New to chickens, a bunch of questions

[TeaBlee]

I am new to chickens and actually I have a bunch of questions. We have three 7-week old pullets that we just got a few days ago.

1) Is there a certain age when you can start feeding scratch or table scraps? I would like to give them a more diverse diet other than the feed and whatever they peck up off the ground.

2) They seem pretty scared right now and they have a fenced in run with their coop, but I'd like to allow them to roam the whole yard. When would be a good time/age to allow them out without the fear of them running away? We have a six foot block fence, would they be able to jump it?

3) I know food can be used as positive reinforcement, should I try hand feeding them treats or is there some way that I can get them used to me?

4) Should we leave the feeder in their run full of feed all the time or feed them at certain times throughout the day?

Thank you for any answers or comments. I just want to do this right and have happy healthy chickens.
--Tracy

 

[chickened]

You need to watch the movie Chicken Run, Scratch is OK at about 8 weeks with some small grit, they wont be able to jump the fence but may fly out when older, feed them chick feed from your hand it will help but they will seem disinterested at first, free feed them.

 

[secuono]

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[liz_s]

Welcome to chicken ownership!

We got our chickens at 8 weeks old and had a lot of questions too. Storey's Guide to Raising Chickens is apparently a totally incredible book that you may want to get your hands on. I wasn't able to, and a year later, I'm pretty sure these forums have the best advice you'll find anywhere!

We kept ours in their run until we couldn't stand it anymore. I want to say it was a few weeks after we got them at least. It's good to leave them in there a while so they know it's their home. Mine have never had a problem going to their coop at night. But I did get worried about how to get them back in the run after free-ranging in our yard (it's only a back yard with a 6' fence- they're urban chickens!). It turns out that they'll either go there themselves or you can coax them with treats, close the run, and they'll probably go in the coop as it gets darker.

We trimmed their wings, and they've never gotten much air. Plus, the only time they try to fly is when they get spooked. And I think it's more evasive action than actual desire for flight. Note: it's easiest to trim them at dark when they can't get away!

I read that scratch is a great treat, but really more like candy, so I don't give it to my girls often. They will literally eat anything, though, so read the info about good treats for chickens on this site, and you'll get lots of ideas! I started with a lot of different vegetables, and since it was warm, they got watermelon too.

As for getting them used to you, being the food bearer works great! I used to sit in my run with the girls (with the door closed because I didn't want them free-ranging yet), and they would check me out and climb on me. They're still not cuddly, but continue to want to sit with/on me every time I go outside. They follow me around like ducklings- it's so much fun!

I started out putting their food and water in the coop, but I get up early enough that I realized they weren't really eating or drinking until I let them out anyway, so I just left it in their run. Now that they free-range, I only put a cup or so in their feeder because what they don't eat the wild birds do, and if I fill it up completely, the wild birds just go nuts. So I give them food in the morning and early afternoon. But that's just what works for me!

Good luck with your girls! It is so much fun having chickens, but also really stressful! The search function for the forums is great, and you can find out pretty much everything you'd ever want to know!

 

[Gallo del Cielo]

TeaBlee, I saw that you're from Tucson. We have the highest density of Cooper's Hawks anywhere in their entire distribution--and that's a lot. I wouldn't let them out until they are nearly full grown. The Cooper's here don't mess much with adult standard sized chickens, but they will try to take bantams and younger birds. You could let them out for brief periods of time under close supervision, but be vigilant, your presence won't deter the hawks from attempting to swoop in grab them. I also have a 6' block wall around my property and my chickens haven't yet attempted to check out the other side. I think it depends a lot on the breed you have. Feeding them treats by hand is a good way to get them to quickly appreciate you. My chickens always have access to food, but keeping wild birds from eating it all can be a challenge here in southern AZ. Good luck!

 

[andalusn]

The fourm search will give you tons of advice but as far as reading material I have the paperback Chickens for Dummies, matter of fact there is a link right now on the bottom of the page

and then I added the Ebook version of the Storey's Guide to my Kindle. My local source is the feed store girls. They all have chickens and always add peeps each spring so we compare notes.