How long do new chickens need to stay in the coop?

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I think you are good to go. My first group of chickens were brooded in my sunroom. I converted a shed and built a large run attached to it. My littles were 2 months old by the time I finished the coop and I just took them out there and plopped them down in the coop with the door wide open. I was so glad to move their dusty butts out of my house. But they were all fine.
 
Wee Farmer Sarah said:
I think you are good to go. My first group of chickens were brooded in my sunroom. I converted a shed and built a large run attached to it. My littles were 2 months old by the time I finished the coop and I just took them out there and plopped them down in the coop with the door wide open. I was so glad to move their dusty butts out of my house. But they were all fine.
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That's exactly what I did! My lil' guys were brooded in our sunroom. I used my dog's crate as the brooder (he didn't mind too much... got extra milkbones for his pain and suffering and hardship). I hung the lamp from the top of the crate, put pine shavings in the bottom and cardboard about 4 inches high around the sides because they scattered the shavings and were small enough to get through their bars. After 6 weeks, I'd finished the coop and the lower part of the run, so they went out. Spent 2 days in the coop while I finished the run... then out they went. Its not nearly as lovely as others I've seen on here... but, its 8 feet high, so I can stroll right in with no problems at all and never worry about hitting my pretty little head!
 
black_cat said:
As someone who is not an expert in this subject, I'd say that you can let them in the coop and run now, and put them all on the roosts and lock them in the coop at night.
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I’m in agreement. They need to know where you will keep their food and water and they will learn that the coop is their night time home. It won’t take but you showing the. A couple times at the most depending on their age. How old are they. Your familiarity with them is going to be a huge factor in all of their behavior and what they have learned to do already. Like roost.
 
Malfean said:
That's exactly what I did! My lil' guys were brooded in our sunroom. I used my dog's crate as the brooder (he didn't mind too much... got extra milkbones for his pain and suffering and hardship). I hung the lamp from the top of the crate, put pine shavings in the bottom and cardboard about 4 inches high around the sides because they scattered the shavings and were small enough to get through their bars. After 6 weeks, I'd finished the coop and the lower part of the run, so they went out. Spent 2 days in the coop while I finished the run... then out they went. Its not nearly as lovely as others I've seen on here... but, its 8 feet high, so I can stroll right in with no problems at all and never worry about hitting my pretty little head!
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I kept mine inside upto nine weeks inside in a huge dog kennel in my cool basement while the heat outside in MS roared and we finished construction on their coop and run. When it got finished they went out and the first night I put two on the roost boards and showed the rest cause the two kept flying down and they spent one night on the floor on their pile of fluffy shavings. By the third night they were going in the coop without me and roosting on their boards like big girls and we are into our third week now of them doing great with not one set back. Yours will do great. Mine have gone through bad storms and tornado sirens and you name it to test them and have really made me “Mama Proud”!
 
thepick4uchicks said:
I’m in agreement. They need to know where you will keep their food and water and they will learn that the coop is their night time home. It won’t take but you showing the. A couple times at the most depending on their age. How old are they. Your familiarity with them is going to be a huge factor in all of their behavior and what they have learned to do already. Like roost.
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I think they are about 16 weeks maybe a bit younger because on 2 of them their combs are really small (Sussex Ranger and White Star) and the other 3 don't look like they even have a comb?

We all spent some time holding them and just being in the run whilst they were scratching about

I spent time picking each one up and taking them to the drinker and touched their beaks on the nipples a few times and 4 of them are using it fine but the White Star can't quite figure it out and keeps pecking the pipe or the side of the nipple but she'll get there in the end

When it started getting dark we went out to usher them into the coop and 4 of them were already in and up on the roost so I just put the last one in and locked them up so it went better than I thought I expected to put them in at night for at least a couple of nights like when I had my last lot 👍
 
That is a great coop. I've just built a new covered run for mine too, but not as big as yours. The rain here just demands it. They free ranged but I needed to reclaim my garden!

I still let them out on the grass because otherwise I've got to mow it !

We've got masses of red kites here too. And buzzards but less so. Crows chase them off mostly and I've got a great cockerel who watches out for his laydeeeeees 😁

<waves from England>
 
Chicalina said:
That is a great coop. I've just built a new covered run for mine too, but not as big as yours. The rain here just demands it. They free ranged but I needed to reclaim my garden!

I still let them out on the grass because otherwise I've got to mow it !

We've got masses of red kites here too. And buzzards but less so. Crows chase them off mostly and I've got a great cockerel who watches out for his laydeeeeees 😁

<waves from England>
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Thanks

Tell me about it I'm in North Wales so it feels like it rains everyday 😂

The roof is just temporary I've got to get some box profile sheeting to make it completely watertight 👍
 

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