What age to start free ranging? UPDATE: pics on post 15

[ketcham]

I live on 3 1/2 acres and they stick close to the house and tree line[border on the north and west sides]Its wide open to the road[east] and they have not gone to the road yet.! acre garden[in wheat now] to the south.I guess I'm lucky,they have not left the yard.Neighbors love to see them walking around the front yard when they go on evening walks.Kevin

I had them in a tractor till they got big enough not to be eatin by hawks

 

[opalwednesday]

I let mine out of their coop around eleven weeks. It took a while for them to venture farther than the edge of their barn and even now at twent weeks old they haven't reached the edge of our 2.5 acres

they come pre programmed to keep themselves warm and fed

 

[southerndesert]

We also let ours grow up enough that hawks are not as much of a worry, they are in a covered run until that time.

 

[JodyJo]

Quote:
I have over 300 acres...they won't roam that far away from what protection they know...mine go out and come in on their own at dusk, or when they see me coming with yummies, they head back in as fast as they can run...I would say they were about 7 weeks, it depends on what you have and the sizes...I have a silkie, that is safe enough with the larger ones...

 

[Jeffross1968]

Well, we just got 4 young ones, that I have placed in our small coop for the time being. A Black Giant, Black Sex Link, Golden Comet, and RIR. The guy I bought them from had about 30 of the poor little things all huddled up in a spot no larger than my little coop. The only food I saw was grass clippings. He claimed they were 12 weeks old, but I highly doubt that's the case, unless their poor care has retarded their development. Each of them has missing feathers behind the tail, I guess from pecking. It wasn't a good situation, and if I could, I would have taken them all. But I took 4. At this point, they are a bit skittish, though they've calmed a lot during their first day with us. I really don't know how old they may be, but still being new to this, they just seem way too small to let free range right now.

What do you guys think? Too young yet? How old do you think they are? Sorry for the horrible pictures...it's time for a new camera...

 

[centrarchid]

They are at point motherless batches begin free range phase. They are still very vulnerable to hawks. With mine an adult rooster also present as deterrant to avian predators. Plus dog.

 

[Jeffross1968]

I think I'm going to fatten them up a little bit over the next week or two, then introduce them slowly to the rest of the flock. AT that point, I'll let them free range. Always scary to think of little birds like this free ranging though...

 

[centrarchid]

Quote:
My place would scare you to death. I have fity free rangers younger / smaller than yours. Parasites my biggest worry and leaving protection of dog if not enough feed applied.

 

[NottinghamChicks]

I always have started mine free rangin immediately for chicks with momma or within two weeks of transfer to their coop, but, I now have two coops with two flocks. The egg layers and the bantam d'Anvers and wonder if I can free range them at the same time?? or Should I alternate their time outside away from each other?

Anyone else have a similar setup with the seperation of coops/flocks??

~Julie