What age to let chickens out to forage ?

[ky chicken mom]

Im new at having chickens just started this season...I have a 25x75 foot enclosed run with netting over the entire run I used hay roll bail netting...
its cheap easy to put up and easy to find (only if you have another person or 2 helping)...i used a overlap of about 10 inches and used all weather string cut in 8 in pieces and tied all sections of netting about every 3 foot...my coop chicken door is open 24x7 into the coop...almost all of them seem to like roosting out in coop on long natural 4-6 in round tree branches i have nailed to support posts in center...now Im not sure if this is free ranging...as we are on about 100 acres and surrounded by other larger tobacco and other crop farms...but that roll bail netting is really pretty good ...the only draw back is it wont last more than a year or two needing to be replaced (look for a roll that looks almost gone as in a few in left on it in a farm supply store...(my local store just gave it to me)...not enough to sell left on roll...but enough to last me several change outs...good luck hope you do well with your new babies

 

[Homestead girl]

I really appreciate you asking for my help. Though I'm not sure about trimming beaks. I would certainly remove the most aggressive ones. If you have a good hen to rooster ratio, then separate them into separate "flocks" I wouldn't put more than about two roos for every five or six pullets. Just don't put more than one aggressor in each group. I hope someone else can help a little further, but do remove your aggressive boy. I have one of my Lorp boys that is picking on my favorite little Welsummer girl of the same age. He's going to have to go in with the older girls himself.

Hey AParmer
Well my husband bought his first watermelon of the season and he was more than happy to share with the chickens. They loved it , great suggestion. Now they can have watermelon when my husband has his

. He even cut it into sections so they wouldn't fight over it.
I will end up removing the aggressive boy and he will have to have his own personal space. My coop is 24 x 12 and I don't have another place for a separate flock. So we will make him a separate coop.
Again Thanks

 

[Homestead girl]

I'm not sure where this original question appeared in this thread, but in my limited experience the EE cockerels are really jerky. They weren't the first to mature, but once they started getting competitive there was no peace for anyone. We got rid of the most aggressive one first, but there was another ready to take his place as top jerk. We have a pretty large mixed flock in which we tried to keep one EE roo, and he was maybe okay-ish with a lot of hens and no other EE cocks around, but our hens were looking rattier every day and I finally got out my big girl boots and made some tough calls about which roosters to re-home and which to keep (7 left, only 4 stayed). The last EE roo didn't make the cut. Maybe I'll try another EE later if I can set up isolated breeding colonies. I'm not sure I'd ever have a particularly competitive or aggressive rooster where he could even see another male. They just get so worked up.

Spurs and toenails are at least as much of a problem as beaks are. If you start trimming things, you might find yourself busy trying to solve an unsolvable problem.

They are jerky, If one walks by the other the feathers are puffed up and the deadly stare off begins. If one doesn't walk away well Katie bar the door it hits the fan. One of the EE tried the stare down with one of my Buff Orpington today and the Buff stood his ground and then walked away. I think I have a rooster in each breed but the other breeds just seem to have a live and let live attitude and get a long well. No problems except with the EE.
Well these little roo's wil be fattened up and culled for the freezer.
Thanks for your experience. Cause so many people say the EE are so docile and calm. Not this bunch that I Have.

 

[Homestead girl]

I have procedure that results in chicks / juveniles consistently going back to roost without having to resort to baiting, driving or capturing them.

I also want to push young birds into using elevated roost so they can be free ranged around a roost that is open 24 hours. What I have been doing is imprinting chicks on a plastic box lying on its side that has capacity to accomodate all chicks without piling. Imprinting takes place in brooder where box is a dominant feature in their environment. Then chicks moved in box at three to four weeks of age to coop where box is again placed on its side. If all working well chicks will hide in box most of first day except to feed and drink since they recognize it from brooder. The box is something they know as non-threatening. They will roost / lay in it at night. After a few days, I make it so birds can exit coop to forage. The exit and entrance point is ideally at ground level. On first day, the release occurs late in day an hour or so before they would normally go to sleep. This ensures first excursion does not take them far enough to get lost. Do not disturb birds this first time by feeding away from coop or chasing them. After dark inspect to confirm all re-entered coop to roost, most likely they will be in box as on previous nights. If stragglers, then repeat late release one more night, otherwise following days you can release at dawn if you like but always close up coop for night. Ground level access is critical. I also make so natural light is not obstructed. The coops are walled with chicken wire or 2 x 4 welded wire which are otherwise not a good predator deterrent but do allow ample light to pass through. Insufficient light can cause chicks to pile up outside coop. The box birds are imprinted on can be important later when trying to get birds roosting up. I do this multiple times each year and the four weeks or so the birds roost down on ground are the most problematic for me. Birds are stressed by changes and at greatest risk for health problems especially while confined to coop in contact with ground. Predators are controlled by checking to see all coops closed at dusk and having very good dogs that patrol and can be trusted even with piles of chicks on ground. Start thinking early about getting birds to roost in location where access requires at least jumping or even better flying at least 6 feet up. With the exception of meat breeds and silkies, most chickens can make such flights by about 10 weeks. When birds have difficulties getting up to roost, I make so they have a saw horse or something similar serving as an intermediate step. Setting up proper elevated roost is also extremely important. I want birds up and asleep ASAP once going to roost started. Lots of racket attracts bad company and makes guard duty for me of dogs more difficult. Sounds coming from birds at night always demand attention to prevent losses.

Thanks for the advise, I to kept a tote or box right next to the roost until the younger ones would roost. It worked very well. But at night for about 10 minutes before dark all the chickens want to be on the highest roost. Well they will not all fit up there. So they fuss till they get situated. Then all is quite.

 

[Homestead girl]

Beautiful boy, love the colors they are so vivid, and he has such a sheen to his feathers. May I ask what you feed you chickens ?

 

[Homestead girl]

I just wanted to let everyone know that yesterday afternoon, I put my big girl panties on,opened the coop door went and sat down . Then just watched. About 16 pullets came outside and just stayed with in 10 feet of the coop. My older one's the Buff Orpington and then the Black Jersey Giant's were next , Then came the EE. None of my GLW were interested in coming outside yesterday. But they did watch from the low roost I have next to the dusting boxes.
All in all it was a great afternoon just watching them. Will do it again today. I know they enjoy being out in the sun and being able to eat bugs and scratch around in the deep leaves of the forest.
Oh and they went in the coop all by themselves didn't even have to shake the feed bucket. They just went in. I know it may not be the same next time. But one can hope.
Reading all the experiences of each and everyone of you has been informative and educational all at the same time. Thanks for all the input about your coops and your routine's and your raising method's . It has been a pleasure to read all of them.
Thanks
Homestead Girl

 

[AParmer]

Hey AParmer
Well my husband bought his first watermelon of the season and he was more than happy to share with the chickens. They loved it , great suggestion. Now they can have watermelon when my husband has his

. He even cut it into sections so they wouldn't fight over it.
I will end up removing the aggressive boy and he will have to have his own personal space. My coop is 24 x 12 and I don't have another place for a separate flock. So we will make him a separate coop.
Again Thanks

You're very welcome! I'm so glad your feathered friends have experienced watermelon! Sure fire way to get some chicken appreciation. lol We cut one at our cook out last night and I had everyone save the rinds for me so I can treat mine today.

 

[Iluvmallards]

Thanks, I got my license to carry this year. Since we moved to our new house. The snakes have been really bad (copper heads) and we have rattle snakes here also. We have 400 acres in front of our property that is a hunting preserve and then 750 acres behind us . So we are out in the country for sure. You just never know what can come out of those woods.

Hello I too had a lot of copper heads at my house until I turned my chickens and guineas loose, now the only snakes I see are the ones I see my rooster killing and then the small ones get eaten by the hens, about three weeks ago I heard a bunch of ruckus in the coop, ( I have 3 broody hens sitting on eggs) I went to look and there was a huge black snake trying to steal eggs, but those three Broody's killed it before it could get to the eggs, the power company was down here replacing the power lines, ( under ground) they told me every where they work they run across all kinds of snakes but they had been down in here for around two months and had only seen one that one of my hens was eating, thank heavens they love snakes!!!

 

[CityGirl22]

We let ours out when they had full feathers and it was above 40 degrees. Amazingly, they went in their coup by themselves at dark! like clockwork, I was amazed chickens are so smart!

 

[Sharon Bee]

I am sitting outside with 4 of my 4 week old chicks right now. Their first time. It's about 24 c. I caught the 4 and put them in a little dog run which is portable. Do you think this time is good? I'm new at this. They didn't know what to do at first but now they are running around playing with maple keys.

That's me with them.