What age to free range?

[Mamato6]

It's been a while since I've let my older chickens start to free range (and really because of the Southern Texas heat {its 100* right now} they don't really go anywhere, they stay under our house where there is shade and white base/dirt until the sun starts to go down and it gets cooler (I leave a big waterer and their food under there) but we just got some new little ones 2 days ago I don't know the exact ages of all of them I know one self blue Amaraucana pullet is 2 months, there are two smaller/younger than her, we have a Amaraucana/copper Maran mix that looks to be about the same size/ age as the 2 month old maybe a tad older and then a self blue Amaraucana Roo that is probably at least 4-5 months old. Even if they were all older I wouldn't let them free range until I was sure they knew that the coop was their safe place for the night (all my others go in right around 8:30) but the bitty ones I can't remember how long I waited.

(Some info that may be wanted: I'm home all day, we live on 2.61 acres that is bordered with trees all around it. No predators have been seen on our property, their coop and run are predator proof for night time in case there are predators that come around at night.)

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Mine start ranging as soon as 4 weeks. They don't go far from the shed until they get a bit older and braver.

 

[Mamato6]

@oldhenlikesdogs oh really? Well I guess once they're used to their new space and I see all of them going into the coop at night I will see how they do. Last night the male and oldest female went in on their own but three did not

 

[aart]

Do the newbies have their own coop/run....or are they integrated with the existing flock??

 

[Mrs. K]

Generally mine will follow the established birds, but are the last to enter the coop. Chickens are great believers in "Oh other chickens think this is a good idea, I will do it too!"

 

[SueT]

I like to wait to free range until after they begin laying. That way, they become attached to the nests in the coop rather than some outdoor hiding place.

 

[chickenmama109]

mine started free ranging at about 2 mouths old

 

[Mamato6]

@aart they are with my older birds, they came from a friend who is a breeder and I fully trust her and her birds.

@Mrs. K the 3 smallest ones don't even know to go in the coop yet with the others so I think I have to wait a bit.

@SueT I didn't even think of that! I guess I'll just have to put dummy eggs and hope for the best!

@thewolf1039 if I had raised them since day one I might but they don't know their surroundings yet.

 

[aart]

@aart they are with my older birds, they came from a friend who is a breeder and I fully trust her and her birds.

So are all the birds locked in coop...or do you let the others out?

 

[centrarchid]

I used to free-range brooder reared chicks at 2 weeks post-hatch. I now delay that to 3 or 4 weeks and put extra effort into keeping hawks off them. I leave dense clumps of vegetation well away from property boundary where the young ones are provisioned with feed and water in shade. The cover, feed, and water greatly reduce inclination to leave property. My property is a lot larger than yours yet by the time they are 6 weeks old they are starting to move beyond boundaries a 2-acre field will provide unless they have lots of quality forage patches to work on.