When is it time?

I moved mine outside at 2 weeks old with the heat lamp in the coop. I am so glad I did, they are so much happier outside they jump and fly all over.

 

Welcome to the site, you'll get a lot of good info here.

I've been waiting for my chicks to be fully feathered out. They are at 6 wks old, so they are really close to going outside. I've also been decreasing the temps in the brooder so that they are gradually getting aclimated. It's advised that the temps should start out at 90 deg. then go down 5 deg. per week- unless you have heat in their palace as suggested above

 

Our brooder was in our coop (just a horse stall we enclosed with fencing material), so at 3 wks old (last week), I tipped the brooder(water trough) on it's side. The heat lamp is still there for them, but they have the run of the 12' stall, and are loving it. This week, I opened the stall door during the day (fencing over opening), so they get fresh air, sunlight, and some interaction with the horses that they will be free ranging with later. Next week, I hope to let them into a small fenced in area in paddock, for even more exposure to surroundings and horses (but no direct contact yet). In think gradual exposure is less stressful.

 

I keep mine in a brooder in the garage until they are about 5 weeks old. Then I move them to the coop. I setup the heat lamp in one corner. I leave them locked in the coop for 1 or 2 weeks before opening the door to allow them into the run. I personally would not put 3 week old chicks in the coop. But this could vary depending on your day time and night time temperatures.