Letting the babies loose in the run?!?

[EggStatic46]

Hi all !!
my girls just turned 2 weeks old and getting very curious. so I let them have access to the run.
Being this is my first flock, I had a couple questions at this stage:

- Will they eventually learn to go back into the coop at night? This is their third day with access to the run. The last two days they have went out on their own. Yesterday we had a lot of rain and i went out to the coop and they were huddled together still in the run while it was raining. I had to get into the mud and physically put each one back in by hand...lol. They came back out to the run on their own this morning. I put the heat lamp on in the coop before it rained yesterday but that didnt lure them back in. I tried laying feed up the latter too. They started to go up the latter to eat but wouldnt go in the coop...lol

- Should I keep the food and water in the coop or in the run? I kept the feeders in the coop and just spread some chick starter feed around in the run today for them. Should I start feeding them at certain times of the day or lay food and water down at all times?

- When should I be switching them off of the chick starter?

Thank you in advance! This is a GREAT site!!

 

[Mountain Peeps]

- Will they eventually learn to go back into the coop at night? Yes.
- Should I keep the food and water in the coop or in the run? It depends on you. I recommend putting it in the coop so it's safer from predators.
Should I start feeding them at certain times of the day or lay food and water down at all times? Again, it depends on you. Are you very busy? Are you at home most of the day? That'll determine whether you hand feed or just leave feed out always.
- When should I be switching them off of the chick starter? Check out this link of mine. https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/feeding-at-different-ages

 

[EggStatic46]

Thanks MP!
I work from home so I have flexibility in regards to feeding and watering. I just didn't know if I should just feed them once a day say in the morning or just let them have all you can eat all day
Didn't want to starve of dehydrate the little ladies.