Free range, my chicks are 3 weeks old,

[Stephanie739]

I have 40+ babies (4 weeks 3 days old) in a 4'x4'x15" brooder/run, whatever you want to call it. It's made of 3 rows of 2x4s, two 4x4 3/4" plywood for the ends, and a few 4x8 3/4" plywood just laid on top of horizontal fence boards. The 15' walls are covered in 1" hard-wire mesh, however I did cover part of that with window screen. There is no bottom, so they are directly on the grass and I have different size/shapes of logs and limbs for them to roost on. I kept them inside for only 1.5 week because they QUICKLY out grew the 120 gallon tub I was using! Anyway....

Thanks for starting this post. My babies are door dashing when I bring them food and water, and since we've been in a drought with temperatures 105+ their coop is getting pretty icky. I usually put fresh clipped grass in with my little ones, but there is NO grass to trim! I was curious if I could let them out yet. I've never raised this many chickens at once, and the ones I have raised stayed inside until they were 8-10 weeks before going out to the big coop. They would go outside with me and walk around everyday. I'm not so sure about 40!

P.S.: I live on a 20 acre farm, 4 dogs, 6 cats, 1 duck, 20 hens, 2 Roos.....All critters are entirely free range and have been with the babies (outside the coop of course) since they were put outside. Dogs and Cats are not a predator risk, the Roosters are not, in fact, one is VERY protective of babies. My Duck is the Queen and is VERY territorial. I would never leave my babies unsupervised at least until they were about 12-14 weeks.

I highly recommend something like this http://www.ebay.com/itm/30-Black-Pe...ltDomain_0&hash=item4845fbe54f#ht_2203wt_1185

 

[Stephanie739]

 

[Stephanie739]

There are two enclosures combined in the above pictures. You can buy sunshades (nets) for about $5 that secure around the edges.

They don't stay in here if I am not home to check on them, but it is a great way to get them out of the stuffy brooder and let them peck around, test their wings, etc. Its is set up in the run with the big chickens.

 

[EdwardG]

Well I let them out about 3 hr before sunset the other day, well...... it got dark and I had to help the little ones back in to the coop, hand full by hand full, I looked at my calendar and I was a week off on the date I told you all, I think, they will be 4 weeks on the 17th. They are still sleeping on the ground, is that normal? Should they be roosting soon? Oh they are in a 8' X 16" building with a 8' X 8' run, Remember we are going to free range, the coop is for night time only.

 

[Rosaleen]

My bantam Cochin is mama to fourteen chicks. They are two weeks old now and have been
free ranging since they were three days old. The funny thing is they also have another mama, my white silkie has taken to being their mama as well. She follows them around and let's them sit under her for warmth. At dusk, they all follow their 'real' mom into the nest for the night. It is so much fun to watch them running around with all the other chickens.

 

[Birdgirl99]

OK the chicks can go outside at 7 to 10 weeks old and i would put them n a small pen before letting them free range at around15 weeks let them Free range and about the dog jack Russel breeds are small and a robber would probably just kick the poor dog out of the way that is what happen to my pug choo choo

 

[EdwardG]

My bantam Cochin is mama to fourteen chicks. They are two weeks old now and have been
free ranging since they were three days old. The funny thing is they also have another mama, my white silkie has taken to being their mama as well. She follows them around and let's them sit under her for warmth. At dusk, they all follow their 'real' mom into the nest for the night. It is so much fun to watch them running around with all the other chickens.

Mine are straight from the hatchery. I look forward to my hands having chicks.

 

[EdwardG]

[COLOR=EE82EE]OK the chicks can go outside at 7 to 10 weeks old and i would put them n a small pen before letting them free range at around15 weeks let them Free range and about the dog jack Russel breeds are small and a robber would probably just kick the poor dog out of the way that is what happen to my pug choo choo[/COLOR]

Jack russells are an interesting breed for the most part they are nice and on the flipside, can be very aggressive when they need to be, the worst thing that Spot does so far is help keep the a rabbit popolation down, our dalmation on the other hand she was doing okay at first, and I noticed she was staring at the chicks a funny way, now don't jump to conclusions here, I grabbed my 22, I watched her and the game was on, I fired some warning shots she was fine the rest of the night, the next day she stayed away from the chicks.

 

[centrarchid]

Well I let them out about 3 hr before sunset the other day, well...... it got dark and I had to help the little ones back in to the coop, hand full by hand full, I looked at my calendar and I was a week off on the date I told you all, I think, they will be 4 weeks on the 17th. They are still sleeping on the ground, is that normal? Should they be roosting soon? Oh they are in a 8' X 16" building with a 8' X 8' run, Remember we are going to free range, the coop is for night time only.

Have your chick order form and brooder ready for next batch of chicks. You are likely to loose a few this first go.

 

[Birdgirl99]

That's good my red nose pit ruby was playing with cheap cheap [feathers sister] a black star hen and she broke her leg and killed her now she did not know what she was doing she was playing with her i did not feed her until the next day and she has never hurt any of my 5 hens or my 6 rabbits now she just follows them around she learned her lesson and yeah i just mean about the dogs they can bite hard really i have 2 red nose pit bulls and a German shepherd who's 8 months old the 21st and weighs 92 pounds [his dad 131] but really I'm more scared of small dogs cause they have sharp teeth but i just meant it all depends on the dogs training really