When should I release my chicks out with other hens?

[beth2384]

We have two chicks that are almost 6 wks old. They can now actually jump the side of their pen in the coop so I keep finding them out wandering around with the hens. They seem fine, so is it ok for me to just officially let them out of their pen? Or should I put a top on it to make sure they stay in? If so, at what age are they ok to go out, and go off of chick feed to regular feed?

 

[BantamFan4Life]

Probably 15 weeks would be the best time to put the chicks in with the hens.

 

[4 the Birds]

They should be "good to go" to join the flock. At 6 weeks they are pretty well feathered out and can handle night temps. We move them out to the coop at 6 weeks of age and then 2 weeks segregated from the flock before they join the flock. That way they can get accustomed to the big birds and the world outside gradually.

6 week olds out in the coop sectioned off from the flock (for just a few weeks)

 

[beth2384]

We've had then in the coop, but separated off for 2 weeks. They have lots of feathers and with the warm weather they are ok. Are they good to go as far as feed? Do they still need chick feed or can they eat the pellets and produce the other hens eat?

 

[azygous]

At six weeks, your chicks can mingle with the big hens as long as they have a safe spot to escape to if bullied or chased. They get very adept at evading the bigger chickens, but it's important there's not any place they can get cornered and beat up. My chicks have a safe pen with small pop holes the bigger hens can't fit through. Like yours, they're spending as much time running around in the main run as they do in their own pen.

As for feed, you shouldn't expose them to layer feed until they start laying. My seven-week olds are on flock grower. When they get big enough to reach the other feeders, I'll change out the layer feed in those to the flock grower they're eating now. The older hens still will have access to oyster shell during the period until the pullets reach point of lay. At that time, everyone goes back on layer crumbles.