Is it okay to keep baby chicks indoors until theyre four weeks old, and also occasionally let them run around in my backyard? There are a lot of stray cats in my neighborhood and i worry for them 
Baby chicks kept indoors until theyre 4 weeks old?
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bumppp
I'm by no means an expert, but I keep my babies inside until they are fully feathered. Early in the year it was due to weather, wanted to make sure they were warm. Now that it is warm, I still do it, as it's my routine and it's easier for me to check on them throughout the day and handle them when they are old enough so they get used to us. I think you are fine. As long as they have plenty of food, water, and some room they will be fine.
Im a first time chick mom and mine are 8 days old.Between weather and predators I plan on keeping them inside until feathered as StizzyL17said. I'm a worry wart though and my little chicks are spoiled 
From what I've read on here over the past few months, I think the majority of people keep their babies inside, UNLESS the mother hen hatched them and is raising them. Most of us buy babies from a store, hatchery, local contacts and we are responsible for raising them. Leaving them outside at such a young age without constant 'protection' and heat (when needed)is a no no, so we raise them indoors until they are old enough to move outside on their own. Again just my two cents, but I wish you all the best with your babies!!
There is absolutely no reason not to let your babies out for fresh air if the weather cooperates--if they were being raised by their mama they would be scurrying around from the day they hatched. That's why Mother Nature originally arranged it for birds to hatch their babies in spring when the weather would be warming up.
The biggest thing you would need to be cautious of would be of course, predators--as fluffy babies they are totally vulnerable to just about everything--aerial attacks from hawks,etc., and ground attacks from just about everything--cats, dogs, and any wildlife that might happen to be in the area. I wouldn't leave them outside unattended unless you have a totally enclosed area for them (top and sides), but even if you didn't I wouldn't hesitate to take them out and "play" with them--I've done it before, from the day I'd gotten mine as day old chicks.
Good luck!
The biggest thing you would need to be cautious of would be of course, predators--as fluffy babies they are totally vulnerable to just about everything--aerial attacks from hawks,etc., and ground attacks from just about everything--cats, dogs, and any wildlife that might happen to be in the area. I wouldn't leave them outside unattended unless you have a totally enclosed area for them (top and sides), but even if you didn't I wouldn't hesitate to take them out and "play" with them--I've done it before, from the day I'd gotten mine as day old chicks.
Good luck!
I take my chicks outside for "playtime" starting at a week old (weather permitting) -- I stay with them the whole time but they love running around in the grass.
- Mar 20, 2013
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I built an outdoor playpen for my chicks, they are 2 and a half weeks old. They love being outside. Ii is fun to sit and watch them scratch, peck, and try to dust bathe in the grass. Then after all the hijinx they lay in the shade and take a nap.
I built a pen almost identical to this one for mine to play in outside too!I built an outdoor playpen for my chicks, they are 2 and a half weeks old. They love being outside. Ii is fun to sit and watch them scratch, peck, and try to dust bathe in the grass. Then after all the hijinx they lay in the shade and take a nap.
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thanks! your answers were very helpful but, theres also another problem besides the cats...ANTS. Im worried that if i let them out, ants will crawl on them. For some reason my grass isnt the thin kind of grass, its pretty thick. So theres always a bunch of ants crawling in them. Will the ants hurt my baby chicks, and also when therye all grown up??Similar threads
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