To young to free range?

[Henrybelle]

Hello there I’ve been wondering how soon can you start free ranging your pullets. It’s probably by preference but I was curious to see when others had started letting theirs roam. I’ve got 8 young ladies 4-5 weeks old who are still in the brooder at night but during the day from around 11 to 4 they roam the fenced yard with my small dog and cat. They are both old and do fine the girls. But today my neighbor called and said a few of them had escaped still right outside the fence trying to get back in. I’ll be working on the gate tomorrow for their run (coop is almost done just need to attach door) then there should be no more escapes. I plan on free ranging but still want to have an enclosed space for them attached to the coop.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Mine are usually allowed to free range between 8-10 weeks. They don't usually go far for the first few months.

 

[Henrybelle]

Thanks! I’ve noticed that too even within the yard they stay where they are most familiar usually around their feeder and water I will also rotate from the front yard and back. Part of the backyard has 4x4 in hole welded wire fencing which is where they escaped from but they usually don’t branch out that far I guess they’ve Become more comfortable and are exploring a bit more. But my dog can’t protect them on the other side of the fence luckily the run should be complete tomorrow!
thanks for the reply!

 

[centrarchid]

I free-range brooder reared chicks at about 5 weeks. Biggest challenge most years involves hawks taking them. Ranging habits will vary in part with your feeding methods. Restricting feed or providing something less tasty can have birds ranging farther.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Normally between 5 to 8 weeks for me too. By that age they should go back to where they regularly sleep at night.

I understand about them getting through those holes. You might consider attaching something like chicken wire to the bottom 18" or so of that section of fence. If you spray paint it a dark color like dark green or black it will practically disappear. Be careful attaching it so that they cannot get trapped between the two when they get older (don't leave too big an opening that they can squeeze through). That will not only keep them in but will stop some critters from walking though to get to your chickens, eggs, or chicken feed. Most can still climb over but it can be a bit of a deterrent.

 

[harmonymw]

5-8 weeks. Just be aware that some chicks can fly much better/higher than adult birds because they’re so light.

 

[TheTwoRoos]

I start free ranging at about three or four days with tsc chicks,but that’s also depending on the weather.Home hatched chicks get to come outside at about two days old,usually if in the fifty’s tsc chicks won’t be out.Mother usually is there to keep home hatched warm.

 

[Henrybelle]

I’ve been letting mine out since they were days old too but the first few weeks I was always supervising. But they are 4-5 weeks now and yes I always have feed available to them so they usually don’t go to far. But I have begun to leave the house for a small period of time to run an errand or two leaving my dog out with them and they’ve been good girls sticking close and my oldest buddy has been a great new flock guardian (it’s his first time with chickens) thanks for all your comments I feel more comfortable with the situation now.

 

[centrarchid]

I delay free-range brooder reared chicks until about 5 weeks first to allow more complete feathering. Younger chicks caught in heavy rain events can be lost quickly through hypothermia when thoroughly soaked. Even at 5 weeks really heavy rains can be a problem. Smaller chicks less than a week old can die very quickly in even a light rain event and have troubles on cold days in general without mother to provide warm refuge. If weather is warm and dry then free-range not a problem when it comes to weather but just a few bad weather events will school you to rethink the approach. No fun policing up 30 dead chicks at a time lost to rain even though it does not occur every year.

 

[centrarchid]

When you bring them back into the brooder between bouts of free-ranging, watch out for health issues developing. The back and forth stuff I try to avoid as it can concentrate pathogens / parasites always present on ground that can go crazy in a confined brooder.

I am running 5 cohorts / batches of chicks in brooder now. Oldest is about 4 weeks old. Once oldest 5 weeks old they will be allowed out for a few hours at end of day only when dry for first week or so. Later they will be allowed out on wet days. Supervision here not direct most of the time.