Put chicks in their coop/run last night...

[FuryanGoddess]

It's really warm in PA right now so they went out and spent the night. Seems to be adjusting well. Last evening, they spent most time outside, in the run. Today... they are more in the coop than anywhere. Is it because they feel safer? Is it cause it rained last night and it's damp? Is it they're just weird chickens and still young lol.

 

[mstricer]

How old are they? Mine at 13 weeks spend a lot of time in coop, when everyone else is free ranging they come out.

 

[FuryanGoddess]

3 1/2 weeks.

 

[RedDrgn]

Are they fully feathered? It's still dropping into the 40s/50s in parts of PA at night, which can be very chilly for a chick without proper plumage. Typically, you'd put them out at 4-6 weeks, but that all depends on local temps and how well-feathered the chicks are.

 

[mstricer]

I don't put mine out until they are fully feathered, usually I keep them in for 6-8 weeks. But I have big girls in my coop, so I want them to be a bit bigger.

 

[FuryanGoddess]

It was 88* today and all of their outside feathers are in. under the wings, I guess still need to come in. I have the box set up downstairs in case it drops real low in the next few wks


This is one of my white leghorn girls


All four


Ginger. Most of the white fluff feathers are gone today.

I've read conflicting reports. 4 wks. 6-8. The leghorns kept trying to fly around my basement, out of their box, even though it was almost 3' high

 

[suezqz_64]

My chicks were like that when I first put them out. I felt it was because they were afraid of air attacks and preferred to have something to cover them. When I let them out to roam they spent a lot of time under the deck. They finally started coming out regularly when I put a fly over their run. It was just a simple plastic table cloth that I anchored with twine. It gave them the comfort they needed while they were still small.

 

[Den in Penn]

Young chicks need a cue that it is safe to come out from cover, like a trusted person or hen. A cover over the run like suezqz_64 expanded their covered area. As they get older and more used to the area they will expand their range. They may also have been in the coop to stay warm. Herein Eastern Pa the temperatures didn't get out of the sixties today. At three to four weeks they still need a warm spot in the low to mid eighties to warm up.

 

[FuryanGoddess]

yeah. they come out to see us when we go over and check on them. I just went to tuck them in for the night and they're snuggled together in the coop, looking out the window, chirping away. It's still high 70's low 80's right now. It was a HOT one.