Freaking myself out now

Relax, things will be fine! They were only out for a little bit, and now they are back in the warm brooder. You should be able to tell how they are feeling by how they are acting. Are they all huddled together with their beaks chattering? Or are they doing their normal thing? I've got three week old chicks and I've been letting them go outside, weather permitting, for increasingly longer periods of time. They really love it!

 

Not a problem. They most likely enjoyed going outside.
If they are in distress they will chirp loudly.
Just be careful they don't get loose and lost.

Imp

 

Chicks are fearful of anything new - well, perhaps wary is a better word for it - so while the short experience won't harm them at all, they might have been a touch 'freaked out' by the new digs.

I changed our chick waterer from a metal one to a plastic one. Wow! That was worthy of much cheeping, peeping and scattering far, far away from this new 'thing' in their coop (they were 6days old at that point). Gave 'em 10min and by then the bigger, braver chick came back to check it out. Which caused much MORE cheeping, peeping and running around - as they ALL came together anf flocked together against this 'new thing'! What a riot!

Nope, no harm done. Next time they go out, they might not wish to go back in!

 

Week olds are fine to go outside for alittle period of time. It's warmer here, so when our chicks were that young, they used to stay out in the garden for perhaps half a day at a time.

 

I started mine outside at that age and they did great. We took daily fieldtrips outside, sometimes twice a day, as long as the weather was good. I made sure it was warm, no heavy winds and I stayed with them every moment. The loved it. I think the experience was good for them.