How soon can I let my chickens out of Coop?

[toripeeps]

How soon can I let my six-week old chickens out of the coop? Will they wander away or staty close? Is there a time frame for adapting them to coop? and when should they be allowed out - no run yet, but am working on it ? And also how do we keep coop cool in summer? We have two front windows and one rear with the pop door, but it still seems to be awfully warm. Can they be to warm?

 

[mons02035]

I do not free range but the rule of thumb is to keep them locked in the coop for a couple days and that should teach them where they sleep and get treats and stuff like that.

6 weeks may be a little young but if it's nice and warm they will more than likely be fine. 8 Weeks is the norm, but what is normal really

 

[JulieNKC]

Have they been in the coop already? If they've been in there a week or so they should be ok to go out. I locked my babies in a cage when they went in the coop for a few days (there are older hens there already). After that I let them out and they stuck by the coop and run for a week, and are now going everywhere with the big girls and have no problems finding their beds at night.

 

[toripeeps]

Okay- they have been in coop for 2 nights, but we have older ones about 9 weeks old in coop with them. We left door open for older ones to come in and out and the babies stayed in the coop for 2 days, but when I went out last evening to put older ones in, the babies were all outside by the corner of the coop. They stuck together like glue, while the older ones went about their business. Also still need answer about how to keep coop cool and can they get to warm?

 

[motherhenmindy]

I've heard to freeze some water bottles to let them stand on when it's too hot. Or maybe put some ice cubes a few times a day in their water. I will probably get one of those clip on fans and set it by timer or thermostat, I know several people prefer to use fans of some type to help keep the chickens cool. I'm just trying to figure out how to manage the cord without compromising a secure coop. I might have to have it outside blowing in, which is fine, but that means I have to use a box fan or something bigger than I was intending.

As far as keeping them warm, I never used a heat lamp when they were a couple weeks old, but we have these heating pads we use for our seedling trays, they don't get very warm, but were enough. I may just get a heat lamp come winter anyway as I'll probably want to give them some extra day time light anyway, and again, set it on a timer. I will bring them in if the temps go below freezing, but we rarely have that cold of weather. I hear chickens tend to be more cold hardy than hot hardy, so I'm a little worried about our Texas heat.

 

[mons02035]

I'm struggling with the temp thing too a little. There are just so many dangers of using a fan but I think that is the route I am taking. I have a 4x8 coop with 5 hens. I have 2 gable vents as well as a window and open soffits but it still gets warm, it just needs circulation. So, I went and bought a small 6" desk fan and I wraped the back of the motor housing with a cut piece of a zip lock bag and zip tied it on, this will slow the accumulation of dust on the motor (I hope). The 2 biggest issues with a regular fan are the dust build up on the motor and water from driving rain getting into the motor. So I am putting the fan by the gable vent that does not normally get the driving rain and by blocking the back I hope to stop the dust build up on the motor, the down side to blocking those holes is that the motor may overheat, I am currently testing that. You can buy a fan with a sealed motor designed for high dust areas but you are gonna pay for them. The smallest I have found is an 18" stir fan by double L, I think it was anyway, they want 90 bucks.

I don't let my girls out until later in the day because I do not have a fenced yard and my neighbor has a loose Brittney Spaniel. The run is fenced but its only chicken wire and it is burried but a determined bird dog can find a way..... So I only let them out if I am home to keep an eye on them. By the time I let them out is is about 65 outside and 70 inside the coop. When summer hits and the days are 90, it will be wayyyy too hot for them in there.

 

[the-bird-man]

Quote:
a box fan that has a furnaces filter wired to the back will keep dust out of the motor and filter the air at the same time

 

[mons02035]

Bird-man, That is a great idea...... that never even crossed my mind.