young chicks

[oldjohn]

how old do new chicks need to be to let them out in the run ?

 

[orloffer]

What is your set-up like? And what age of chicks are you referring to? Newly hatched chicks, or slightly older?

 

[GC-Raptor]

If the run is covered to protect against hawks, five weeks. GC
ETA; make sure they can't squeeze through fence. I found my Barred Rocks outside the dog kennel at 5 weeks old. I put 1" chicken fence 2' high around kennel.

GC

 

[rosemarythyme]

Really depends on your set up. Assuming this is not a broody with chicks but chicks you're raising, I wouldn't let them out earlier than 1 week or so, because they're harder to catch when they're super young, plus I have adult hens wandering around.

My current group of chicks had "mini run" access from 10 days old (so an enclosure of about 12 sq ft) and full run access at 15 days.