# Moving out to the coop



## emeraldskye (Oct 6, 2013)

I have was told (and have read) that the chicks need to be closed up in the coop for a few days when you move them outside. What I don't know is this: Should I move them to the coop during the day or at night? Will they know how to roost right away if I put them on the roosting bars? 

I also have been told that they can go out anywhere from 3 weeks to 6 weeks, but then a book that I'm using as a resource said that for most parts of the country they should go out at 8 weeks. I'm in the San Francisco Bay Area and it's in the upper 40s at night, upper 60s in the daytime. Right now my chicks are 5 weeks old. When is it safe to put them out?

Thanks for your advice.


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## avis67 (Oct 27, 2013)

It mainly depends on the weather and if it is warm or cold. In the late summer on the first week I let my baby chicks go outside though only for a few minutes because they would get cold very easily. For 4 -5weeks they would stay out for 30 minutes or longer, in 6-10 or more weeks I kept them outside for the entire day. At 10 weeks I finally moved the chicks into the coop ( they they were originally sleeping in an old ferret cage indoors). 

Moving them in the coop day or night doesn't matter. Chicks should have a natural instinct to roost on high places, but check when it gets darker to see if they have found the roost. A few of my baby chickens found the roost bar very quickly, others kept pacing back and forth so I eventually had to lift them one by one on to the roost bar. I did that for a couple of days and then in the fourth day they caught on and learned to sleep in the coop and on the roost at night instead of waiting at the door to be let in.


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## emeraldskye (Oct 6, 2013)

Thank you! It was pretty warm out so I took them outside for about three hours. I kept a close eye in them and if they started to look cold I would have brought them in sooner. It was their first experience on bare dirt. They finally got the hang of scratching. I think I'll wait until they are 8 weeks old to put then out at night but today I turned off the heat lamp so that they can get used to sleeping with it a bit cooler. No matter what, it will be quite a bit cooler out there for them when they finally go outside for the night.


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## emeraldskye (Oct 6, 2013)

I moved the chicks out at about 6 weeks. We put their heat lamp out with them. They are now 8 weeks old and finally started sleeping on the roost on their 8-week birthday. They still have the lamp. They seem well-adjusted to their living space.


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## realsis (Jan 13, 2013)

That's great I'm glad they adjusted so well! Are you still using the heat lamp?


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## emeraldskye (Oct 6, 2013)

They do still have the lamp; it's in the lower 40s overnight here and they are using the roost area right under the lamp. If they were too warm then they would move to another roosting spot, I'm sure. I thought I'd let them tell me when they don't need it anymore.


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## Usama666 (Dec 18, 2013)

I would like to thank you for the efforts you have made in writing this post. your provided information is easy to understand and implement.


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## TheLazyL (Jun 20, 2012)

Locking them up in the coop lets them know where home is. Moving the chicks to the coop during the day is fine.

My BO's were 2 days old when I received in May 1012. When they were almost fully feather I opened the chicken door and let them decided if they want to go out or stay in.

I don't understand some human's need to "teach" the chickens how to roost. Chickens have been roosting all by themselves for centuries with out being taught how to. The will roost if they want to and where they want to.


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## Usama666 (Dec 18, 2013)

TheLazyL said:


> Locking them up in the coop lets them know where home is. Moving the chicks to the coop during the day is fine.
> 
> My BO's were 2 days old when I received in May 1012. When they were almost fully feather I opened the chicken door and let them decided if they want to go out or stay in.
> 
> I don't understand some human's need to "teach" the chickens how to roost. Chickens have been roosting all by themselves for centuries with out being taught how to. The will roost if they want to and where they want to.


right you are ...!


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