@kwhites634 - I can only speak to my experience.. I do three weeks in the coop before I let them out. By then, my chooks are 9 weeks old and a little more hawk savvy. (3 weeks in brooder, 3 in "transitional housing" (my carport pen that can still be hooked up to heat if necessary), and 3 in the outdoor pen before I open the gate to the big wide world. (Although my little SFH storm the gate every time it's opened, so they may end up outside sooner rather than later. 
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