Introducing chicks to free range older hens

[RnRRidgerunner]

Thanks for the comment. In this windy territory a couple of split logs (firewood) and stakes and web ratchets should do fine. HA HA

 

[Harmony Hill]

Your chicks look pretty happy!
I was able to shake the cobwebs outta my head this weekend and figured out how to get them set up outside. We carried the crate to the pen I made, opened the door and there you have it - thier 'coop' and run - boy were they happy to be outside! I had so much fun watching them. I have pictures, will add them later today. I did not leave them outside at night, and I am not ready to leave them out during the day when I am not there. I don't think they are ready for that either. Before I leave them outside when I am not there, I will wrap the crate w/wire to make sure no predators can get in. I did put netting over the top so nothing can get them from above. Wonder if I could make another coop inside my current run ... Once I add the pictures we can start brainstorming!
Thanks so much! Who would have ever thought I would be spending part of my weekend sitting there watching the chicks, and enjoying it so much

 

[RnRRidgerunner]

Yep, it is so much fun!

 

[KittieChick]

I have a smallish coop, 6x8, but the yard is about 500 sq feet. I have subdivided that yard into 3 pens that I am using to grow out my different age chicks. This is my first go around, so I'm kind of feeling my way, too.

Just added Nankins, so now I'm down one grow out pen. Hoping my "teenagers" can go in with my 6 yearling hens and cock soon.

 

[RnRRidgerunner]

I have a smallish coop, 6x8, but the yard is about 500 sq feet. I have subdivided that yard into 3 pens that I am using to grow out my different age chicks. This is my first go around, so I'm kind of feeling my way, too.

Just added Nankins, so now I'm down one grow out pen. Hoping my "teenagers" can go in with my 6 yearling hens and cock soon.

Hey sounds like you have a coop for about 12 hens, if you use the 4 sq ft per chicken rule of thumb. Decent size of yard also. When you get them all in there they will really tear it up, my four tore up a 625 sq ft area this winter. Yep, time to move them and clean out the coop for sure. lol I had one of my buffs wing it over the small two foot high fence the other day and was not welcomed in the big hen yard. I never heard a chicken scream like that. I thought it was a young girl. HA HA. I had to come to the rescue and grab her from one aggressive Barred rock hen who is usually docile and tolerant of the birds that come in to feed in the yard.

Keep us posted on your accomplishments with them. Post a picture or two of your layout if you can. Thanks

 

[KittieChick]

Hey sounds like you have a coop for about 12 hens, if you use the 4 sq ft per chicken rule of thumb. Decent size of yard also. When you get them all in there they will really tear it up, my four tore up a 625 sq ft area this winter. Yep, time to move them and clean out the coop for sure. lol I had one of my buffs wing it over the small two foot high fence the other day and was not welcomed in the big hen yard.  I never heard a chicken scream like that. I thought it was a young girl. HA HA. I had to come to the rescue and grab her from one aggressive Barred rock hen who is usually docile and tolerant of the birds that come in to feed in the yard.  :cd Keep us posted on your accomplishments with them. Post a picture or two of your layout if you can. Thanks

I do have a small coop, but even with the horrendous winter we experienced, my chickens only went into the coop during daylight once. They truly only use it for sleeping and egg laying. I'll be adding a roosting ladder to give my new birds space to sleep. Saving my pennies for an automatic door. I know I'll be building 3-sided sheds for my Dorking project birds within the yard. Getting ready to fence a corner of the backyard as a larger pen for foraging and such. I'm locating people with horses for the manure which I'll dump in the pen. Dorkings are very good foragers.

We (my husband) built 2 grass growing areas inside the yard for days they aren't allowed out, and they wander freely just about every day.

I think I'll put a small access door from the teenagers pen to the main pen. See how that works. Those youngsters are HUGE! The cockerels will run loose and when they get some size, I'll pen them up to condition for processing. The mongrel girls will run with the Dorking cock.

I also have a pair of Nankins, thinking of building them a habitat near the house so I can enjoy their wonderful little voices all day long.

10 Black Javas will be hatching this coming weekend, so I'll have to figure out that angle for next years breeding season.

I think I'm maxed out, with my ¾ acre lot. I do love the chickens, though. I'll post photos of my jury-rigged arrangements todayif I can.

 

[Harmony Hill]

So the chicks have been outside for a couple weeks now. I wrapped the crate to keep them dry and draft free, and they have a run right beside the older crew's run. The older crew pays them no mind. They are loving being outside, playing on a stump I left in for them.
They are 7 and 6 weeks old now - too small to let free range I would expect (?). I do have a few hawks around but live pretty much out in the open, our land used to be a field. I have netting over them now, just in case.
So, question is - am I correct that they are too small to free range? oh - I have gold laced wynadottes, light Brahm and Black Australorp (forgive me for the bad spelling ). so they are all full size.
Thanks!

 

[Den in Penn]

They could free range at this point. But you are right they need some protection from predators, places to hide or some guardian. I have a couple that age that their mother has just weened. They are out and hanging around under the bushes. If they go still and with the rest of the flock to distract any predator they should be relatively safe, I hope. With your hawks and openness they may have to wait a little longer.
.

 

[Harmony Hill]

I wish I knew if Elvis would look after them; they have great hiding places, under two good sized porches is where they are if they are not foraging. Darn! I want so bad for them to be able to get out and about. When I do try this, am I correct in letting the olders out first, to go on thier way and then let littles out? I guess I will wait until they are closer to the olders size.
The olders are really not interested in them at all. They have naturally checked them out from thier pen and around them, but not shown any real 'who is that and why are they here' kind of thing. Could that be an indicator of how it will go when they do actually 'meet'?
Thanks!

 

[RnRRidgerunner]

Sounds like everyone is doing well with the "young 'uns" lol. My buffs have been integrated in with the flock and are doing well. I still have one barred rock that chases after them on occasion. This happens in the run. The Buffs keep to themselves and stick to each other like they were magnetized. They all forage about the run usually in separate places. They are really getting big. I let them all out to free range in the back yard and they are then too busy to have any conflict. I sat out one afternoon for a couple of hours watching them and the older hens were busy scratching up the old spot where they wintered with straw under the coop finding earth worms and crickets. The Buffs saw me and came up to check me out and actually laid down next to me in apparent complete safety. That was an amazing thing to witness. lol They have also started to "chook chook" instead of peep peep. Too funny!

I tried to get them to sleep in the big coop with the other chicks and was met by opposition from the one barred rock who I persuaded to go roost. I then placed them on the roost on the opposite side of the area. In the morning they were huddled in the back away from the others who just wanted out of the coop. lol They were obviously too stressed so I let them stay back in their barrel coop until they get larger and stand up to the "Barred one".

I added two wheels to my tractor which now has four trailer dolly wheels at each corner and gives it height so I can go over the rocky terrain. Once in the air so to speak, I pressure washed it from top to bottom and got rid of all the mites/lice that had developed. I don't see any evidence of an infestation on the chickens. They may have been "red bugs" or chiggers. Anyway, all cleaned up and moved to a grassier area. Of course they all range back over to the straw area which now will be my straw bale garden area. I should have taken a picture of the coop up on all four wheels, which made it much easier for me and the wife to roll it around. The original design sported two wheels which works great on flat surfaces only.

I think you can let your young ones out to free range but would suggest you keep an eye on them. I had to herd them back from getting too close to the woods. They love to scratch around the base of the wild raspberry bushes where the leaves and bugs tend to be.

Keep up the good work everyone. Who would have thought raising chicken would be sooo much fun?