What age to let chickens out to forage ?

[GAFarmGirl87]

Oh How wonderful for you fresh eggs. , I know I have already been thinking about next year , to hatch some egg's . I haven't told my husband yet ..
I hope I will have a broody hen. My neighbor rented a chicken from a man to brood his egg's . Had no idea you could rent a chicken. But now I know . I love learning about all this chicken stuff. Let me know when your other seven start laying. How exciting for you.

I will do that! It is very exciting!!

I have a free-ranger game hen, who's already gone broody once in the 6 weeks I've had her. She didn't have any eggs to hatch, though, and now I'm waiting for it to pass so she'll lay eggs again. I've been told game hens are very broody and make excellent mothers.

 

[centrarchid]

FIVE WEEKS OR BETTER!


Currently it is raining big time on two cohorts of free-range chicks. One cohort is about 6 weeks post-hatch and other is about 3 weeks post-hatch. Former group is barely handling the rain but the younger birds are in deep crap. Their down is soaked and they do not have sense to seek proper cover. Yes they are cute when free ranging but it a very risky way to keep such young birds without a hen, Their biggest problem is not drowning, rather it is the inability to thermoregulate when wet, even when temperature is well into the 80's.

 

[centrarchid]

Rain is starting to let up and may stop for an hour or so. That is critical so the three week old chicks can regroup and top off their crops for the night. I can cover them properly then. If they do not regroup then they will face the night exposed to even heavier rains with lower temperatures which will mean doom for many. Even with regrouping and covered for night, this event is a stressor making disease issues much more likely. My hen reared bitties that are under hens without cover of any sort will likely make it through night without even knowing how tough things can be.

Rethink this business of free-range keeping early. Events like today do not happen every season but when they do losses can be heavy.

 

[Ariekannairb]

Do you not coop the babies when it is raining? That is what we do here. Actually, my little ones wont even wander far enough from the barn to get wet should it rain , but if they did I would go round them up and put them back into the coop so they could get under the lamps.

 

[chickenboy190]

I had a really hard rain with some thunder and I had my 2-3 weeks out and 10-12 weeks out also and trust me it was a really really hard rain they were fine.

 

[BuffOrpington88]

Our chickens went for outings starting at two weeks, and went outside for good at four.

 

[centrarchid]

If you are free-ranging your birds, they are outside where intervening at drop of hat is not always possible. I saved every last one of my birds owing to intervention but note event occurred on a Sunday meaning I could get there because not at work. Additionally my birds that are presently in the 3 to four week age group are games which means they are relatively smart and tougher than most breeds. If my birds struggled, then most others would have not survived.

Chickenboy190 and BuffOrphington88, when your young birds experience a real down pore you will learn the hard way.

 

[NestingHillsSC]

Note: Again mine are outside at age of 2-3 weeks. Depending on the time of year. BUT, when I know it's going to rain I put them in there coop. If I know for sure it's going to rain I will just leave them locked up in there for the day. That's the only time they have food and water in the coop. I do agree, if they get wet at too young of an age your going to pay the price sooner or later. Once they have all there feathers, except there head feathers, then your good to go. As you see mine are very young when put outside. But please keep them dry until they are feathered!