How long to keep them in new coop before letting them in run?

[joletabey]

My Delawares are going to be 10 weeks old Thursday - I am about ready to move them to their coop, and have read that you need to lock chickens in a coop for three days before you let them out. They will have a pretty big run- fully enclosed. Do I still need to keep them in the coop itself for three days before they can venture outside?

 

[Jim from Cincinnati]

I think the idea behind the three day rule is to give them enough time to become familiar with the coop. Once I was sure they knew how to get to the roost and knew where the food and water were, I left mine out in the run. I also kept food both in the coop and some in the run, for the first days. It will take much patients on your part as some chickens take time finding the way in and out of the coop.....you will need to guide them. One of mine took forever learning this, I have a raised coop so a little ladder to climb. I promise they will all catch on eventually.

 

[Uzuri]

You can let them right out if you want -- just expect to have to show them the way in each night for a while.

Mine actually lived inside the coop alone for 6 weeks while I made the run and they *still* needed help figuring out how to get in XD They knew that that big brown box was their home, they just weren't sure where the door was.

 

[speckledhen]

If the weather is good, mine go out in a day or so. I do like them to become settled inside and locate everything.

 

[gsim]

I had to keep mine in for over a week because I was still building the pen. But i would probably only keep them in for one to 3 days otherwise.

If you are free-ranging, then a longer confinement might be necessary. If that is the case, be ready to do daily egg hunts and be ready for occasional losses to preds when you finally let them out. That is the price of participation for free-ranging.

 

[Manok-Tao]

Quote:
I'm building a fixed 8x6 coop now and will hopefully be done in 3 weeks. I've purchased 10 pullets (being held for me) and plan to move them into the coop as soon as it is done. You mentioned that your birds were in the coop while you built the run.... did/can/will the commotion of building the run; especially when attaching to the coop itself "create panic" for the birds?

 

[Uzuri]

Didn't bother them in the least. I've modified the coop and run with them in it since then, too. Put the roost in with them climbing all over me. Electric drill, hammers, you name it. So long as I don't get out the riding mower, they're quite calm