Chickens 101: Chicken Eviction Day! How to Integrate Your Chickens Outside

Congratulations! You have successfully raised your chicks! Your chicks are grown, feathered, and ready for their permanent home outside! Now you have to answer the question… how to integrate your chickens outside? Let’s get them in the coop!

Typically chicks are ready to go outside once they are fully feathered and temps are a bit warmer. There is a lot of conflicting information on the exact age. Some say 3 weeks, 6 weeks, 8 weeks. I’ve even seen recommendations for 12 weeks. Now ours were 12-13 weeks, but that was due to our coop not being ready. We had lots of rainy weekends which inhibited our ability to get outside and get that thing built. 

Here are some recommendations to consider when and how to integrate your chickens outside:

1. Age of chicks: Chicks need to be old enough and sufficiently feathered before they can handle outdoor temperatures. It’s generally best to wait until they are 6-8 weeks old, as they will have most of their adult feathers to better regulate their body temperature. Some chicks are slower to feather than others also which may make the 6-8 week timeline more appropriate.
2. Mild temperatures: Choose a period of mild weather for the acclimation process. Avoid extreme heat or cold, as chicks may struggle to regulate their body temperature in harsh conditions. 
3. Gradual transition: Start by taking the chicks outside during the warmest part of the day for short periods of time. This will help them adjust to the temperature. This was difficult for us because we had 13 chicks and no enclosure, so not all of the chicks had this luxury.
4. Shelter: Ensure the outdoor coop provides adequate shelter from wind, rain, and direct sunlight. The coop should have a dry, draft-free area where the chicks can rest and stay comfortable. 
5. Nighttime temperatures: Pay attention to nighttime temperatures, as they can drop significantly even during mild days. It’s crucial to ensure that the chicks are well-insulated and protected from the cold during the night. 

When our chicks transitioned, we had to put them in their coop at night for only their first night. There are other methods like the playpen method. They didn’t know what was going on. We initially placed them in the run since it was the middle of the day and they loved it. At night, one by one, we put them through their automatic door. They tried to come out so we had to keep pushing them in and then close the door. However, the next night, they all made it into the coop before the automatic door closed. They are so smart!

If you are planning to free-range your birds, it’s important that they understand that their coop and their run is their safe space. We kept our chickens in the run for two weeks. That may have been excessive, but I was paranoid and afraid to let them roam. After two weeks, they started free ranging in the later part of the day because we could sit and monitor them. They made it into the coop each night without help. Now they free-range daily without monitoring and make it to bed on time. We do have a young rooster, and that may also help them get to bed. He rounds them up starting at 7:30 (More on the pros and cons of a rooster soon). 

Again, these are suggestions are when and how to integrate your chickens outside in their coop. Again it will vary on your location, breed of chicken, and your comfort level. It is a bit frightening at first, but it gradually feels better as they get the hang of it all. They learn really fast!

As always, feel free to ask questions, send comments, or provide topics on what you would like us to discuss!

Check out the other posts in our Chicken 101 series!