letting them out...?

[JaneandLizzy]

If your chickens have places to hide from the hawks, and they can get into their coop or whatever as the evening approaches, you should have few problems with them outside on the acre. You'll have to block out other daytime predators from getting under the fence.

I would suggest getting them used to getting treats in a cage or coop of some sort each day. They will all run in when you call, and those times when you need them to get in they will come and you can shut the door. It works with all but two of our low roos, who can't be in a small space with the top roos.

Our first chicks had no coop while I built one. They were let out in the yard all day, and got used to going into the rabbit cage to in the evening, even though it wasn't where they were going to end up. They would get in the cage, and then we would know they were ready to go in.

We'd pick up the cage- which got heavier and heavier each day, bring it to the garage, and then they would hop out of it and jump into their cardboard box with a roost pole in it.

In the morning they waited patiently for us to do the opposite routine. Pretty smart chicks!

We don't keep the same hours as chickens. As they got older, we were more apt to find some of them roosting or exploring the garage, but a net over the box would put a stop to that.

 

[pixiechic]

1 acre is pretty big for chicks. Can you fence off a smaller corner of your yard with chicken wire, as a temporary chick-size run? That would make them less likely to run off to a remote corner, help protect against predators, and make them easier to catch too.

 

[jdr250]

Gotta say chicks are pretty smart. These are my first chicks 3 and 4 weeks old. They have been out in the coop for the past week. Today was the first nice day we've had in probably 6 days of that week anyhow I had the door open for them to go into the run and they were all in and out well then it started thundering so I went to try and figure out how to lure them into the coop. I walked in the coop and yelled chick chick chick chick and they all came running to me. I've got to admit that I don't think it's my winning personality, rather it's that I usually have treats when I call them but still a win. Well of course I was running to get them in before the rain so I didn't have any treats so I went back down in the rain to give them something so they keep coming when I call them. So now that I'm done bragging....LOL I would say that if you use a certain call whenever you're feeding and/or giving treats they will learn it really quickly.

 

[bluebirdfarm]

hi , i wish we coul let our girls out , the ###**** weather is soooooooooo cold . un
is it really MAY ( almost June )?
what happened to global warming ?????
i am looking forward to this week end , may be warm enuff to take them on an "outing '

 

[JaneandLizzy]

Just want to add that they will go to roost somewhere when the evening approaches. They won't just stay out in the yard. Mine have even tried to get in the house at that time, before they were trained to the coop.

If they can get out of the rain, they should be fine even if it's a little chilly, if they are four weeks. Do they have feathers all over ?

Are they Silkies?