letting them out...?

[brookwoodpat]

My chicks are 2-4 weeks. Is it okay to let them out in a coop /run on sunny (75 F) afternoons for a few hours, and then put them back in the brooder? What about cloudy/overcast/showery days? If not, when can they go out (the older ones are wanting to fly all over the house if I take the cover off their brooder) i have let them out a bit, but I'm not sure it is okay or not. So far they seem delighted.

Re the whole free range bit -- my yard is fenced (5-6 feet) though I can't say there isn't a place a small chick might scramble under. It is over an acre. There are hawks in the area. I want to let them out of their pen to free range a bit (under supervision) say at the end of the day, or on weekends, but I am scared if I let them out, I'll never find or catch them to put them back in a safe place when it's time, or I need to go in, and then they'll get eaten by a predator. How do people manage this?

 

[wynedot55]

yes at that age you can let them out in their hen yard.it wont hurt them being outside.

 

[brookwoodpat]

Even on showery overcast days?? They have sense enough to go in their coop, but I don't know if they might get chilled. Today it is 63 degrees?

 

[SundownWaterfowl]

Quote:
63 degrees is okay, but make sure that they have a heat lamp they can go under if they get chilly.

 

[chickflick]

I wouldn't let them out when it's raining....they're still quite young and can chill easily. When they get older, keep them in their coop for a week or so so they know it't home. When you let them free range, they'll return to roost. It's usually not a problem once they know where home is.

 

[Julie08]

how are you planning on getting them back into the brooder box???

 

[brookwoodpat]

I herd them into one side of their pen and pick them up put them in a box and take them back in the house.

 

[Julie08]

wow you must me MUCH faster then I am!

 

[brookwoodpat]

I can catch them in a pen -- That's why I'm concerned about letting them out of the pen -- there's no way I'd be able to catch them in an acre plus yard with tons of cover

 

[gritsar]

When I first started taking my chicks outdoors it was a real workout. I'd catch them in their large brooder, then carry em 2 or 3 @ a time outside. Catching them to put em back up was an even better workout, as they scattered all over our acre yard. Now it's much easier. Their pen is on our screened porch. I just prop the screen door open and point my "gang leaders" towards the door. They head straight out the door and the others follow. Putting them back in the pen still requires catching all 21 though. Told my SO this morning, either I'm getting faster or they're getting slower. Did it in less than 15 minutes this morning.

Mine are six weeks old and I still don't let them out in rainy weather.