Free ranging chicks

[Heather J]

Thanks for the suggestions about the juvenile pen. I raised a few corners of my juvenile pen and the chicks are running in and out happily now. The adult birds are a little ticked that the babies have all that shade, and they mostly have only the coop, lol I'm hoping within a week or so the chicks will realize that the coop is where they belong at bedtime and will run back and forth themselves (the sooner the better--rounding up 19 chicks morning and night is a pain. lol).

 

[silkiechicken]

Any chicks with a mom gets to free range as soon as mom takes them off the nest.

The chicks I raise myself get to free range at 2-3 weeks old. I have enough space here that the old ones don't bother the chicks and none of the ferals have bothered the birds yet. I brood outside unless they are really really special birds.

 

[chickenannie]

Quote:
Glad to hear the juvenile pen worked out. I came up with the idea out of desperation one day. The sides of my pen are wire, so even though the moms have to be outside, they can at least see their chicks inside it and they don't panic -- they just wait for them to eat, drink and then come out. Sometimes mom settles down next to the outside of the juvenile pen until her chickies come out again.