Awwwwww, that sounds cute. :) Mine usually started trying between 9 and 11 months old, and often needed to go through it a time or two to become really good.
If I remember right, my black should be around 11 months old now. She's barely laid very many eggs.
But a few generations of silkies...
I had a flock of guineas. Some were quite docile but the two lead hens were downright vicious, and eventually would even attack lower-ranking guineas. I don't know what yours will do either (I've had very peaceful poultry yards, and some less so), but I agree with having plans and space...
Wow, my middle chicks are almost 5 weeks. They were all learning to dustbathe, copying the mamas the other day.
My white silkie took her chicks out at about 4 days. We have a long, steep ramp too. At night, she went up, called them, came down called, went up and in, called, and so on. She...