What age to let chickens out to forage ?

[Homestead girl]

Your girls look happy checking out new ground!!

Thanks so much for sharing your pictures. I commend you for carrying while out on the property. There's no telling when you might need it.

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.

 

[stevodod]

They have a 12 x 24 open coop roost design that they are in all day. They have been in the coop for a while now. They do come running for me when I have the feed bucket and huddle around me and the bucket. They greet me at the door of the coop everyday when I feed them.
I am just nervous about letting them out into the wide open yard.
These are my first chickens, My neighbor said not to let them out until 6 months old. That just seemed a little long to wait.

Mine go out the first week in a caged enclosure. They won't go far. By 6 months, they have cabin fever!

 

[lawatt]

right now i have baby chicks with their broody mamas, who can look out for them -- they started free-ranging with their moms at the age of about 4 days.

however, when i started with my first chickens last year, when i first started letting them out of their coop/run (probably at about 6-8 weeks of age?), i started doing so only in the late afternoons -- so they could explore a bit, but then all naturally went back to their coop once it started getting dark. i also trained them to know the sound of the can i kept their treats in, so they'd come running if i shook it -- in case i needed them to go in before dark. still works to this day.

 

[gg706]

I was also wondering.....my first batch of chickens were not let out to range until they were older as I was concerned about my dog attacking them. Now that I know she and our pup we added are not chicken killers we got more chicks this year. They are 15 weeks old or so and am coming up to time to begin laying eggs at some point soon. I was letting them out to range however as laying time is getting closer I am concerned they will learn to lay all over the yard rather than in the coop. Do yall wait until they lay consistently in the nest boxes before allowing them to range?

 

[Fentress]

Provide adequate predator protection and let your chickens go. I'm sure they are tired of being "cooped up" and of course they will always "come home to roost."

 

[dpuleo]

right now i have baby chicks with their broody mamas, who can look out for them -- they started free-ranging with their moms at the age of about 4 days.

however, when i started with my first chickens last year, when i first started letting them out of their coop/run (probably at about 6-8 weeks of age?), i started doing so only in the late afternoons -- so they could explore a bit, but then all naturally went back to their coop once it started getting dark.  i also trained them to know the sound of the can i kept their treats in, so they'd come running if i shook it -- in case i needed them to go in before dark.  still works to this day.

That is what I did! I have two chicks right now that the mother hen did not take them out until day 4. I free range my chickens so, she was ready to get out of the coop after sitting for so long. She kept them very close to the coop and pen until two days ago she took them up our hill to hunt for food. With my first chickens I too only let them out in the evening and gave treats so they know to come to me any time of day.

 

[stevodod]

Yeah, they already actively scratch after day 2. Amazing how ready they are for life! What did the poor things ever do without us to step in?

 

[lori stetson]

I have 4 flocks, each with a roo, 3 to 6 hens, a few pullets and several younger teenagers. The smallest yard is 24 x 30. I rotate turnout two groups at a time on our two thirds wooded 3 acres so everyone is out every other day. Turnout time is from mid-afternoon until they put themselves to bed before dusk - except for the Orphingtons who always wait till its almost dark. Their eggs are sold for both hatching and eating so the later turnout ensures that all eggs are fresh from each coop every day. When out none of mine ever goes more than 50 to 60 yards from their lot. Hope this helps.

 

[AParmer]

What breed is the rooster you have on your profile picture.? Very handsome rooster.

Thank you so much! He is a Blue Copper Splash Maran. I recently discovered the Marans and so happens there was a local woman that was needing to re-home a couple of roosters. They also come in Black Copper and Blue Copper, absolutely beautiful adult roosters! We fell in love with Stevie the minute we laid eyes on him. He's a sweetheart too. LOL Unless he thinks I'm taking the chicks from him. He gets like a broody hen over them.

I am going to try that , The chickens will have to fight with my husband over the watermelon.

Even if you just save the rind for them with the white part of the meat, they will have it eat really quickly. I like to sneak them a little of the good ripe meat too. hehe They go nuts for it! I'm actually going to take an apple out and cut it up or use the cheese shredder and see how they like that today.

 

[Sweet T]

Great question! I have three year old hens that have never free ranged, and 3 month old chicks, and I just finished fencing in the back yard so the chickens can free range. So I've been wondering this too!
I've noticed that when hawks fly over, my hens don't even notice! But the chicks scramble around and find cover! They are all in covered pens. Because of this thread, I am going to start letting some of the bigger chicks out occassionally to see how they do.