Too young to go in a raised coop?

becklinn77

Chirping
8 Years
Sep 1, 2011
70
0
92
Oologah, OK
Ok - so I have my first chicks in the brooder - almost 4 wks old now. My husband is building a raised coop for them (about 3 feet off the ground with a ramp to go up). When they are big enough to go outside will they also be big enough for me not to worry about them falling out of the coop?
 
As long as they're completely feathered out, they can go live in the coop. At four weeks, they may be fine with mild nights. If you live where it's already getting down near freezing, you might need to wait another couple weeks or put a heat lamp in the coop for awhile.

Have you had them outside at all yet? If you have, you would see they are quite agile at this age, hopping up onto perches eighteen inches high and even using their wings to cover distance very quickly. They may be awkward, but they won't hurt themselves falling off anything less than a few feet high.

I recently moved this summer's batch of four chicks into the coop with the adults (at age six weeks) and they're already navigating the plastic flaps over the pop hole entrance and putting themselves in the coop at night to roost. They learn very fast.

Good luck!
 
Thank you!

I figured they'd be ok - but I am new and just wanted to be sure.

We're near Tulsa, so it's been mild here - but the coop isn't quite ready (getting very close though).

And yes, I know they are pretty good flyers (better than I realized they would be). I open the brooder to fill their water and food and the little nuts fly up to the top of their waterer - and then up to the edge of the brooder - and sit there watching me until I approach to put everything back.
 
While you're waiting for the coop to get done, why not let the tykes have supervised romps outdoors? They won't go far, and it will be good to get them accustomed to the big world before they face the trauma of leaving the safety of their brooder.

I've found that a very good training exercise to get them to come to you when you call them is to dig up some earth worms, or buy some mealy worms at the sporting goods store. As you hold out a worm, call "Babies!" or whatever term you wish to address them by. They will quickly associate the call to getting treats and will come running, front and center, whenever you call.

Besides, it's great fun to watch the games of keep-away! Be sure you introduce some grit into their diet (small grain sand will do, or fine dirt sprinkled on top their food). If they don't take to worms, and some chicks are scared of them for some reason, use grated cheese - always a winner.

This way, when you need to gather them back up to bring indoors, it will be easy to do.
 

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