What Age Can Chickens Free Range?

[brahmakid11]

my chickens have two acres to free range

 

[centrarchid]

Do not forget being vulnerable to weather, especially before chicks have full set of body feathers.

Cold, rain and wind can as well as any predator.

 

[Achickenwrangler#1]

I just stuff them in and close the door, they just need a little direction and reassurance it's bedtime....I wonder why they do that, maybe they are calling for their mother instinctively, to me it just sounds like,,hello predators here is where we are roosting.
Oh and that photo of the chicks really cracked me up, it should be titled 'what free ranging has done for me.

 

[Rdownergarage]

no that is there safe zone.....

 

[Beekissed]

My chicks are 3 weeks old and i have a coop and a run…the coop is off the ground and the chicks love the roosting poles inside and outside. At dusk they seem really scared and huddle together peeping their lungs out….but won't go up inside the coop. I know they can get up their because they climb all over the place…is it because its dark in the coop…should I put a light on?

They just need to get used to using it for night time and will require some help understanding that's where they are supposed to be at dusk. Some folks will put a light on to lure them in there, some find it doesn't work. Mostly it just takes training them to the coop. I never have to do that because the older birds go into the coop and the young birds are monkey see, monkey do. Not having older birds to assist, you will probably have to place them here each night until they learn it's home.

 

[Duke6017]

I just recently started my first flock. I purchased one 2 year old Buff Orpington and 6 pullets (2 RIR's, 2 WL's, 2 BSL's), with the oldest being the RIR's at about 8 weeks old. The WL's and BSL's are at least 6 weeks old. I brought them all home on Saturday and they have a access to a 4x16' run. They come and go from the coop to the run all day long and each night have put themselves to bed in the coop. The only issue is they want to sleep in the nesting box and not on the roost, but that's a whole different thread! lol. How long does everyone recommend leaving them in the run to establish the coop/run as "home" before allowing them access to the back yard?

 

[Den in Penn]

The standard time to set the coop as home is a week. If you want to leave them out, then start a little before sunset. So they don't wander to far at first and keep the coop in sight. As the sun sets they will naturally head to the coop themselves.

 

[5 Acre Rooster]

My birds, when not in breeding pens are completely free range. We have barb wire fence yes. But my chickens walk right under that. 1 of my BSL girls last year followed my cows to near my neighbors side of the fence. Apparently she liked his place better because she moved into their garage/lean to. She is still there and makes the elderly lady happy as can be every morning. The rest of my birds go where they please, and traffic frequently stops for them.
I have friendly understanding neighbors and also with 6 roosters and 55 hens currently have few issue, not weather related. Except the 5-6 that think the back porch IS the place to roost and lay eggs. And our area there are a lot of Red tailed hawks and an over abundance of vultures, besides the small fury predators. Occasionally 1 will come to the coop but (knock on wood) I have only lost 1 bird (Drake that was penned with duck) this year to a predator.

 

[Steve Townsend]

Thank you guys. You answered all my questions. Tonight I will try free ranging after supper. Wish me luck.

 

[sbabeyta]

We had our six week old chicks out in our fenced backyard this afternoon and a hawk swooped down on them--but didn't get them, thank God! I was surprised because the hawk looked about the same size as our girls (larger wing-span, of course). How big do the girls need to be before they're safe from an air attack?