and out all day. The remaining 2 still spend all day in the coop. The younger ones don't seem to be showing any interest in going outside either.

I'll be butchering the remaining 14 week EE cockerel this weekend so the lone pullet will be on her own. I'm hoping it will force her to bond more with the older birds but she may also start hanging out with the younger chicks. I hate to leave her without a buddy but the older cockerel is starting to show signs of a naughty teen and I don't plan on keeping him anyway.

There have been a few days with bad weather but mostly nice fall days so I know it's not weather related. I do feed and water inside the coop but with so many feeders and waterers it's not practical to move that outside. I toss treats just outside the pop door but only the older birds will come. I don't want them to spend the rest of their days in the coop when they have 5 acres to explore. How do I get these chicks outside?

Possibly a "mini" pen/run outside when she/them can't immediately run back into the coop. And if you have a spare dog kennel or old dog house laying around stick that in the run as well.

 

[lomine]

I could try a mini pen. I do have my grow-out pens for my quail. They are rabbit cages so full sides and top. I'll give that a try this weekend and see how it goes. I've got lots of spare waterers to put in. How long do you think I should leave them in there?

 

[twisted-acres-farm]

I could try a mini pen. I do have my grow-out pens for my quail. They are rabbit cages so full sides and top. I'll give that a try this weekend and see how it goes. I've got lots of spare waterers to put in. How long do you think I should leave them in there?

I personally would put them in the pen in the morning and then just set her/them out of the pen and let them make their own way back to the coop at night.

 

[lomine]

I'll try that if the weather cooperates. Thanks.

 

[chickens really]

Hello...Once the Cockerels are Butchered she will integrate into the younger flock more than likely..?
She will become more confident too..She will go outside and probably hang close to the entrance till she feels safe..I never force them..I just let them gain confidence...
Best of luck...

 

[lomine]

Well the weather is not cooperating today. It’s warm and sunny but so windy. I’ve got more cockerels in the younger batch that will need to be butchered later too. I don’t want them to have spent their whole lives in the coop like the others so I’m not just going to wait around. Maybe tomorrow won’t be so windy.

 

[lomine]

To be clear, I butchered the cockerels because they were starting to fight with each other and chasing the chicks. I didn’t do it because I didn’t want them in the coop. I plan to butcher the rest of the cockerels because I already have enough males. They were never going to stick around. This is not interfering, it is good flock management. Everyone is calmer and happier since the older cockerels are gone.

I’m not worried about the pullets. They can take their time. The little cockerels are already getting frisky at 9 weeks so I know they won’t be around long. They have a ticking clock. I want them to be outside, enjoying the sun, scratching in the dirt, and chasing bugs. I don’t want them to spend their entire lives in the coop.

 

[ChickNanny13]

2x getaclue .... Give the young ones time to adjust, when they are ready, they'll spend more time out. Just like roosting, seems like they take forever before sleeping up there, preferring to sleep on the ground in a bunch ... My girls were almost 20wks before I got tired of cleaning the shavings so I put them on the roost at night, took just couple nights. One thing having chickens taught me ....PATIENCE

 

[lomine]

No, I clearly said the older cockerels never went outside. They spent their days in the coop and roosted near the older birds at night. Even some of the younger ones are roosting now. They are the first batch that I’ve ever had not go outside and the younger ones seemed to learn from them. They got to stay till they started causeing problems. I’ve tried 20 week-old cockerel. It might have had more meat but it wasn’t tender at all, even with slow cooking. The 13 week-old was small but tender. I also butchered early because I read about many others that do, so I wanted to see the difference. Plus I had a bunch of CX to do so it was more convenient to do them all since I was setting up anyway. I will be butchering all future cockerels earlier. It’s not worth it to grow them out longer. I have the CX if I’m in the mood for grilled chicken breast.

I do have a rooster. He keeps the peace when he is in the coop but the adults spend most of their time outside. I also have an 8 month-old cockerel I kept. All the cockerels are from my flock.

I started this thread to get advice on how to encourage chicks to go outside. Excuse me if I don’t want a repeat and I prefer my cockerels have a fun life before I have to butcher. Thanks to bad reading comprehension and false assumptions I’ve spent more time having to defend my choices that had nothing to do with the original question and being insulted. Unless you have actual tips on getting chicks outside, I’d prefer you refrain from commenting.