Is it normal to loose chicks as time goes on?

[azygous]

Keep in mind that at three weeks and older, little daytime heat is necessary as long as the chicks are consuming calories and creating their own body heat. Therefore, your intuitive inclination to provide more exercise space is a step in the right direction. It is also a step toward cold hardening the chicks.

I like your latest plan.

 

[Morrigan]

When I wanted to get my meaties outside, I moved the food dish out there. It didn't take them long to get moving. Also be careful in how much you feed them. Now that they are 3, you will want to start limited feed. The most popular way to do this is to only make feed available for 12 hours. I tend to be more aggressive, in that, by 4 weeks old, I only feed twice a day -- all they can eat for 20 or 30 minutes. In between, I put some old produce in their yard to encourage movement and foraging.

You don't want to shock them too soon with the cold, but keep in mind that CX can be weaned off heat faster than other chicks. For all their lack of feathering, with their fast metabolisms, they are little heat machines.

I would start by moving the food away from the heat lamps, and increase the distance each day. They can be in the cold long enough to eat, and return to the lamps to warm up.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Another ploy to get them to move some is to separate the food and water.