Time to adjust to their coop?

[Goatmum]

I don’t know if this is true or not. I was told that young chickens need about three to four weeks of confinement to their coop, before they fully understand that the coop is their home. And that if we let them out, we will have to chase them all over to catch them. How do we get them in and out, without the chase?

 

[21hens-incharge]

Do you have a run?
How old are the birds?

I find a week is plenty long enough. I certainly recommend having a run for those times when ranging is to risky.
If free ranging I would let them out an hour before dusk after a week closed in (as long as they are fully feathered). Then after a few days of them going in like they should they can have a bit longer out. Gradually increasing the time keeps them from wandering to far to find home when it's all new.

 

[MountainWoman73]

I put mine out in the yard for a couple hours during the warm part of the day and bring them back in by hand. Sometimes I just leave the coop door open (the people door, not the chicken door) so the littles can run in and out without having to figure out the ramp or get past the big chickens.

 

[Goatmum]

Do you have a run?
How old are the birds?

I find a week is plenty long enough. I certainly recommend having a run for those times when ranging is to risky.
If free ranging I would let them out an hour before dusk after a week closed in (as long as they are fully feathered). Then after a few days of them going in like they should they can have a bit longer out. Gradually increasing the time keeps them from wandering to far to find home when it's all new.

Thanks for your reply! Our chicks are only five weeks old, and it’s still too chilly for them to go out. But I want to know what to do, once they are old enough.

 

[21hens-incharge]

Thanks for your reply! Our chicks are only five weeks old, and it’s still too chilly for them to go out. But I want to know what to do, once they are old enough.

With young birds they may need escorted/boosted/put back in the coop at night especially if they don't have adults to follow in. That can last from a day to a month depending on how stubborn they are.

Keep in mind that they do not go in before dusk on their own.

Generally if you have them in the coop full time for a week they should get the hang of it pretty quickly.

 

[Sally PB]

Looking back at the pictures I took, I think I had my chickens shut into the coop for about 5 days when they were about 8 weeks old. Then they had a small enclosed run for a couple weeks. I never had to put them back into the coop. They self trained to go back in at dusk.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I don’t know if this is true or not. I was told that young chickens need about three to four weeks of confinement to their coop, before they fully understand that the coop is their home. And that if we let them out, we will have to chase them all over to catch them. How do we get them in and out, without the chase?

You can read all kinds of things on this forum. Occasionally some are true. Occasionally.

What do your facilities look like? Do you have a run? Is your coop elevated or on the ground? A photo from the outside might help a lot here. The more we know about what you have to work with the better we can suggest something that applies to your situation.

Where are you located so we have an idea of your weather. At five weeks yours may be ready to go outside now, depending in your weather.