I have finished the coop here in eastern Massachusetts - it's pretty large and my 16 4-week-old chicks love it. I am beginning work on the run now. I will have two side-by-side runs so I can alternate 2-3 months each. The runs will be predator-proof (owls, hawks, fisher cats, coons, coyotes, probably skunks) - steel 2x4 fencing, roofed with same fencing, 4-foot apron, 1/2-inch hardware cloth from ground up 3 feet on all sides, two small, red lightbulbs eyeballs-width-apart on coop wall, plus me and my .22 rifle. How old should the chicks be before they go outside into the protected run? I have no other chickens - just these 16 4-week-olds. It's 60 at night here, 90 in the day. Thanks for any advice.
Some momma hens take their chicks out the 1st couple days. The chicks can tuck under her if they get cold. Illiminate the hen and u need a brooder temp for them to go outside. Once they get feathers they are usually pretty hardy this time of year. Daytime let em out.
If the temps are steady 80 - 90, they can go outside for sure. If they have a run where they can go inside at will, keep a light on in their and give them their choice.
Hi! I see Pennie 1 has gotten here all ready with great suggestion. If they can go in and out at will they should be fine. It's surprising how smart they are even at a very, very, young age. Keep a light on in the house part, and if you can I'd keep the feed and water in there also. The outside will just be a "play" area and they will go in and out as they feel like it. PS....they do MUCH better when allowed out to exercise and "play" The more room they have, the faster they grow, [it seems] Cheryl
Have a care, PJ - See my unfortunate update to the same question I had raised a while ago: https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=371941
My house is in woods, the coop is just off the driveway but the run will be in the woods behind it. I do not think I could ever consider free-ranging here, so that's why I am building the run to be quite large. It's going to cost a fortune in fencing, but who's counting... I can't stop here!
I am glad I made my run large, and predator-proof. It's under the roof of a three-side horse loafing barn. Update: Found one adult Buff Orpington dead this morning from the trauma -Must have been internal inuries.
I Have Six Dominiquer Chicks,At Three Weeks Old,,I'd Love To Put Them Out NOW !!!! There So Darn Big For Three Weeks, But Next Week, There Out Side For Sure....It Been In The Upper 80's to Upper 90's Here. And As Low As the 70's At Night....But Anyway there goin out....
Ours were moved to the coop mid May at 6 wks with a heat lamp 24hrs a day, but they had the choice of going into the run and they did. They were almost fully feathered.
