What age to allow chicks to roam the yard?

[ChicKim062]

I let mine run free at 6 weeks but they get daily outings in the chick pen at two weeks.
I am here 24/7 and set my pen where I can see and hear from the house and i'm also aware of where the shade is and isn't during the day.
The chick pen is pvc pipe with yardgard plastic fence zip tied to the sides and top it is 5X5X5 so I can stand up in there and the chicks can flap till doomsday.View attachment 1767273

Love this - so easy. How do you get them back out? Mine run fast!

 

[AquaDuck]

Just like other baby animals, the first weeks of a chicks' life are crucially important in creating a well adjusted adult. This is where it learns what's dangerous and what not to be afraid of, and the way it learns is by experience. The more good experiences it gets, the better. From the chicks' point of view there isn't anything called too early (well, wait 'till it's dry...) to experience new surroundings, whether it's the living room floor or the great outdoors. Doesn't have to be long, five to ten minutes are plenty of time for a 1-2 week old chick to absorb new things.

Personally I have a hawk issue, so I don't let chicks roam without netting roof. Depending on the temp, I let them sleep outside in chicken tractors at 6-9 weeks. Before that, short outside visits from 2 weeks old if temp allows it.

 

[LestersFlat]

I struggle with this issue every time I get chicks. The easiest, of course, is to let a broody hen raise them. She knows exactly when to take them out and about. This time I didn't have a willing hen, and it was too cold in the coop to try to put them out there.

I just yesterday set up a pen outside for my latest chicks who are just over 6 weeks old. I had them in a brooder box in the basement, waiting for the rain to quit. Sunny yesterday, and now rain for 3 days...UGH. I will take a better pick of my set up, but it's basically cobbed together with 2 large plastic dog crates that I can lock them in at night. The smaller plastic crate is inside a wire dog crate, and both are inside a welded wire fence. I previously had raised some older chicks inside a fence inside that same wire dog crate, and somehow a raccoon dug under the fence and reached through the wire crate to mangle 5 of the 8 pullets. I don't want to see that happen again, but it is still nerve-wracking.

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=2147400092035701

 

[Chickengene]

I am beginning to think I let mine out to freerange too early. They have slowed the growing somewhat and two have actually lost six ounces and three ounces respectively.
And they look leaner. Which could account for looking like they aren't growing as fast.
If I ever do chicks again they will probably stay in the coop on medicated starter grow till 16 weeks.

 

[LestersFlat]

If I ever do chicks again they will probably stay in the coop on medicated starter grow till 16 weeks.

Everyone has different opinions on this, but I never use medicated starter feed. Especially because mine are eventually going free range, I want them to build up immunities as best they can from the beginning.

 

[Chickengene]

Everyone has different opinions on this, but I never use medicated starter feed. Especially because mine are eventually going free range, I want them to build up immunities as best they can from the beginning.

I kind of thought of it like raising my kids. The medicated feed as a vaccine. I let them get dirty as they want but inoculated them too.

 

[Sunshine_Chick]

Had peepers out the other day and was sitting right next to them - in just a couple of minutes and here comes a Black Racer. Now I don't know if it sensed us or just crossed paths, but today we visited another part of the yard and had no visitors. Guessing mine are about a week old. The Racer was just a foot away when I noticed it as I had been watching the peeps more than surroundings since I was right there. Learned I need to watch them, the sky, the tree/shrub branches & surrounding grass. That snake could have easily swallowed them.

 

[Essentiallyokanaganmom]

Just wanted to say thanks for asking and thanks everyone for the helpful comments! We just took our 4 week olds out to what will be thier coop/outdoor space today for a couple hours and have been thinking about all these things, when to let them stay out there full time (they sure loved the yard better then being inside), what do do about predators etc, this thread covered it all! Thanks everyone! For fun here are our babies!View attachment 1811387

 

[Essentiallyokanaganmom]

Just wanted to say thanks for asking and thanks everyone for the helpful comments! We just took our 4 week olds out to what will be thier coop/outdoor space today for a couple hours and have been thinking about all these things, when to let them stay out there full time (they sure loved the yard better then being inside), what do do about predators etc, this thread covered it all! Thanks everyone! For fun here are our babies!

 

[JDN]

On a Sunny Day I've had them out in the yard at a week old IN AN ENCLOSED PEN. I don't provide grit but there's enough rock and stone from sand to pea-size gravel that I don't worry about it.

People get paranoid about the heat source, but use your brain for a minute; in nature with a broody or even a Brooder Plate they don't stay at 90 all the time. They run around then get back under mama for some warmth then run around again. I took to shining the heat lamp into a corner and moving their food and water to the other side of the brooder at something like 3 days. At a week on warm days I also turn the lamp off for an hour or two at a time.