How to move from brooder to coop

[NewChickenLady84]

My chicks are not ready yet to stay outside all the time, they are not fully feathered. We have been making short “field trips” to the coop during nice days. I live in Connecticut and the wether now is cool and rainy most of the time, with cold nights.
When they have all their feathers and I have weaned them from the heat lamp and they are ready, how do I go about making that transition from brooder to coop? Do I just put them in there and that’s that? The coop has an attached run, that I plan to give them access to only in daylight hours and lock them in coop at night. I plan to have their food and water in the run. But does that have to be different the first few days or weeks? Should I leave them in the coop section only for a few days? This is my first time raising from chicks and I don’t want to do something wrong

 

[rosemarythyme]

As long as you have ample space inside the coop for the chicks, food and water, I find it easier to lock them in a few days to home them to the coop.

Once they're ready to go out, just put them out. They'll be upset the first day or two and likely huddle together on the floor and peep in distress, but they'll get over it.

 

[NewChickenLady84]

Thank you! That’s what I was thinking I should do but wasn’t sure

 

[ColoradoPip]

Lots of people do what rosemarythyme recommends.

My coop was small with an enclosed run and I didn't lock them in the coop, just put them in enclosed run one morning so they had all day to acclimate. They went into their coop that night on their own and every night after until I made a new coop.

 

[BabasCoop]

As long as you have ample space inside the coop for the chicks, food and water, I find it easier to lock them in a few days to home them to the coop.

Once they're ready to go out, just put them out. They'll be upset the first day or two and likely huddle together on the floor and peep in distress, but they'll get over it.

How many days?! I was just talking about this with my husband and he thought I was over thinking it. Said to just put them out there. I told him they don’t like change and will freak out and that we are suppose to put them in the rooster first. Then expose them to the rest of the coop.

I have heard 24 hours in the roost, up to a week in the roost.

 

[rosemarythyme]

I told him they don’t like change and will freak out and that we are suppose to put them in the rooster first. Then expose them to the rest of the coop.

I have heard 24 hours in the roost, up to a week in the roost.

Is this a prefab with a small enclosed section up top, larger mesh section down below?

If so, the coop is the enclosed section. THe mesh section is the run. My recommendation was to lock them in the coop, but in such a set up it may be too tight to safely do so, so you'll need to give them access to the whole unit.

My first batch of chicks probably got locked up a week (as they had plenty of space), but that long isn't necessary. I think 2 days is enough in most cases.

 

[NewChickenLady84]

Lots of people do what rosemarythyme recommends.

My coop was small with an enclosed run and I didn't lock them in the coop, just put them in enclosed run one morning so they had all day to acclimate. They went into their coop that night on their own and every night after until I made a new coop.

Mine is also a small coop with the run attached. Maybe I can do this first and see how it goes. When I take them out there now, they make no attempt to go up the ramp, but then again we are only out for short periods of time because it’s cold still

 

[ColoradoPip]

If so, the coop is the enclosed section. THe mesh section is the run. My recommendation was to lock them in the coop, but in such a set up it may be too tight to safely do so, so you'll need to give them access to the whole unit.

Yes, I agree! This was my first setup and also one reason I didn't lock them inside the coop. It was too dang small!

Mine is also a small coop with the run attached. Maybe I can do this first and see how it goes. When I take them out there now, they make no attempt to go up the ramp, but then again we are only out for short periods of time because it’s cold still

I agree with your husband in this case and believe you are overthinking it. With a small setup like described, I bet if you put them out and let them be, once evening comes and darkness starts to fall, they will look up and head inside the coop. Some chickens are more instinctual than others and it only takes one to go inside and the others will follow.

Is it possible they won't go in the coop...of course, but then you just put them in. Done. No matter what, that's really the worst that can happen.

I just moved 6 year old chickens from one coop to another. The first night I had to put them inside. After that, they went on their own. Yes they hate change, but they also adapt quickly to be safe!!

 

[BabasCoop]

Is this a prefab with a small enclosed section up top, larger mesh section down below?

If so, the coop is the enclosed section. THe mesh section is the run. My recommendation was to lock them in the coop, but in such a set up it may be too tight to safely do so, so you'll need to give them access to the whole unit.

My first batch of chicks probably got locked up a week (as they had plenty of space), but that long isn't necessary. I think 2 days is enough in most cases.

We have a covered area off the back of our shop that we are fully enclosing and turning into our coop/run. In total it will be approximately 12x40 (it will run the entire length of the back of our shop. The Coop will be about 8 ft long, 4 ft high and 3 ft deep. It will have a separate but attached area that will house 4 nesting boxes that I can block off initially. That area will be 3 ft deep, 4ft long and 2 ft high.
I have 15 hens and 1 Roo.

so far the chicks have only known the brooder which is in our garage. It is a 4ftx4ft plastic Apple bin. (We live in Apple country).

I’m not sure what is the best way to transition them outside to their coop/run.

 

[BellaBlueBell]

Here's what I did. After weaning from all heat sources (they were in my basement), I started putting them in the temporary run attached to the new coop during afternoons when the weather was ok. They could go up/down the ramp into the coop at will. Then I would take them back into the basement at nighttime. This week when the overnight temps were a bit better (40's) I closed them in the coop overnight. They did cry a bit more initially but settled down and roosted overnight. Last night was only the second night. When I put them in around 8 PM and they cried a bit, I sat with them and actually held and petted them a bit, which settled them quickly and all was well.

Today they are "cooped up" due to the unrelenting rain. So I guess this will help them acclimate, but I think they were doing it well enough anyway.

I'm no expert - these are my first chicks, and I think I may be worrying more than I should. My "mama heart" wants to bring them back inside but I won't, of course. I'm the same way with my bunnies. If it gets too wet, too cold, too hot, etc. I put them in the basement in an extra pen I keep just for the two of them. And they like it.