When to let broody out to free range with chicks.

[Mvan42]

I have a broody with 11 chicks. Thee chicks are 1 week old, they are in a separate coop with a small run of their own. Hen seems to be wanting out to free range. But the chicks are tiny, I know she will protect them but I worry. I am thinking about letting them out just before time to roost and make sure someone is watching. The chicks haven’t learned yet to go. Side the coop at night. I have been helping the broody with this. (She jumps in and the chicks haven’t learned that they can walk up the ramp to get to mamma they just chirp) anyway that’s another issue I am trying to fix..

So how and when to let them out to free range. With hawks and other predators I worry.

 

[igorsMistress]

My chicks were free ranging with mom in a couple of days.

She will stay close to cover at first but needs to teach them how to survive. If you don't let them out they'll never learn.

 

[chickens really]

She definitely will keep them safe. You can supervise them as they free range for an hour and put them back ..

 

[50-45-1]

Letting them out supervised for a bit just before dark sounds like a good plan.
She will protect them by keeping them close to her and keeping them warm, but against a hawk , neighbors dog or other preditors she will lose.
Baby chicks do not understand ramps, you will have to continue to pick them up each evening for a while.

 

[Mvan42]

Letting them out supervised for a bit just before dark sounds like a good plan.
She will protect them by keeping them close to her and keeping them warm, but against a hawk , neighbors dog or other preditors she will lose.
Baby chicks do not understand ramps, you will have to continue to pick them up each evening for a while.

Thanks, figured on the ramp, they do walk up it in the day time but when mama jumps in and starts clucking they have no clue where she is and run around like a chicken with their heads cut off(lol).

 

[varidgerunner]

I have raised hundreds of chicks that free ranged from day one. Have had two day old chicks scratching around in light snow many times. Man made ledges are bad for chicks. If they can't get to mom, if mom is any good, she will go back to them. The problem comes just as some of the chicks can get over, and some of them can't. If she gets a few under her, she might not go out and get the other stragglers, and they could chill and die. (This is natures way, and probably why more natural type chickens can handle flying over an obstacle at a week old and can roost pretty high by four weeks.)

 

[Shadrach]

Mums out free ranging here with chicks day after hatch.
Two problems to keep an eye out for; coops with ramps, you may need to help the chicks into the coop at roost time. Chicks getting separated from mum due to insurmountable obstacles.
The above problems are exacerbated if you allow a staggered hatch. Mum tends to judge mobility by the eldest chick. This means for example a hatch staggered over three days which I read of here on BYC quite often, the youngest chicks isn't going to make it and may get abandoned by the mother.
Restrict the hatch to whatever hatches over a 24 hour period and remove the rest of the eggs if you intend to free range.

 

[HERSHORTNESS]

I have a broody with 11 chicks. Thee chicks are 1 week old, they are in a separate coop with a small run of their own. Hen seems to be wanting out to free range. But the chicks are tiny, I know she will protect them but I worry. I am thinking about letting them out just before time to roost and make sure someone is watching. The chicks haven’t learned yet to go. Side the coop at night. I have been helping the broody with this. (She jumps in and the chicks haven’t learned that they can walk up the ramp to get to mamma they just chirp) anyway that’s another issue I am trying to fix..

So how and when to let them out to free range. With hawks and other predators I worry.

Regarding the ramp and getting them to go in coop on their own, mine did the same thing for about a week. But I put a cinder block or something right next to the ramp and eventually they figured out if they jumped up on that they were close to the door so they would follow momma on up into the coop. Now they do it without the block.

 

[Mvan42]

Thanks everyone. I found a home for 8 of them yesterday so we only have three with mom. One did find its way in with her last night the other two needed help. I am sure they will figure it out soon also.

I also set up a small fence so they had a bigger area to free range for a while yesterday. They did great.