Can 5 wk olds free range in my backyard.

[CibolaChooks]

Ive read your supposed to wait till guineas are 14-17 weeks old to release them. I'm raising 20 three month old chickens that fee range. I also have 12 five week old chicks I'm raising with the guinea fowl in the same pen. The 5 week old Chic's see the older ones free ranging in the back yard and are dieing to get out of there temp pen. I will be moving them all up to there final location as soon as my cabin situation is done here in a week or two.They have a Huge hen house and a large area fenced off for them on 10 acres.

Should i just wait till they all go to there final location before i risk letting the guineas out. and even when they are there do i need to separate the chicks so they can start to free range with the pullets. And also should i fence off a separate area so i can keep the guineas in the pen until they are 14-17 weeks old.

 

[zazouse]

I turn them loose as soon as they feather out.
remember snakes can still make a meal of them at that age so make sure they are in a clear area , no place for snakes to lay in wait.

 

[OHSpartan]

I started letting mine out at 1-week old (hot days, after dew dried, short time periods, etc.). At they have gotten older (and the weather consistently hotter), I have let them out earlier and longer. The last week or so (5th-week) they pretty much jumped out of the brooder in the morning and I corall them in at night. zazouse notes well that snakes and/or predatory birds are a bigger risk the smaller the bird.

 

[zazouse]

I raise mine outdoors in a ground pen so all i have to do is open the gate and let them out when they are big enough.

 

[CibolaChooks]

I started letting mine out at 1-week old (hot days, after dew dried, short time periods, etc.). At they have gotten older (and the weather consistently hotter), I have let them out earlier and longer. The last week or so (5th-week) they pretty much jumped out of the brooder in the morning and I corall them in at night. zazouse notes well that snakes and/or predatory birds are a bigger risk the smaller the bird.

so i can let them out and coral them just like chickens. Is there perch spot important enough for them that they will always come back. They wont be more wild or anything and just avoid going back into there pen.

 

[CibolaChooks]

so i can let them out and coral them just like chickens. Is there perch spot important enough for them that they will always come back. They wont be more wild or anything and just avoid going back into there pen.

So they are out. Haha. I figured i better just do it. 4 of them jumped up to my highest chicken perches and took flight almost going over the fence. They were going for the top of a vine structure missed the landings and crashed landed on top of the fence. Man are they happy though. everyone is settled down from the excitement of being free and the older chickens already accept them. Although the geese will go for good goosing if the get a chance. All is well.Thanks for the pics and reassurances everyone they both really helped give me the courage to let them loose. lmao. They are actually just as easy to catch as the chickens are when i needed to. .