Out of the Brooder and into the Run!

[texaspaladin]

Eight weeks after coming home with our 12 day old Buff Brahma Bantam chicks, our 6 (hopefully) pullets were ready to get the hell out of the brooder in my workshop and venture out into the exciting world of "outside".






I kept them shut up in the coop from Wednesday night through Friday morning (with food/water of course). Then Friday morning I let them out. By let them out I mean that 2 of them were brave enough to come out on their own and the others needed a little convincing . They LOVE the chicken yard. Great fun scratching and checking everything out.

Real Sunshine!





They are so pretty and have neat personalities... I'm glad we got this breed. I had hoped that they would voluntarily go up the ramp back inside the coop when it got dark to spend the night so I could shut them in. Instead they bedded down in a clump underneath the coop to the rear and spent the night there. Looks like I'll have to catch them tonight and put them inside.

Anyone have ideas on how to get them to do this on their own besides putting them inside each night until they "get it"?

Last pic is of my nipple watering system - for which I stole the design from this forum It's so nice not to have to clean out waterers every day!

 

[b.hromada]

Love them! They are so gorgeous!

Yes, put them in the coop at night, after a few days of this, they will know where to go!

Its all just to new to them right now. Enjoy!!!

 

[scratch'n'peck]

My flock of 9 month old pullets has a Buff Brahma. She is a great chicken with a big fluffy butt and a great personality to boot. I hope with her thick feathers that she does well in the summer heat.

Your pullets will learn to go in soon. I was able to block off access to under the coop late in the day to keep them from bedding down there.

 

[texaspaladin]

Success! My Wife had an idea along those same lines. I came home from work this evening expecting to have another chicken roundup. She had blocked off the area where they liked to bed down so they marched themselves up the ramp and went right into the coop

How come everyone here, my wife, and the chickens are all smarter than me?

 

[truckguy]

As for water. Don't worry about them. They will smell the water and start using it. I had my chickens for a couple of days I had a dish in there for water. Then I heard them pecking at the nipples on their own.