Do chickens spend a lot of time in their coop during the day & more?

[ZaneyMama]

I am completely new to chickens. We are finishing up our coop and run, and my 8 chicks turn 6 weeks old this week. I am thinking I'm going to leave the run open for them to explore the yard when I'm home to keep an eye on them.

Questions:
1. Do chickens return to their run or pen to eat and sleep during the day if they are free ranging?
2. If they are out in my yard, how easy will it be for me to get them to go back into their run if I have to leave?
3. Will they be able to fly over a 6 foot wooden fence? Should I clip their wings?
4. What is the ideal watering system for them here in Colorado, where it freezes at night almost half of the year?
5. Since they are approaching 6 weeks of age, I have turned their heat lamp off during the day, but it is still on at night. They are in my home which is heated to 68 degrees. What should I do at night for them now?

Please let me know if this isn't the appropriate place to post this. I wasn't sure!

Thanks in advance!

 

[Tala]

Quote:

 

[Kittymomma]

Congrats on the new fuzzy butts! I think Tala has it pretty well covered. As far as the water goes I've read of people using the base of a heated dog waterer and I believe there are directions somewhere on this site for a homemade heated waterer. We only get a week or so straight + a month or two of a day here and a day there where I have to deal with frozen water so I don't have first hand experience. It helps a lot that mine free range during the day and the small winter creek doesn't ever freeze over so they always have that.