When can chicks free-range under supervision?

[Sarah2020]

Hi there!

My chicks are 6 weeks old and have been integrated into my flock. We have 6 chickens altogether and a small, fenced yard. We're urban keepers so we don't even have an acre of property, but they chickens still enjoy eating our grass, weeds, bugs, etc. We always supervise the flock because, even though we're semi-urban, we have bald eagles, hawks, etc. regularly overhead.

So...my question is...knowing that there will be supervision for the 6-week-old chicks, when is it safe to allow them out of the run? My biggest concern is that they're fast, small, and may not come back.

Thank you, community!
Sarah

 

[Aunt Angus]

Mine were out free ranging as soon as they were in the coop. My broody raised were out on, like, day 3.

I miss having chicks. If I didn't have my hands full with duckies right now...

 

[Namentuppen]

I don't have much experience with chickens, but one of my 3 week old babies was killed by a hawk this morning. They were in a netted gated area and I was two feet away picking weeds for them to peck at. If they had been outside for ten minutes it was a long time. The hawk swooped down, knocked off the net, and grabbed a chick. I charged the hawk and it dropped the chick, but it was too late; with just the initial grab, the chick's lower vertebrae had already been snapped. This hawk was huge.

We live in the suburbs and prior to this I'd seen about two hawks in seven years. I never knew they would be so bold as to grab a chick with a human supervising. I'm not letting my babies out again until their coop is built.

 

[CLSranch]

Don't let the last post divert you from a freak accident. If yours are in the coop with adults it's probably best that they get away from the others. That being said only for a couple of hours before dark to start. If you feed a layer ration and a scratch type of feed you can leave the egg ration unlimited then only do the scratch treat until an hour before they need to go into the coop so they want the scratch and run back to the coop at the right time. I do that with a lot of the time when starting chicks or in the summer time when I want them to be out free ranging.

 

[CLSranch]

You can slowly increase the amount of time each weekend or whenever you are home IF you want to.

 

[Aunt Angus]

I should add that I stand over them and follow them around when I let them out, always aware of what's above. I am a livestock guardian hooman.

And I would not let them out where I live now. I live on a wooded property now. Too many predators here.

 

[Namentuppen]

It is very possible that my experience was a freak accident. I am also a bit bitter as the hawk killed one of my favorite chicks. I just wanted to mention it as a hawk killing my chick with me two feet away from the gate wasn’t even a thought in my mind this morning as a first time chicken owner. I was worried more about cats.

 

[Sarah2020]

I don't have much experience with chickens, but one of my 3 week old babies was killed by a hawk this morning. They were in a netted gated area and I was two feet away picking weeds for them to peck at. If they had been outside for ten minutes it was a long time. The hawk swooped down, knocked off the net, and grabbed a chick. I charged the hawk and it dropped the chick, but it was too late; with just the initial grab, the chick's lower vertebrae had already been snapped. This hawk was huge.

We live in the suburbs and prior to this I'd seen about two hawks in seven years. I never knew they would be so bold as to grab a chick with a human supervising. I'm not letting my babies out again until their coop is built.

Oh gosh, I’m sorry! I wouldn’t have guessed they’d be so bold either.

 

[ForTheLoveOfSilkies]

Hi there!

My chicks are 6 weeks old and have been integrated into my flock. We have 6 chickens altogether and a small, fenced yard. We're urban keepers so we don't even have an acre of property, but they chickens still enjoy eating our grass, weeds, bugs, etc. We always supervise the flock because, even though we're semi-urban, we have bald eagles, hawks, etc. regularly overhead.

So...my question is...knowing that there will be supervision for the 6-week-old chicks, when is it safe to allow them out of the run? My biggest concern is that they're fast, small, and may not come back.

Thank you, community!
Sarah

So really, its never actually fully safe for chickens to be out of an enclosed run, especially where you know there are predators... Just the other day one of my 7 week olds was taken by a predator but that just goes with the freedom of outside foraging, though it is upsetting.
You say you have chicks integrated into the flock and your asking when they can all go out into your fenced in small yard? Day 1 I'd say.
Do you have a rooster?- if you do then he should alert the other to danger.
Do you have trees in your yard, could add some hiding spots for your chickens to quickly run to for safety from predators? ... You said your main concern is the chicks won't come back, but if they are integrated into your flock then they should all return to the coop at night. Or if you want them to come to you at another time, often chickens will come running for 'treats' (veggies / scraps etc).

 

[Sally PB]

I am a livestock guardian hooman

Good way to put it.