How old when mama takes them outside?

[Sabrina24]

This is our first time (hopefully) hatching baby chicks. Our 2 year old Australorp has been sitting on eggs for 5 days now. We successfully moved her from the nest box to a box on the floor. I asked at our local farm store how old the chicks would be before their mom took them outside and he said 6 weeks. That is older than I expected so I thought I'd see what experiences others have had? The coop isn't huge (we are going to add on to it this fall because our chicken family is bigger than we anticipated it being). There is a 2x4 ramp with 2x4 steps to get outside, which I'm assuming would be a challenge for young chicks. Any info would be appreciated because we have always gotten our hens at 4-6 months old. Thank you!

 

[Sabrina24]

Oh, and any tips on keeping the coop floor clean when they are young and walking around would be great!

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

My hens normally take their chicks outside somewhere around 3-7 days after they hatch. I'd imagine steps might be difficult for them to navigate, so you might want to keep an eye on them and make sure everyone gets back in at night for a bit. They'll find their wings quickly though and figure them out in no time. Both of my coops sit on the ground, but there's about an 8" lip the birds have to clear to get in. I use pieces of wood for steps and small ramps at first, but they stop using them after the first few days.

Good luck with your upcoming hatch!