Ready for the coop?

[Backbay Chickens]

What do you guys think is it time to put these guys outside in their coop, according to their feathers and weather?

 

[FunClucks]

I'd give them another week. They need to be fully feathered on their heads. During the later part of that week or the week after, experiment with turning heat off during the day (right now) and at night (later in the week/next week) When they seem to be fine with that, time to take them outside.

Love your coop/run! That's a nice adaptation of that style of covered run.

I have a suggestion for predator protection for you - you may need to put a wood frame around the inside or outside of your door, to block the opening between the door and the coop. It would make your door open only one way, but when the door is closed, the gap would be protected from predator entry. I usually use metal pipe strap, screws, and 1" washers to secure 2"x4" in a picture frame configuration around the door and sill either inside or outside of the coop. I chisel out space for the hinges to move and change the door latch to a sliding gate latch or hasp type latch secured onto the wood, and stick a carabiner through the hasp or a keyed lock - both will deter raccoons. You can also "frame out" the door by putting a wooden picture frame of 2x4s or thinner wood on it so the door and coop frame will closely approach each other when the door is shut. Gap between door and frame should be no more wide than the gap in your wire.

I'm sure you know that chicken wire is only good for keeping chickens in, any predators will go right through it, so I assume you have livestock guardian dogs, or hotwire, or some other means of predator protection in addition to the chicken wire. We get all the predators where I live, and I don't have LGDs or hotwire, so I'm a bit obsessed. I covered my entire covered run with 1/2" hardware cloth and put a 3ft hardware cloth apron, and framed out my chain-link door panels to leave 1/2" gap or less. No predators have made it through going on 3 years.

Have fun and good luck!

 

[HenriettaPizzaNolan]

The weather is fine, but they just need a little more feathering, like the other person said. My CX just turned 3 weeks old on Monday. I got them outside full time just a couple days before that.