At what age should you let your chicks/chickens free range?

[OpheliaChick]

I just purchased my first flock. They are about 7 weeks old now. I was just wondering when I can let them free range. I know that 7 weeks is not a good age... but what is?

 

[Chicks_N_Horses]

I let them free range alone now at one month old. They run out when I open the door and run back in at dark. Happy little chickies.

 

[krazycow6]

You can start them now. I usually wait until they know their coop is thier coop and then start letting them out, just watch for hawks, ect...

 

[miss_jayne]

i let mine free range at....ta daaaaah.....a few days old. no joke. but then again, i'm crazy like that. i'm also home all day and have eleventy billion chickens.

 

[Uppity Peon]

Quote:
ROFL! You must have to buy feed by the dumptruck load!

I'm still too chicken... err... I mean afraid to let mine out. The run is big enough that they haven't destroyed the grass yet. Hopefully when they are 4 months old I'll be ready to give them the run of my entire back half-acre. But I need to get latches on my gates first. Oh, and maybe a powerful fence charger. I don't completely trust my dogs.

 

[Chickenaddict]

I usually wait until they are a month old if I am the one raising them, If it is a hen raising them she usually takes them out after a few days and keeps a real close eye on them. Here is a pic of my bantam leghorn and her 2 chicks, the chicks were about 1 week old.

 

[miss_jayne]

Quote:
ROFL! You must have to buy feed by the dumptruck load!

I'm still too chicken... err... I mean afraid to let mine out. The run is big enough that they haven't destroyed the grass yet. Hopefully when they are 4 months old I'll be ready to give them the run of my entire back half-acre. But I need to get latches on my gates first. Oh, and maybe a powerful fence charger. I don't completely trust my dogs.

good points here. it all depends on each person. what comforts YOU need.

and how much feed you have to buy. if you have to max out your credit cards and then go to debtors prison, you can't let them free range anymore because no one lives at home.

silly me! i get feed for, wait for it....$17 for 100 #'s! and they FREE range so they eat a lot of FREE stuff!

 

[OpheliaChick]

I have three cats and live in front of about 9 acres of woods which I'm sure there are tons of predators living in there. I think I might have to wait a little bit longer before I can let them free range. They need to be big enough to be able to defend themselves... right? Does anyone else have cats? If so, how do they get a long with the chickens?

 

[Chicks_N_Horses]

I have 2 cats that pay chicks no attention. They will kill wild birds but never have killed chicks. They lay and sleep with them sometimes.

 

[kandryve]

I think I have to agree with miss_jayne on this one! After our babies hatched we only waited about 4 days till we let ours out. Part of it was that we do have a broody hen with them and since she needs to be let out quite often they sometimes hop out and run after her. In our case though, there's a hen with them who was very protective. Probably useful than we would've been in the safety department!