What age can you start to 'free run' your chicks

[j and bs hens]

We had the girls in the run today. (I was at home with our two children) and when it was time to bring them back in (they still live in the house, as they aren't fully feathered yet.). I was putting them into the bin to bring them back and two escaped. Out of the run, into the yard. At this point both of my kids just happened to be having meltdowns in the house......

For my sanity, could I have left them??? (they are a couple months now...). At what age do the come back??

 

[BuffOrpington88]

You should probably not let them free range until they know to go back to the coop. Also, you should wait until they are full grown so they stand a better chance against predators.

 

[Cotton42]

Depends on where you live and what you mean by free-range. Can you leave them for a little while to deal with the kid's meltdown? Totally. We've been leaving our 8 week old chicks out in our fenced backyard all day for a little over a week now, and they are doing fine and love it! If they've been sleeping in the coop for a little while now, they won't go too far from it.

 

[j and bs hens]

Thanks. Not in coop yet. It's still not built. The live inside the house with us.....:/. They love to be outside, and love their run.

Our yard is fenced, but there are places that they could get out if they wanted. Or they could fly out if they wanted to do that too. (not clipped yet....). Just horses behind our house, neighbors to the sides.

They are safe inside, with the others. It was a good scare..... Not ready for that yet.

 

[Fierlin1182]

Our chicks free ranged with the rest of the flock from around a month in age, there were no issues. Although it is better to leave it until they know their way back home, like BuffOrpington said. We have no predators around our area at all, the chickens have been left to their own devices for over three years now, I don't know about where you are, but I haven't had to worry about that at all.
I'm glad to hear they're back!