Letting Chickens Free Range

[Coop’s Coop]

My chicks are about 6 weeks old now. They have been outside in their coop and run for about 2 weeks now. When is a good/safe time to let them out to free range? Will they stay within a certain range of their coop?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I generally start letting my chicks out at 7-12 weeks under supervision. They generally don't go far for another month or two. You do need to be careful of predators. Chicks are easy to snatch.

 

[Cyprus]

x2 on age to free range. Definitely supervise.
As for range, based on my experience it varies.
My first group of chickens started going off our property onto our neighbor's after a few months of regular free ranging. So.... about 2 acres in every direction.
Now, all 17 of my free ranging hens stay on my property within about 200ft of their coop, or until they hit our property line. (My coop is on the edge of my property).
Over the years I have NEVER had a single bird range more than 2 acres from their coop. They stay pretty close, usually within sight of the coop.

 

[thewatsonfarm]

I'd second 12 weeks -- with supervision. But then you need a plan to round them up when that supervised time is up and you want them back in the run or coop or wherever. (My girls come running to me when I call them because that usually means I have treats for them.)

When my first flock went out to free-range, they mostly stayed together. They liked to explore, but it was always pretty easy to find them if I needed to. We are suburban and only have a quarter acre. But I had one really smart & curious barred rock who always wanted to explore & push boundaries. She climbed into some jasmine until she got stuck in it once. And another time she got over the wall to the neighbor's yard (thankfully she was okay). The others never really went too far.

As we have added to the flock over the years, the younger hens tend to follow the lead of the older girls, so we haven't had a problem since Abigail's adventures. They have their regular spots they frequent. These are usually places where they can hide (under bushes or something else). It's really critical that your chicks have lots of good spots to escape predators -- just in case.

The predators you have determine the best time to start free-ranging. We have hawks and recently an owl, and they are usually most actively hunting around dusk & dawn, so mid-day is best for us. Something to consider.

 

[drumstick diva]

I like to err on the side of caution. I never think chickens should free range. If they never had, they don't miss it. Even one loss to predators is way too many. A nice sized run with cover and some props for the chickens., outside tree branches to roost on, sand box or pit for their dust bathing, and maybe a chicken swing would do much to break up their day.

Some people dig up a shovel full of leaves or grass and dirt and dump in the run to give them a special delight. Or suspend a head of cabbage just out of reach, so they have to jump up to get some- will exercise them and wear them out.

 

[Ljc01]

I wait until my girls are big enough so the local hawk can't pick them up and fly away with them. They free range an acre.

 

[Abriana]

Letting them free range will greatly increase the amount that will be eaten. To be honest, you’d be much better off using electro net fencing. It’s much safer, keeps the birds in, and predators out. A run would ultimately be the best option, but it would be more difficult to do.

 

[sevenfatcows]

Electro net fencing really makes a difference. Mine free range our back acre in very large areas protected by electric poultry net. There is a rooster for every 10 hens, and most of my roosters are very protective and alert. It has been four years since I lost anything to a hawk and two since we had a couple of losses to a feral cat. We put in a taller version of the poultry net on the side that the feral cats come from, and had no problem after that. I notice that my broody hens seem to wait a good month before they leave the covered over part of the run and take the chicks out with the flock, and then they do not stay out long. I think they're on to something.

 

[Conan]

I always go in stages. Brooder to temp coop, temp coop to covered run during the day, then supervised ranging peppered in until they are integrated in with the main group. The covered run is by the main larger coop where they will eventually end up so it gives the other chickens a chance to get used to the new chicks as well as providing a protected and safe area for them to enjoy some outdoor time.
I've also found that the foraging range really depends on the breed - my bantams really stick around. They don't venture far at all. They mainly hang out around the house.
My standard birds branch out a bit further. They've been seen walking down the road in a tidy row to a neighbor's horse field.... I'm really lucky that my neighbors are awesome!
I'm with lots of other folks though - solar electric net fencing is fantastic for ranging though I had an Easter Egger hen that could clear a six foot fence no problem. No keeping that girl in!