It really works! Give them time...

[SurprisingWoman]

I have had chickens since June 3. They were almost two weeks old when we got them.

I have been a little protective of them (as evidenced by the topics I have started about them) but I have been looking forward to them being out of the house.

I built their tractor and couldn't bring myself to leave them in the tractor overnight but I did use it as a holding pen for part of the day, to get them used to it.

I would take them out in a portable pen and put a sheet over the top to keep them from flying out. (That didn't always work either but now the point is mute.)

I have had them sleep in the tractor coop for the last three nights. Today I opened the "pop" door and let them have access to the run, via the ramp. I really wasn't sure if they would know how to navigate the ramp. My run is totally enclosed and is only about two feet high so I can't go in a catch them. I caught a raccoon just over a week ago so I have been paranoid.

After leaving the girls in the coop to get used to it and letting them know that is home now they have been running up and down the ramp all day, like they were born to it.

It rained today. I would normally have worried about them grouping around each other under the coop and cheeping like crazy. No problems, they all went into the coop and sat looking out the hardware cloth at the rain.

Do like people suggest here and make sure they are comfortable in their coop and have it imprinted on their memory as home and you shouldn't have any problems.

Just an FYI of my experience.

 

[faykokoWV]

Glad it worked out well for you. Apron strings officially cut now??

 

[elmo]

I'm getting there....slowly...myself. Mine have been spending mornings in their coop/run, afternoons in their playpen on my screened breeezeway, and nights inside the house in their brooder, even though they haven't needed the heat lamp for two weeks. Tonight I'm putting the brooder cage out on our breezeway so they can get used to being outdoors at night.

I haven't finished roofing the coop/run. As soon as I do that, I can begin to think about transitioning them out to the coop/run overnight. I plan to put their brooder cage in there for a few nights, too, since they're used to sleeping in that cage. It will ease the transition for them, but what about for me?!!!

 

[cmom]

I put my chicks brooder in their coop for a few days to start then take it out.