Chicks in the yard?

[chickle]

I'm in MA, so its still quite cold here, and my chicks are only 2 weeks old. But, I was wondering whether I should take them outside to poke around in the grass and basically play outside when they get a little bit older. How should I keep them contained? Would duct taping together some cardboard panels work as a temporary fence (and how tall should it be)?

They would be supervised, so I'm worried about escapees, not predators!

 

[CrazyTalk]

Google "exercise pen". They're made for puppies and such. They're pretty cheap (and you can combine multiple pens) - and you can usually find them really cheap at yardsales, etc.

 

[chickle]

Great, thanks! That's exactly what I was picturing in my mind!

 

[pattywac3]

I have used a dog crate on the grass. or a pack and play baby play pen.

 

[Demidog]

Make sure your pen has a roof! Last year i put my 7 chicks in a makeshift pen in the garden and left them for 15 minuets to do something and when i came back the neighbors cat had eaten them all!!!! We then built a big cage from wood and chicken wire on all sides including top and bottom and our new chicks were safe in there. I added branches for them to perch inside and a box with straw for a nest, and we moved it round the garden every few days onto fresh grass. They stayed in there over night when they got a bit bigger and the weather was warmer, then eventually moved into the coup and run when they out grew it. The run is not sealed on the top, so cats do get in but they don't bother the chickens now that they're fully grown and instead go for the easy meal of our kitchen leftovers that i throw in every day.