How young is too young to free range?

[mistydbowen]

My chickens are 2 months old. I'd like to let them out to free range a little bit. There's no grass left in their run and I think they might enjoy it. Is that a good idea now? Will they want to go back home after a couple hours, or is it going to be hard to get them in before bedtime? Maybe I could bribe them with a treat to go home.

 

[americanvalkyrie]

Do you have hawks in your area? 2 months is still small if you have any predators that are going to get in your yard to get them. When mine were 2 months, I built an enclosed area within my yard, with a poultry netting top, which kept them a bit safer, plus allowed them to get to know the older chickens. Then when they were another month older, I opened the pen and let them explore, using that enclosed area for shelter.

They might not automatically go home at night, but they will recognize the coop as a familiar shelter. You might need to direct them home each night. If you train them to go around dusk, you'll be creating a good natural habit for them, and eventually they'll go on their own. If you need to get them in the coop before then, you'll want to use a treat.