question about panic doors

[Dhkoenig]

Hello someone gave me advice that if I make panic doors in the outdoor brooder I have in my big girl's run, that I can let them explore the big girls' space. Do they really know how to find their way back in to those tine 3 inch panic doors? I will also put a bunch of hiding props around but just want to make sure they will know how to get back to where the heat is

 

[azygous]

The skinny on the panic doors is yes, chicks learn to navigate them very quickly. But first the chicks need time to observe the adult chickens if you have a flock already. This takes about two weeks. Then you can open the doors, and it's safest to give them numerous entrances.

If you make the little doors four and a half by seven inches, they should accommodate the chicks until they're around ten weeks.

 

[Dhkoenig]

The skinny on the panic doors is yes, chicks learn to navigate them very quickly. But first the chicks need time to observe the adult chickens if you have a flock already. This takes about two weeks. Then you can open the doors, and it's safest to give them numerous entrances.

If you make the little doors four and a half by seven inches, they should accommodate the chicks until they're around ten weeks.

Thanks so much - yes they have been living out there with the big girls since they were 3 days old. Their brooder is right there in the run so they have been in each other's company since then. They are 4 weeks now. They just haven't had access to physically interact

 

[azygous]

Then they are ready. Supervise when you first open the doors. Then limit the time they mingle for a few days until you're sure they all understand where safety is.

 

[Sally PB]

Then you can open the doors, and it's safest to give them numerous entrances.

At first, I had just one. I made more after the first day.

 

[rosemarythyme]

I have 2 panic openings on my set up, one on either side of the brooder. This is only about 2" wide, as I've found hens squeezing into the brooder if it's set any wider.

The last thing I do before I remove all the other barricades is I gently herd the chicks in through the openings a few times so they prove to me they know where they are, and then all the fences (in this case, temporary chicken wire while I got things set up) come down.

I'm also fortunate in that I have accidental chick size openings in my run via the dividing wall between the two halves of the run. Chicks up to about 7 weeks can fit under the bottom of the chain link there, so it makes for a super quick escape route and it's easily available since it's right in the middle of the run. You can see this group of 10 day olds on their first supervised outing, already using the chain link fence gaps (in this case, they were heading over to meet the adults for the first time).