I finally took the plunge today and let my 22 4 wk old chicks out in the yard for fresh air, sunshine and all around chicken fun. Their brooder box (a large cardboard box with heat lights) is in the garage. After reading ideas from this list I rigged up a pen in the side yard with some chicken wire. First problem...how to get the chicks into the pen?
It is a bit of a distance from the garage out across the concrete drive to the yard. They don't exactly come when called or follow me around since they live in a box at this stage! I have been giving treats by hand so they usually run right up when I put my hands in the box. I was able to pick up the first few brave ones with no problem and transfer them to their original small rubbermaid brooder for transfer to the great outdoors. Then it got hard. REALLY hard. The remaining chicks were running away from me and it took me almost an hour to catch them all to take outside!
Once in the outside pen they had a great time running around stretching their wings, scratching in the grass, just being chickens. Second problem...catching chicks to bring back inside to brooder. I basically did the same thing and was a little more successful catching them to bring inside. More of them seemed inclined to just let me pick them up. But the last remaining 6 or so were a real challenge. There has got to be an easier way. I feel like what was suppsoed to be an enjoyable time was traumatic for them at least in the beginning and the end. So, all you chicken experts, any suggestions?
