How often do you let your chickens out of the run?

[MEchickenfarmer33]

3 times a week

 

[hcppam]

I let them out into a fenced yard a couple of hours before dark, 2-3 times a week.

 

[Two Creeks Farm]

Mine beat me outside at daylight, and usually tuck themselves in at dusk. I only lock them up if I will be leaving for the day. It helps that I am home 4 days a week and the weekends are covered by the family while im at work. In the fall through winter, more care is gven to their security and they are watched more often. They have a 50'x50' run and coop, 15 acres to run on and a larger 100'x40' run if needed. I buthcered a batch of meaties last week so im down to only 30 or so not counting the turkeys.

 

[southerndesert]

Ours are out afternoons when folks are around and the dogs are out, if no one is home and dogs inside we are wide open to a Coyote snatch and grab, but they stay well away when the dogs are out or we are home..... BUT we have fewer predators to worry about than you folks in the lush green areas of the country and NO Raccoons in the dry desert areas.

Also our whole property is fenced, but the Coyotes leap right over if they feel the need....

Add info edit...

 

[Egghead_Jr]

Currently we don't even have the run door closed. Someone is home all day, if not on rare occasion we close them in for the day. Have a large fenced in area to prevent dogs coming in so all is well. Sure we run a risk of hawks but most predators excepting dogs are coming at night when the chooks are safe in the coop.

 

[Nicole01]

Lately I've been letting them out only in the late afternoon/evening hours supervised only. I bring my iPod touch outside with me to keep myself entertained. I have to supervise due to predators. My worst threats are stray dogs, hawks, fox, and eagles. My neighbor had a hawk in her tree yesterday eyeing her free range flock.

 

[bobbi-j]

My hens are out every day, from morning to night. They're unsupervised and I haven't lost one to a daytime predator in a very long time. If you read the "I lost a hen to a raccoon" posts, you'll see a pattern where the raccoons are more likely to get to the hens when they're IN the coop or run, rather than when they're free ranging. Of course, there are other things to think about during the day...

 

[AlienChick]

Mine free range all day.

But if I know I'm not going to be home in the evening to lock up the coop, I'll put them away early into their attached run area.

I don't feel comfortable leaving the coop open at night.

 

[boogiedog]

I have a fairly treed lot; have any of you had problems with the hens getting into the trees to roost instead of the coop? I am thinking about trying free-ranging the last 1 hour or so of each day, but worry about them getting into trees and/or over my 6' fence. Thoughts?

 

[LilyD]

I keep mine in the run until about noon to make sure that they lay their eggs in the boxes then I let them out of their run until dark when they go back in to go to bed. I do lock them into their coop at night too since we have lots of night predators.