What age to let chickens out to forage ?

[Crista]

I first let mine out of the coop about 30 minutes before dusk a couple times. It seems that they will naturally go back in at dusk.
Then after they go back in a couple times succesfully I let them out earlier, usually late in the afternoon. They have a large outside pen
that is safe from hawks and such for the daytime and go back into the coop for the night. But I do let them outside the pen sometimes just
for something different.

 

[dpuleo]

We

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!!!

We had a big problem with Black Widows and lizards. Since we got our chickens last summer I have not seen one black widow! I just saw a lizard yesterday but it was in the front yard. My son tried to catch it to feed to the girls but it got away!

 

[SherriPalmer]

Yes it is my concern for their safety. We have hawks and dog's that their human's don't keep in their yard's.. But I have my pistol with me out on the property most time's. We have all sort of critter's running around.
Thank's for the advise. I will keep you posted on the results.

I'm just curious, I'm not a gun person and never will be, but I respect people who have them for good reasons (like living in the country, protecting your animals). I couldn't imagine killing a neighbor's dog, but then I don't know what I'd do if one were coming at my chickens! I can see how you could hit the dog (big and on the ground)...my question is how you would shoot a hawk? Would you shoot at any hawk in the area or just one that was threatening your chickens? If it is the latter, how would you know when it was time to shoot? Wouldn't it be hard to shoot a moving hawk with a pistol? Or would the sound of the gun be enough to scare off the hawk? Same thing with the dog I guess... how would you know if it were a friendly dog coming to say hi to the chickens or a dog that thinks they are squeaky toys? Sorry if this is annoying but I am really curious about how it would be done.

 

[LeslieDJoyce]

Thanks for your experience. Cause so many people say the EE are so docile and calm. Not this bunch that I Have.

Most of my EE hens are very docile and calm, but not the males. It is interesting there is such a discrepancy.

The hens are all over the pecking order. Some EE hens, like Hawkey who is a fluffy white bird with a little gray on her head, are loners and chase anyone away who gets near. Others have special buddies, others disappear into the flock. One of the more independent of my EEs I call Violet because she has a big, gorgeous blue tail (she was one of two who REFUSED to roost in the dormitory room of my coop and we'd have big discussions about it every night where I'd scoop the two up and snuggle them in on a roost and they'd wait until my back was turned and hop down and go somewhere else, then I'd find them and they'd hang their head and explain to me that they didn't want to go to bed in the dormitory as they slowly walked back that way, but I'd tell them how nice the other birds were and that they could make friends and cuddle and stay warm and snuggle them back in ...) has decided she is a free-range bird and lives outside the coop/run with my one free-range rooster. She now is happy to put herself to bed in his little pen each night ... he has 4 full-time hens and a few extras who visit occasionally (the smarter birds can get out of the run, but the coop is super secure). Another of my EEs is very nurturing, she is a fluffy all-white bird, and buddied up to my first sickly chick as a baby so got the name Buddy; once they were older and the sickly one was doing well, she went broody and hatched five chicks and gladly accepted five more of the same age that we brought home from the feed store and stayed with the 10 for at least 5 weeks ... about a week after she finished with her first brood, she went broody again. Another was my first special friend and would come and roost on my lap when I was making sure everyone got to bed okay, and was always by my side talking to me when I was doing my chores -- like a few other EEs in our flock she has golden, pheasant-like feathers with some black on her tail, but unlike the others her tail has a white tip -- because she is so sweet and golden I call her Honey. The little chick in my avatar is an EE, you can probably see why we call her Cheeks, she loves to climb trees.

I think one of the cooler things about the EEs is their variety. They all look so different, act co different, and they all give different looking eggs.

 

[sagicraw]

Mine are 9 week old NH Reds, do I need to worry about my barn cats bothering them when they are out foraging? I haven't let them out yet?

 

[chickenboy190]

I let my pullets out when they where 8 weeks old and when I came back they were being hunted by my cats. Couple almost got caught.

 

[sagicraw]

How long before they could fend for themselves?

 

[dsljim]

It's never too early, last week it was nice and sunny out, so between the incubator and their box they got to play in the grass for a bit. I figure it's way better than living in a cardboard box in the mail for 3 days in March. Fresh popped popcorn or sweet clover blossoms are a real treat to give them from day one.

 

[dsljim]

It's never too early, last week it was nice and sunny out, so between the incubator and their box they got to play in the grass for a bit. I figure it's way better than living in a cardboard box in the mail for 3 days in March. Fresh popped popcorn or sweet clover blossoms are a real treat to give them from day one.

 

[sandrich]

This is my first post on BYC..I'm a first time chicken owner. I received my 13 Chicks three weeks ago and they went outside for good on Saturday. The reason they had to go was due to overcrowding in there cage.They were getting really agitated with each other and just began pecking each other. So i can say they are happy now and they have plenty of space to stretch there legs.