When do I let them out?

[lyndy53]

Seven of my c hicks were hatched about 5-6 weeks ago. I put them in a small pen inside the coop to let the adults get used to them, about four days ago I let them out and all has been fine. Yesterday I put them and pen inside where the chickens roost, when can I let the younger ones out again. I want them to get used to roosting with the others?

 

[faykokoWV]

I'll be facing this issue myself here pretty soon. I have 2 adult hens and 2 that are 16 weeks and 5 that are 10 weeks, they are all together and have all been together for about 9 weeks. I also have 11 1 week old chicks. My plan is to move them to an outside brooder (set up next to the run so they can interact with the other chickens) next weekend. I'll move them into the pen with the other chickens as soon as they are big enough not to get through the fencing.

Hopefully one of the more experience chicken keepers will chime in here and give us some suggestions on what the time line should be for integration.

 

[lyndy53]

I've had my chicks in the coop with the others in a smaller pen, and when I let them out they were fine but they weren't going in to roost with the others, instead I was finding them huddled together on the outside of the coop, so I moved the smaller pen in the roosting area and kept them in for a day and then let them out and last night the same thing so I put them back in the smaller pen, wondering how long I should keep them in there for them to get that is where they are supposed to be at night? Shame chickens can't be a little bit smarter.

 

[Hangin Wit My Peeps]

Mine were also huddled outside...the thing I found was when they did try going in the others would peck at them so they would go back outside

They are STILL doing that and it's been two weeks now. When I put them in through the big door the others leave them alone but when they try coming in through the pop door they get pecked

It's driving me nuts! Now they don't even try to go in they just huddle outside under the coop.

 

[lyndy53]

Maybe that's what's going on with mine, the other chickens aren't letting them in.

Don't know what to do about that, I work nights so can't make sure they are in all the time and I know it'll just be a matter of time before a predator gets them.

 

[jen5680]

For weeks mine would not go in either. Finally i started going out there at night and i would put them in myself.
After about 3 or 4 nights of doing this they are now doing it on there own.
They still just huddle on the floor by the door so i have read several times that when they are asleep to put them up on there roost and after a few nights of that they should also get up there by themself. I am hoping that it will work as well as the other thing did. they just need a little help to figure out what to do i think.

 

[faykokoWV]

Quote:
I had to put a night light in my coop with the teenage chickens or they all just piled up in the doorway.

 

[lyndy53]

I'm going to try that tomorrow and see what happens

 

[CrazyChickMom]

Quote:
I had to put mine in too. They would huddle outside the door and it took about 3-4 times before they went in on their own. Now they are starting to roost one by one. First there was only a couple now there are 11 out of 18 roosting. I agree...they need help figuring it out.