Leave the chickens out in the run all day?

[Stormy]

If you have say, 33 chickens and an 8' x 10' coop.

And let's say you have a 10' x 20' run that has hardware cloth around the perimeter as well as hardware cloth on the sides that are 7' tall.

And you have chicken wire across the top....

Any reason you wouldn't leave the girls out all day in the run if you are at work? Maybe free range them on the acreage when you are home and confine to this run and coop during the day while at work?

 

[coop-er]

I open my pop door 1st thing every morning, 365 days a year. My flock spends as much or as little time as they wish outside. The temperature, amount of sunlight, weather and their natural curiosity determines whether they are out or in. Their choice

. Happy chickens lay wonderful eggs.

 

[dana0710]

I'm away from the house 10 hours a day and I leave my girls in the run. It wouldn't be a great life if they stayed in the coop all day.

 

[welasharon]

A coop that size is too small to keep them cooped up in without having problems from crowding....so yes let them out in the run. Sounds like the run is well built. I live in Florida so mine are penned in what amounts to a run...there is no coop.

 

[PapaChaz]

absolutely let them have access to the run all day, that's kind of the reason for building it wasn't it?


I'm with coop-er, mine will have access all day every day. whether I'm going to be home or not

 

[georgiagail]

Sure; the coop doors get opened before I go to work in the morning (this morning it was 5:30 am so they were still sleeping and it was still dark) and they stay open so the chickens can go out in the run and back in the coop to (hopefully!) hit the nest box to lay eggs all throughout the day until it starts getting dark in the evening.

Then we tuck them in at night (after their late afternoon treats, of course!) by closing up the coop doors each evening.

Gail

 

[ECBW]

If your run is secure ( and it sounds so) like mine. Give them full time access.

 

[HighStreetCoop]

If you have say, 33 chickens and an 8' x 10' coop.

And let's say you have a 10' x 20' run that has hardware cloth around the perimeter as well as hardware cloth on the sides that are 7' tall.

And you have chicken wire across the top....

Any reason you wouldn't leave the girls out all day in the run if you are at work? Maybe free range them on the acreage when you are home and confine to this run and coop during the day while at work?

This is exactly what I do.

 

[attimus]

Same

 

[pennypenny]

If my run is predator proof, is it necessary to close the girls into the coop at night? (Close the pop door) Or can they just go in and out as they wish? We have about 3-4 more weeks until the girls are outside so making sure I am ready