Moving chicks to coop

[Farmgirlinacityworld]

Hi all! New chicken mom here! My Buff Orpingtons are nearly 5 weeks old but already very feathered with just a little down on there heads. It's been in the 80s in the day time and they LOVE being outside. My question is, is it too cold for them to be in their coop(lots of deep wood chips and a brooder plate) at night if the temps get down to 60?

 

[rosemarythyme]

Nope, time to move them out. They might not use the plate at all, but you can remove it after a few days if they don't.

 

[Farmgirlinacityworld]

Nope, time to move them out. They might not use the plate at all, but you can remove it after a few days if they don't.

Thank you! I grew up around chickens but I never had to worry about this stuff because my parents took care of it! Ha! Now I'm a nervous new mom!

 

[FrostRanger]

I moved both my batches of chicks outside full time at 5 weeks, they'll be fine

 

[rosemarythyme]

Doesn't hurt to leave them in coop only for a few days, provided that there's plenty of space, ventilation, and natural light, to help home them to the coop.

 

[Farmgirlinacityworld]

Thank you! It's a good size and there are only 4 of them. Hopefully it will help them learn that this is where they go to sleep! Lol

 

[rosemarythyme]

When you do let them out, you may still need to train them to use the ramp to get in and out as it seems chickens don't really instinctively know how to use them.

 

[FrostRanger]

Just put them in the coop at night. They'll simultaneously be trained to use the ramp, and to roost at night. That's how I train my chicks. After a few days of putting them in yourself, they should figure it out

 

[rosemarythyme]

Any suggestions on how to do that?

I don't have ramps but I've seen folks suggest using treats to lure them up and down, or if the birds don't mind being herded (aka they don't run away at the sight of you) you can gently herd them up with a couple of sticks.

 

[Farmgirlinacityworld]

Just put them in the coop at night. They'll simultaneously be trained to use the ramp, and to roost at night. That's how I train my chicks. After a few days of putting them in yourself, they should figure it out

Thanks!!