Girls Outside- a Few Transitioning Questions!

[Robbinita]

Hey everyone! I put my 7 week old girls outside over the weekend! They are doing great! We put them out Sunday and by Wednesday they have figured out the outside during the day/inside during the night thing quite nicely.

Now, a few questions.

1. They won't roost. They enjoy snuggling together on the bottom of the coop, as there is still a chill in the evenings. I know the easy answer is to say, "put them on the roosts". However, -God love my husband- he built the coop and helped me big time with my "hobby", but a person cannot fit inside of the coop. I can't get in there to put them on the roosts. We still have to make another flap door at the top for getting out eggs, but we aren't stressing that right away, since we still have another couple of months for eggs. I could put them on the roosts then, but can't do it now. Do you think I should worry about it?

2. Another thing- the roosts are "suspended", meaning they sway back and forth. (Another set up by my love) Will this cause a problem? They are very secure, they will just move when the chickens are on them.

3. Regarding food and water. . . Do you guys keep food and water inside of the coop, outside, or both? I have been moving their baby feeders outside during the day and inside at night. I figure they are still young and still may want to eat at night. However, I need to get a larger feeder/waterer and was planning on keeping the larger ones outside(covered), and maybe just a small waterer in the coop when the time comes. Thoughts?

I know that's a lot, and thank you for any answers! I'll try to get some pics up of our set up when I get enough coffee in my system.

 

[TurkeyMountainChickens]

Swinging roosts, huh? My birds wouldn't be on them, either! they might prefer something stationary. As for the piling, its OK, as long as they don't pile on TOP of each other. How may are there? The bird on the bottom of a large pile can be killed.

As for the food, I keep mine in the coop, but my coop is much larger than yours sounds - I can walk into it. When my birds are out, they forage for their own food. They'd much rather eat bugs and grass than chicken feed! They have access to the coop all day, of course, and can go in to snack whenever they want. I leave water out for them, though. Otherwise they drink from puddles!

I do put food and water out with the chicks that I transition, though. They have their own "play pen" to keep them safe from predators and the big birds, and there's no way they could get back in to their brooder box. They eat a fair amount of grass, too, but also quite a bit of chick feed during the day.

 

[Ridgerunner]

1. They won't roost.

Mine did not start to roost until they were 10 or 11 weeks old. They would play on the roosts during the day but sleep in a pile on the floor at night. Many people report them waiting until they are older to start. You have nothing unusual going on. Thye will roost when they are ready.

2. Another thing- the roosts are "suspended", meaning they sway back and forth. (Another set up by my love) Will this cause a problem? They are very secure, they will just move when the chickens are on them.

It depends on how much they sway. I like the roosts firmly fixed so they don't sway. On my fixed roosts, they jostle for position so they can sleep in the prime spots next to their buddies and sometimes knock each other off. I'd be concerned that a loose swaying roost would cause them to fall off a lot when another chicken jumped onto the roost or changed position.

3. Do you guys keep food and water inside of the coop, outside, or both? I have been moving their baby feeders outside during the day and inside at night. I figure they are still young and still may want to eat at night. However, I need to get a larger feeder/waterer and was planning on keeping the larger ones outside(covered), and maybe just a small waterer in the coop when the time comes.

At 11 weeks old, they do not need to eat at night. Unless you have lights on they won't eat in the dark anyway. When they do wake up, they will be hungry and thirsty. If you let them out pretty soon after they wake up, you do not need to keep food or water inside. But if you sleep in, drink three cups of coffee, eat breakfast, and read the morning paper before you let them out, keeping food and water inside is a good idea.

 

[sheaviance1]

New to this too, but put mine out last night for their first time. I put them on the roost when I put them in the coop for the night. They stayed there for all of maybe 3 minutes, then huddled up together on the floor. I put them back, repeat process. I finally put them on the roost and closed the door. This morning, they were on the floor. I did not put food and water in the coop because for the last couple of weeks without lights, they haven't eaten during the night. I agree with the poster above who said if you are going to sleep in, put it in there. This morning, I tried to show the ladies where I put their food and water, but my hand-raised babies are acting very skittish after their first night on their own. I have their waterer beside the coop, as well as several small bowls around it, just to be sure they have plenty available until I see that they have found their water.

Have a great day!