Does everyone do this?

[Vickilynn45]

When it's time to move them permanently to their coop at night, does everyone lock them in for four days to start with? My main worry is that it will be too hot by the time they are feathered out enough to move out in a couple weeks. I have two windows, and some vents, but it does get fairly warm in there.

 

[donrae]

Is there a run attached to the coop or would they be free ranged?

 

[Vickilynn45]

Is there a run attached to the coop or would they be free ranged?

I have an attached 18'x10' run with it. Sometimes they will be free-ranged in our backyard with supervision.

 

[Rhoise]

I didn't lock them in, I just left them out until after dark a couple nights in the coop, they figured it out on their own.
A few nights i had to round them up but now they go up the ramp to roost in the coop at dark, and i go box them up and put them to bed in the brooder in the house for the night, and back out in the coop at 6:30 am before work. After a bad experience one night trying to leave them out all night they got stressed and I got stressed so I bagged the tough guy aproach, took the whimpy out and still box them. The temps remain in the low 40's at night and they are only just 6weeks old so very managable to box them up and carry them in. I also put a roost in the brooder they seem to like it and got them in the habit, they don't mess it up much because they just sleep in there from about 9pm till 6:30, very soon they will spend their nights outside permanantly until then what im doing is working
Julie

 

[StormyMoon]

For the baby chicks that I have I don't have a coop for them I am using a dog house that is in a run its covered on top so nothing can get in.

They just go in by them self before it gets too dark.

 

[Ridgerunner]

If it is too warm in there, you need better ventilation or do something about the roof getting real hot and radiating heat. I had a hen die while laying an egg last summer during the heat wave when we had triple digits temperatures and I have a fair amount of ventilation. It should be about the same temperature inside as it is in the shade outside.

I raise mine in the coop from Day 1, so I don't have that problem. They know where home is.

 

[jeska180]

I just did this, I left them locked up over night, then during the day they were only in the run for 3 days, now they can go loose or in the run as they choose.