5 weeks old ready for outside living / free range?

[wconstantine]

We have 9 - 5 week old chickens and 7 adult hens. I was wondering when it was safe to put them in their own outside coop at night as well as when the could free range?

At the moment, they go out in our large dog crate and then I turn them out to the dog kennel turned chicken run.

I'm wondering if I let them outside the kennel they may venture too far. We have 16 wooded acres and plenty of predators.

We live in upstate NY near the Vermont border to give you an idea of weather.

 

[liz9910]

Hi, usually around 8 weeks they should be fully feathered out and can go outside. I think at that age they would become an easy meal for a predator. Do you free range your other hens?

 

[wconstantine]

Hi, usually around 8 weeks they should be fully feathered out and can go outside. I think at that age they would become an easy meal for a predator. Do you free range your other hens?

Yes, we do!