Is 5 weeks too young to be put outside at night?

[PinkHairGirl]

They have been outside in their chicken run for a few weeks during the day
Today we added the ramp to the chicken coop and put pin shavings and perches inside.
We are in South Africa and it is spring now so not that cold at night, I was wondering if it was okay to leave them out over night.

Oh and any ideas as to what plain white chickens could be, so far they are all just white with what looks like red combs.
We got them at a church fete, someone mentioned a hybrid?

How to we help them go up the ramp if they can stay outside? do we need to teach them to go into the coop?

 

[CityGirlintheCountry]

If they are fully feathered out they are probably fine outside. I usually move mine out by 4 weeks or so. If you are worried about temps and don't want to put a heat lamp out you can fill up plastic milk jugs with really hot water and add those to the coop. They raise the ambient temperature enough to help some.

You will have to toss them in the coop at bedtime if they aren't used to going in there. I find it takes a couple of times to teach them were to go. I also find you sometimes have to teach them how to roost as well. Some of mine just roost naturally and others are a little slower. The slow babies I just place on the roost until they get it.

Ramps can also be a problem. It seems to take them a while to figure them out. A lot of my tiny babies just flutter their way up into the coop instead of using the ramp. If you go out at bedtime and put them to bed they will eventually figure it all out.

Congrats on your new babies!

 

[PinkHairGirl]

Thanks, they were all huddled outside still so we put them up into the coop. They seems to get the idea to stay in there.
We helped them to roost but only 1 stayed up the other 2 flew down.
I was thinking of adding a hot water bottle like they had in their cardboard box at night when they came inside but then I worry that they will want to come down to the floor and not roost

 

[azygous]

When it comes time to move young chicks into the coop, I usually put them inside the coop several hours before bedtime and close them up. They will have several hours to get used to their new home, and will naturally find a place to sleep when sundown comes. I like to show them how to roost on the perch by placing them up there until they get the idea. Others prefer to let them sleep in a pile until they outgrow it. Either way, by closing them up in the coop, it will imprint on them that this is shelter and where they will be safe to go to sleep. It sometimes only takes a day for it to take effect.

Your white chickens may be leghorns.

 

[PinkHairGirl]

Thanks
We did land up closing them in last night and I was worried about them so I took them a hot water bottle, my husband thinks that I am mad and fuss over the chickens.
I think we did put them in a bit late and so it was dark inside and they were not sure what to do. If they don't go up earlier tonight I think I will take them in a bit sooner so they can see and settle before it gets dark.
I will help them to perch again tonight.
But all in all they seemed to survive their first night out in the coop

 

[Fierlin1182]

Ours started going outside after about a month too. I'm in Australia, so it isn't that cold either (we raised ours in the spring too) I reckon you'll be fine.
As for not knowing what to do, they'll get the hang of it later. it's good having something from their old brooder there: for a while we actually took the entire box outside to the coop for them to sleep in.