Keeping Chickens Free Range

[Tikkijane]

Very good surprise and very very cute!!!  I'd mark that hen for later breeding and brooding. 

Been having my very first dedicated predator here of late and thus far it has gotten more chickens in two weeks than I have lost altogether in the past 40 yrs of free ranging.  Haven't even seen it but am pretty sure it's a Great Horned Owl....got one right in the coop and attacked a few right next to the coop, despite the dogs being on guard and that takes some doing...of the two injured, I culled one and the other died before I could cull her...all signs under the skin showed razor sharp talons were in use.  For now the flock are getting locked up in the coop after evening feeding and not let out until full sunrise in the morning....we'll see what transpires after that. 

Oh Bee, I am right there with you!! The one hawk attack we had took place under complete bush cover; right next to coop, with everyone milling around in shock. Two bantam roos that time. I wonder if we're in for a doozy of a winter.

 

[Beekissed]

I think we are in for a time when it's hard to grow food or keep food animals alive on the hoof. Not just for the winter, but from now on.

 

[Cass87]

Hey all! I'm new to chickens and so far have 3 girls - 2 barred rocks and a silkie. We have eggs in the incubator but got inpatient and bought these girls almost a week ago. Our yard is 2 acres and I would like to let them free range during the day. 2 are cautious of me but the one will come and eat from my hand. We currently have a pen that they go out in during the day but it's not very big. I'd like to remove it and let them roam a bit but am worried about them going in the coop at night. Currently they go in on their own but that's because the run isn't very big I'm sure. How do I give my girls some freedom? Also, how far will they go? Is there anything I can do to keep them in my yard and not the neighbor's?

 

[Mrs. K]

Well you are right, that is not big enough for the birds. Not sure where you are, but if you get much for winter, the coop is not going to be big enough either. These little set ups are cute, and often touted to hold way more chickens than they can. Free ranging can help during the summer months, but during the long dark nights of winter, your birds will spend 14-16 hours on the roost.

However, as to your question about them returning to the current coop. If they have been roosting in the coop, more than likely they will return to the coop by themselves. At first when you let them out, they won't go very far from the coop, but the more you let them out, the more they will roam. If you have a decorative yard, they will often times tear up plants and gardens and can do so in a short amount of time.

Often times people let them out just a couple of hours before dark, and at dark they lock of up the coop.

When you free range, you do open them up to predation. Everything likes to eat chicken. Sometimes you can go a long time without being hit, and sometimes not.

I try and not have a set routine to my free ranging , I do not let them out on cloudy days, or windy days, it gives too much advantage to the predators.

This is a great hobby, but I do hope you will consider getting a much larger coop and run. IMO one needs to be able to lock up birds in enough space they can be comfortable until predators are either trapped or move on to an easier food source. However, I would keep this current set up in case you have chicks, or need to separate a bird. It would be ideal for that.

Mrs K

 

[Beekissed]

Ditto that....you'll need a much, much bigger coop and run, especially if you have chicks coming.

Quote:
Mine roam 3 acres and more and they will go as far as they are inclined to go any given day, so unless you have good fencing with wire extending over and above any hard surface they can hop up to, they will be in the neighbor's yard.

Here's some tips on free ranging that may help give you an idea: https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/bees-key-points-to-successful-and-safe-free-ranging

You might explore electronet for poultry if you wish to contain them to a certain space but still want them to be out on fresh grass and forage.

https://www.amazon.com/Premier-Enha...kcompar-20&ascsubtag=57ca0d8b48308f1e7409927d

 

[Cass87]

I'm in Ontario Canada so I most definitely get winter, lol. I plan on moving them into a very large garage/workshop/outbuilding I have during that time (was originally a horse stable, you can see it in the background). The small coop was a compromise with the wife... she wanted something "small and nice looking" or it wasn't going to work. A week in, she's already saying she wouldn't mind something a bit bigger. I only plan on keeping 5-6 hens when it's all said and done so I won't need anything huge anyways. Really just looking for tips to keep my girls close and get them to come home.

 

[lazy gardener]

Welcome to BYC. Your girls are going to feel vulnerable in that coop. First, their natural need is to roost high enough that they feel a predator can't reach them. In a coop of that size, that is not possible, and there will be too much moisture accumulation in a coop of that size simply from their overnight breathing and their poop. That will be the perfect set up for severe frost bite. The recommendation is for a minimum of 4 s.f. in the coop, and 10 s.f. in the run per bird. You should also allow for increased flock size. Because, sooner or later, your birds are going to get old, and you are going to want to replace them. Integration takes lots of extra room. An alternate to starting chicks while you still have older birds is to cull ALL of the older birds, and then start new chicks. As far as keeping them in your yard: The only way to do so is to put up a fence between your chickens and where ever you don't want them to be.

 

[jenniferlamar70]

I'm in Ontario Canada so I most definitely get winter, lol.  I plan on moving them into a very large garage/workshop/outbuilding I have during that time (was originally a horse stable, you can see it in the background).  The small coop was a compromise with the wife... she wanted something "small and nice looking" or it wasn't going to work.  A week in, she's already saying she wouldn't mind something a bit bigger.  I only plan on keeping 5-6 hens when it's all said and done so I won't need anything huge anyways.  Really just looking for tips to keep my girls close and get them to come home.

Honestly my chickens never leave my yard. They use to go down the driveway towards the street every morning. I chased them up the drive quite actively and now they don't even try anymore. They pretty much stay where they are supposed to other then the occasional stragglers. I agree the coop you have needs to be higher off the ground. We had a small one temp and the chickens started roosting in the trees every night lol. I'm 31 climbing trees to get my chickens to bed every night lmao. We are currently building a barn for them. Free ranging isn't just better for them it's better for you. Less money spent on feed. Healthier happier chickens. Not as much mess unless you have a porch lol. Cleaning out the coop takes forever when they are stuck in it 24/7. You don't have to clean up nature. It cleans it's self lol... chickens make lovely pets. Like dogs but you get eggs from th so better lol. my chickens follow me all around hoping for treats..

 

[islandgirl82]

Hey all! I'm new to chickens and so far have 3 girls - 2 barred rocks and a silkie. We have eggs in the incubator but got inpatient and bought these girls almost a week ago. Our yard is 2 acres and I would like to let them free range during the day. 2 are cautious of me but the one will come and eat from my hand. We currently have a pen that they go out in during the day but it's not very big. I'd like to remove it and let them roam a bit but am worried about them going in the coop at night. Currently they go in on their own but that's because the run isn't very big I'm sure. How do I give my girls some freedom? Also, how far will they go? Is there anything I can do to keep them in my yard and not the neighbor's?

As others have stated (and you already know) your current coop does not have adequate space but it will make for a great starter/isolation coop when you have small chicks and/or a bird that needs to be separated for any number of reasons. Hang onto it even after you've moved your flock into the stable.

Chickens are creatures of habit and you can help create those habits. Give them a week or two in their new home and then begin letting them out in the evenings shortly before they go to roost and increase their free ranging time for as long as you like. Predators are around whether you're aware of them or not and losses are to be expected. I like @Mrs. K s method of not having a set free ranging routine to help minimize those losses.

I find it easier to barricade off the places I don't want them to go instead of trying to create one area where they're stuck all the time. There is a natural barrier of trees, shrubs and undergrowth surrounding my yard but as back up, I use inexpensive 3' high garden fencing and stakes along the property line to keep my flock from wandering over to my neighbors' yard. It works like a charm, is non-permanent and non-intrusive and because it isn't a solid fence, the chickens can't get over it.

 

[centrarchid]

Hey all! I'm new to chickens and so far have 3 girls - 2 barred rocks and a silkie. We have eggs in the incubator but got inpatient and bought these girls almost a week ago. Our yard is 2 acres and I would like to let them free range during the day. 2 are cautious of me but the one will come and eat from my hand. We currently have a pen that they go out in during the day but it's not very big. I'd like to remove it and let them roam a bit but am worried about them going in the coop at night. Currently they go in on their own but that's because the run isn't very big I'm sure. How do I give my girls some freedom? Also, how far will they go? Is there anything I can do to keep them in my yard and not the neighbor's?

How far they will go is a function of forage quality and quantity, what you feed them, and the distribution of cover. Increasing all at core of your property will reduce propensity to roam. Lower cost option that leaves you very much open to ground predators.


Another route is simply through containment. You might consider getting electrified poultry netting, setting it up around coop, and doing a little wing clipping on everyone except silkie. That will contain birds. The poultry netting will be easy to move about so ground can rest after birds have been on it for a while or you need to mow. More costly and not pretty to all but keep most ground predators out.