When the time DOES finally come, for them to go and stay outside...

[tri-5-ron]

Do you normally keep them inside the coop for a period of time for some sort of acclimation to their new home?

Do you allow them access to the nesting boxes even before they are of egg laying ages, or do you block off the nesting boxes for now ?

Won't they poop in the nesting boxes while they are still too young to lay eggs?

 

[HEChicken]

Yes, it is customary to keep them confined to the coop for a couple of weeks so that they know it is home. Many people block off the nesting boxes. I don't because my chickens free range full time and the nesting box is an old covered cat litter box. They only go into it when they need to lay an egg.

 

[CityClucks]

I put my 5-week olds out today - in a hutch inside a dog kennel alongside the big girl run. I'll leave them in the hutch for a few days, then let them out into the reinforced kennel/run. I'll probably introduce them into the laying flock before they reach laying age. I just made sure their roosts were higher than the nesting boxes - none of them ever showed an interest in roosting on or sleeping in the nests unless they're going broody.

 

[noitulover]

our coop is divided in half, with two doorways for the chickens to move between the two sides.. when we have a new batch of chicks ready to move outside, we close up the doorways, and one half is home to the chicks for about 2+ weeks, depending on what kind of weather and how old... then we open the doors and see what happens!

i think it is a good idea for them to have time to consider teh coop "home" first, before letting them run wild and free!

 

[catdaddy66]

I have planned on 3-4 weeks of coop isolation prior to exposure to the run. I have heard this is time for them to realize that home is the coop. Hope they get the idea on the first or second day...I'm old!