Transitioning chicks to outdoor coop for first time!

[petesgirl]

My chicks spent their first night in their super secure (I hope!) coop last night! Everything went fine, but they do not seem to like the roosts we put up for them
They had roosts in their indoor area and loved to sit on them. The lowest roost is about 12 inches off the ground, is that to high for young chicks? The roosts are the same diameter as the ones we had inside. The chicks are about 8-10 weeks old. They hang out right by the people door.

They also seem like they want out, they try to follow me out! We are not finished with their outdoor run, so we only let them out when we can watch over them.
The coop has good ventilation, 2 windows, and a suspended heat lamp.

I am having a hard time transitioning! I worry too much about them. This is the first time we have had chickens.

We have 13 chicks, and I think they are all girls, could that be possible?! We got them when they were about 3 days old, from the 80% pullet bin! That would be pretty lucky for us, as we want all girls! Maybe we just can't tell yet...

 

[gritsar]

Sounds pretty normal to me that they aren't using the roosts yet. They'll get around to it.
You say that they are 8 to 10 weeks old, right? Unless you are in a very cold climate, you might want to go ahead and do away with the heat lamp now. They don't need it.

 

[BigSkyChickens]

Don't feel bad, petesgirl, about your transitioning worries......It's natural to worry about something you raised from a poofy-puffball.
I slept outside the first couple nights after I moved my chicks to their super secure coop/run.

I stopped using the heat lamp just last week (it's in the high 40's at night and my chicks are 8 & 10 weeks old). It was difficult for me to stop using the heat lamp, but I figure it's better for them to have a gradual "lights-out".

And yes, it may take them a while to start using the perch......mine perch during the day, but at night they pile up by the people door.


Enjoy your chicks!

 

[gryeyes]

I just put 4 eight week old chicks outside full time. Actually, they never had any part-time outside, I hadn't set up their segregation/integration quarters yet, AND have other "teenager" pullets who have just recently joined the rest of the flock.

I did put a heat lamp in their quarters, because they've been used to "slop over" heat from the one I've got for the 4 two-week old chicks in their own brooder in the bathroom. The two groups were room-mates for the past week....

I don't want the chicks now outside to go into temperature shock when the outside temp drops to the high 40s. I did peak at them just before dusk and 2 of the 4 had hollowed out "dust bath" depressions and were basking in the warmth from the heat lamp.

I'll turn it off during the day... may or may not use it again tomorrow night. It's not forecast to get into the high 50s at night for another 2 nights.

I'se jess bean kerfull, she said in a little, tiny, "don't chew me out" tone of type.