What age to allow chicks to roam the yard?

[LemonyCatapult]

I brood all my chicks outside (I understand the challenges of it but in my experience, it’s been nothing short of perfect!) so they are in a 10’ X 10’ run with a little shelter 24/7, and now that they are 4 weeks old I let them out to free range with my flock. It’s great, as the flock has had a month to get to know the chicks, and by time the chicks are ready to go in the coop, the flock will have already experienced free ranging with them for a period of time.

I let mine free range when I notice that they start to understand where their “home” is, so I don’t have to chase them around to get them in for the night.

 

[JDN]

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.

I've always used it for the first bag of feed for the chicks. I figure from wherever they're hatched to my brooder is enough of a system shock that I don't want to take chances. Then when they're established I move to non-medicated feed for the second bag.

 

[Chickengene]

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.

Are these incubator babies?

 

[Chickengene]

I've always used it for the first bag of feed for the chicks. I figure from wherever they're hatched to my brooder is enough of a system shock that I don't want to take chances. Then when they're established I move to non-medicated feed for the second bag.

That is basically what I am doing. Since I lost a few babies they didn't finish the free bag I received. I noticed a couple weeks ago when I let the youngsters out to roam the hens went in and started eating the"Starter Grow".
So now that they are all in one coop I just mixed the rest of the starter grow and the remaining Layer pellets with a bag of All Flock and they all share it.
What little they eat since I free range almost every day.

 

[aquabum]

I'm letting momma do all the work in a sectioned off part of my run with a brooder box type area with chick starter food and water for the chicks. Run section has food and water that only momma can get to.

 

[Sunshine_Chick]

Are these incubator babies?

@Chickengene no I bought them at the feed store

 

[Chickengene]

@Chickengene no I bought them at the feed store

Oh. K, that makes sense.
At first I was wondering how the snake was able to get that close.
I have seen my big hens chasing some pretty good sized snakes. Lol

 

[Happy Henny]

We usually let our chicks go outside for the first time when they are a little over a week old. Only for a few minutes or until they start getting cold though.