We have four eight week old chicks. For the last couple of weeks we have been letting them outside all day and then bringing them in at night.We just finished there tractor type coop and was going to have them sleep outside tonight. After dark they were huddled on the ground by the door wanting to be brought in. We put them on the roosts and they got down and came back to the door. We gave in and brought them in.Is it normal to have to "train" them to stay outside? If so what do we do just leave them out cold turkey?
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We have left them out the last two nights (despite the sad faces and begging to go in the house) but so far they just huddle on the ground in the corner closest to the house. They don't perch on the roost. When they were in the house in their rubbermaid brooder. They always would roost on their little 1" dowel.
They have been trained that the house is their coop, it will just take some readjusting for them to learn about their new home. Don't give in when they make their sad chicken faces. :)
The first day we got our chicks we made a makeshift box from some plywood scraps in my office. Then put them outside in the coop the next day because Tom had to finish a couple of things to get it finished. Tom closed off a section of the coop so they couldn't get too far away from the lights. We gave them lights and litter, and just left them out there. Um, and I put a heater out there the first few weeks. It wasn't bad since it doesn't even get down to freezing here most of the time. But I worried about them and checked the temperature often the first few days.
Then as they got bigger, they needed more room, so Tom opened up the area so they could use the whole floor of the coop. We put down straw and kept the lights on to make sure they were warm at night.
Then when they were about six weeks old they started wanting to get outside, so Tom finished up the yard. Since we live in the desert we had to enclose the yard with chicken wire, even overhead so coyotes, hawks and other predators can't get them. With 165 chicks, that's a big investment and I don't want to be feeding the wildlife with my birds.
They slowly learned to go outside, and Tom put their feed outside to encourage them to go out. He also built an automatic waterer and left the one we have to fill inside for at night. At first we had to go outside and help a few of them to get back inside, but soon they all were coming inside at dusk. Tom closes the doors at night to make sure nothing can get inside and get them while they sleep.
They are learning to use their roost, but I am also wondering why they don't all go to the roost at night. The only seem to want to use the top one or two rungs, not the lower ones. Tom is going to build more soon.
At about 8 weeks I stopped leaving the lights on at night because the outside temp is not getting down much lower than about 45. During the daytime we're getting temperatures in the seventies and occasional eighties, so they love it outside.
We just put our 6 week old chicks along with a 10 week old chick outside in their coop. Their henhouse is elevated and I have put a lamp in there to keep it a bit warmer at night. Of course, the chicks haven't figured out how to walk up the ramp to their house, so I have to go out there when the sun goes down and pick them up into their henhouse. Mine aren't roosting either. They all cuddle together on the floor. I am sure they appreciate the lamp, but I don't think it warms the house up all that much.
Just leave them out. If you feel bad put a heat lamp. They are very resilient. I would say the chicks have you trained to take them inside. MIne were outside full time after 2 weeks.
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We have left them out the last two nights (despite the sad faces and begging to go in the house) but so far they just huddle on the ground in the corner closest to the house. They don't perch on the roost. When they were in the house in their rubbermaid brooder. They always would roost on their little 1" dowel.
During the day they just act normal.
I guess it will just take time.
Then as they got bigger, they needed more room, so Tom opened up the area so they could use the whole floor of the coop. We put down straw and kept the lights on to make sure they were warm at night.
Then when they were about six weeks old they started wanting to get outside, so Tom finished up the yard. Since we live in the desert we had to enclose the yard with chicken wire, even overhead so coyotes, hawks and other predators can't get them. With 165 chicks, that's a big investment and I don't want to be feeding the wildlife with my birds.
They slowly learned to go outside, and Tom put their feed outside to encourage them to go out. He also built an automatic waterer and left the one we have to fill inside for at night. At first we had to go outside and help a few of them to get back inside, but soon they all were coming inside at dusk. Tom closes the doors at night to make sure nothing can get inside and get them while they sleep.
They are learning to use their roost, but I am also wondering why they don't all go to the roost at night. The only seem to want to use the top one or two rungs, not the lower ones. Tom is going to build more soon.
At about 8 weeks I stopped leaving the lights on at night because the outside temp is not getting down much lower than about 45. During the daytime we're getting temperatures in the seventies and occasional eighties, so they love it outside.