What age is a good age to start free ranging?

[Willow's Meadow]

What should I start free ranging? How old were your chickens when you started free ranging them?

 

[fowlmamma]

i start free ranging when they get their feathers. about 7 or 8 weeks old im not sure im not really good at keeping track of birthdays . go with your gut. you will know when they are ready and it all depends on the weather i only let mine out when the weather nice and warm. hope this helps

 

[gritsar]

I started taking my chicks out in the yard when they were two and a half weeks old, on nice sunny days. I supervised them constantly at first.
As they got older they started to wander further and further away until one day they figured out they could fit through the squares in the fence and wander even further.
The older they got, the less I supervised. Now I check on them a couple times a day or if I hear my roo raising a ruckus about something. They wander pretty much anywhere they want to now, but always come home to roost.
ETA: IMO, chickens that are started ranging at a early age pick up alot of survival skills vs. hens that are suddenly turned out to free range after spending their previous life in a pen.

 

[IrlJamie]

We took our chicks to a special outdoor "chick pen" we built when they were a few weeks. After they were in their large coop, we let them out to actually free range in the yard at about 3 monthes. Our biggest concern was that a hawk could get them, so we started with letting them out only the last hour or two of the day while we were out there and slowly increasing the time they stayed out. Now, as about 10 month old chickens, we let them out at about 9am and nothing tries to get them.
Hope it helps.

 

[Jody]

My chicks started free range at 5wks.. they roam all over since they can go through the fence unlike the adults, but they've not once left the property.. they stay near the house and yard and always come back.. HOWEVER, the do not go in their coop at dusk.. I have to chase them and catch them to put them inside.. fast little road runners they are.


I too was concerned about hawks or other flying predators, but the dog is outside all day with them, plus I hung black DVD everywhere.. Heard that this works so tried it out.. but not sure if it's something that works or not, but I had a pack of them laying around so used them all up as decorations all over the backyard.

I am however afraid of neighbors cats ever coming over and pouncing on them.. I watched my own cat to see what she would do if anything, but she just sits there and watches them.. I think she knows that they're part of the family as she's accustomed to our adult hens.

 

[RedfogsFlock]

Well we're in AZ but here is when we let ours out to free range. We keep detailed calendars on our computer.

ducks in outdoor brooder at 6 days, in big girl coop 3 weeks, free ranging with other ducks at 1 month

chickens in outdoor brooder at 1 week, in big girl coop at 5 weeks, free ranging at 7 weeks

Now we have 32 chickens, and 11 ducks. We let our girls out Tues thru Friday from 4pm to 8 pm, on sat, sun, & mon everyone is loose from 6 am to 8 pm. Hope this helps!

 

[hennyjenn]

We give our chicks (we've never had more than 13 at a time) outdoor play time starting at about 5 days if the weather is nice. We slowly increase the time spent outside until the can do a few hours and then we put them in a small fenced area (made from that green flexible snow fencing). They are almost 7 weeks now, but I'm still not comfortable letting them free range, though they do get the whole chicken run now, which is about 60x40'. They haven't yet learned to go in the coop at night (they've only been out of the brooder for two night), so I can't let them range until they at least know to come home!

 

[TwilightMom]

I started to let mine free range and 7 weeks. They love it.

 

[chicken gal]

What should I start free ranging? How old were your chickens when you started free ranging them?

Never!!! I'm never ever going to let my precious chickies free range. I live in Alaska and they're are A Lot of bears,hawks and eagles!!!! But in most places i'm sure it's fine.