6 weekers: ready for coop? Fly? Scraps?

[McChickenMc]

I have 4 6 week old chickens.
They are getting big fast.
Due to small kids, we don't hold them frequently, so I'm trying hoping food scraps can help win their trust.
We are prepping our coop and I think they would like it better outside (50-60degreed day, 40 night). In the interim, I'd like to let them free range in our fenced yard.

Questions;
Are they going to fly out of my yard? Our fence is 6 feet high.

What good scraps are safe to give them?

Can we move them to their coop at age 8 weeks?

I'm going to try to figure out their breed in a separate thread. These guys are so cute

 

[FeatherPugs]

Personally I would move them out now to their own space and begin integrating if you have other hens/chickens. If not then to their own coop is good and remember predators are everywhere. You can free range them in your yard but they will look to "fly" up to higher spots - if you have a 6ft wire fence they probably will not fly up there (my theory is they cannot see well enough to sit on the wire or its too iffy for them) but if you have block - its easy to sit on! Provide some type of play equipment for them to walk on and it will deter them for a while. In my yard I have put an old two by 6 on some blocks and such as that at different heights. I have wire fencing so they don't bother. They do like the trees though. Careful with scraps. You don't need them too fat but they will tell you ones they like and don't like. Mine don't like kale very much but love curly mustard greens - you just never know. Enjoy them! Get a good chicken book - Kathy Mormino or Gail Damerow.

 

[proudmommie31]

My first flock of chickens I let hang out on the grass outside in a fenced in circle about 5 feet tall at that age, no one ever flew over the top. I think yours wouldn't be able to make it up that high yet.
This second time around we are getting ready to transition our 4 week old chicks out the coop (they've outgrown the brooder), making modifications that include keeping the pop door shut for a few more weeks (so they figure out the coop is home before they start free ranging) and taking their heater (not a red bulb thing) out with them so they can have it if they want at night. In the brooder they tend to ignore it anyway and sleep away from it but it'll be there if they want. Your's will be fine at 8 weeks to go in the coop.
For scraps I'd personally stick to scraps of veggies/fruit (say stuff the kids didn't finish), greens, black oil sunflower seed etc. My old flock and this new group of chick lose their minds for tomatoes. That way you can build trust while not giving them stuff that isn't good for them.

 

[McChickenMc]

Thanks! My chicks won't let me easily pick them up so good will hopefully help. Yesterday I only got one out of the brooder. They hide underneath if I start trying to pick them up. They do let me pet them (and they do peck me) so baby steps I guess.

 

[proudmommie31]

My youngest is a 6 year old boy. He's pretty much conditioned everything in the house to accept being picked up, whether they like it or not! The cats gave up caring long ago and the chicks will scream like crazy until he gets them on his chest and then they just cuddle in and look around. They do run like crazy though don't they????