Moving chicks outside - are they okay?

[HarmonyHillHomestead]

Nervous chicken mama here... I took my 5 week old chicks out to the coop for a few hours yesterday, then brought them back inside. I took them out again this morning when it was a little cooler (probably 50ish when they went out, up to 73 now). They acted happy to be back in the coop, but since the initial exploration, they pretty much just sit in one comfy corner, pecking at the nearby vegetation. I expected more scratching, playing, bug-chasing... are they okay? Do I just have lazy chickens? Lol

I would like some reassurance that they are fine if anyone has insight.

 

[cmobley]

They're fine just just getting used to the change.

 

[The egginator]

do you have other chickens they might be hiding from them

 

[ChickenLover08100]

They have to get used to the new outdoors and the a bit fresher air,
my chickens do that to, they stay sorta close to each other and do random stuff
they will get more and more used to it the more they go outside.
Good luck!

 

[CindyK75]

I took my 3.5 week old chicks outside first time yesterday in a temporary chicken coop/tractor my husband and I made, they stayed close to the door for a few minutes then their natural chicken ways kicked in and they were scratching, eating, taking dust baths and also watching the skies when vultures flew over. 2nd day today (moved it to a new spot), happy as can be. Mine have been in an enclosed (heated/cooled) patio with windows and they have heard the sounds of nature etc. and I let them out to fly/walk around inside. Have yours been in the house, blocked off from hearing or seeing outside? Yours are in a more enclosed space than ours, it's very airy (they're not quite feathered out but enough), it's mild weather here. Take them out more to get used to it I would say.

 

[HarmonyHillHomestead]

Thanks all, they do seem happy and healthy, and they come running when I walk out there... which I've done probably 47 times so far! I'm as nervous as when my children were learning to walk!

 

[HarmonyHillHomestead]

do you have other chickens they might be hiding from them

No others, this is my first experience raising chickens. I'm thinking they are just getting used to the new surroundings

 

[Mamatomany123]

Chickens hate change. Theyll probably stay in a little section for a while before they're brave enough to venture farther. My first batch of chicks live in 1/3rd of the run for 2 months before they decided to venture further (we have a big 35x25 run). The new chicks now follow the big girls.

 

[The egginator]

Oh well good luck

 

[junior67]

my babies are under a week old and I am already worried about moving them outside. haahaa I thought I would be fine with it but just thinking about it now makes me nervous on if they will be ok. Even my 16 yr old the first night (or the next day) said what happens when they go outside if they need something. We won't be right there to help them. Thinking I am going to have to invest in a camera when I move them out so I can watch them.

I need to figure something out to bring them out once they are a bit bigger and we have warmer days (it has been around 50 the past few days and as I said they are under a week). We are in the process of building the coop and run so can't even use that unless it is done in the next couple weeks but we only have weekends to work on it and in 2 weeks we are gone for a full Sat and most likely will be tired on Sun. so not sure how much we will get done then. I may just put together some type of "box" that they can go in but I want to be able to fit in it with them when I first bring them out. haahaa.

Good luck with your babies out there. Let me know how they do and you do.