We have ~50 chicks that are 4 weeks old today. Up til now, they've spent their lives inside their permanent mobile coop, converted to brooder mode inside our unheated pole barn. Next week I plan to move the trailer out into our garden area, run an extension cord to it for the heat lamps, and set up some mobile electric netting(that I don't plan to electrify initially) to keep them contained.
I'd like to give them supervised access to the outdoors to allow them to become accustomed to being outside. My concern is that I am the scary wicked lady that they're terrified of, and I don't know how I'll be able to get them to come back into the coop when it's time. My thought is to give them an hour or 2 before dusk, and leave a light on inside the trailer so they will go towards the light, but I'm not confident they'll figure out how to use the door, or go towards the light inside the coop.
What's the play here? Do I just wait til they fall asleep outside and pick them up and put them into the coop one at a time? I'm sure I'm overthinking this, but I try to go into new situations with a plan.
I'd like to give them supervised access to the outdoors to allow them to become accustomed to being outside. My concern is that I am the scary wicked lady that they're terrified of, and I don't know how I'll be able to get them to come back into the coop when it's time. My thought is to give them an hour or 2 before dusk, and leave a light on inside the trailer so they will go towards the light, but I'm not confident they'll figure out how to use the door, or go towards the light inside the coop.
What's the play here? Do I just wait til they fall asleep outside and pick them up and put them into the coop one at a time? I'm sure I'm overthinking this, but I try to go into new situations with a plan.