When to allow Chicks to go outside to free range?

[Spellbound4u]

Hello! I'm a first time chicken owner. I have 6 chicks. 1 is a rooster and i THINK the other 5 are hens. They are 7.5 weeks old. I put them in their new coop a week ago. My question is how long do i need to have them locked in there until i can let them out during the day? Based on the reading i did the most common answer was a week so they get used to the coop as a safe place. But my chicks seem very interested in leaving the coop. Does that maybe mean they are ready or that I should keep them in the coop longer? I dont want to have to chase them into the coop every night if i can help it lol any advice would be appreciated! Thank you so much for reading!

 

[NatJ]

Since they've already been in there for a week, let them out in the afternoon and see if they go back by themselves at dusk. If yes, you can let them out earlier on other days. If they do not go in at bedtime, put them back and leave them shut in for another week or so.

(Why let them out in the afternoon the first time? Because the longer they are out, the farther they tend to wander. If they are still close, they will have no trouble finding the way home, and you will have less trouble finding them if they do not go back.)

 

[Spellbound4u]

Since they've already been in there for a week, let them out in the afternoon and see if they go back by themselves at dusk. If yes, you can let them out earlier on other days. If they do not go in at bedtime, put them back and leave them shut in for another week or so.

(Why let them out in the afternoon the first time? Because the longer they are out, the farther they tend to wander. If they are still close, they will have no trouble finding the way home, and you will have less trouble finding them if they do not go back.)

That sounds like great advice! Thank you so much! I am a worry wart lol I will be posting pics to help me sex them soon too since I am constantly second guessing myself.