New hen questions?

[chad05gsa]

So I'm a complete noob with chickens. I've keep them at their coop/pen for a few weeks, I believe it's around two plus so far. My goal was to have them to free range during the summer days. Witch I've been slowly keeping them out longer and longer each day. All has been going extremely well if anything alerts or frightens them they head straight for the coop. So today I arrived home from work extremely early to find them MIA (so I thought). So apparently my wife took off for lunch with a friend and left them outside. Long story short they are completely fine hanging out in the woods at the neighbors. They where happy as a chicken could ever be. Some how I was the one worried about them though. Plus I think they were getting spoiled at the neighbors (they use to have chickens before). So my question is how far is to far before they get lost if possible? Apparently they have been having a grand old time today as they could care less about their fresh food I gave them after walking them back to the coop.

 

[Mrs. K]

This time of year, they are really eating bugs.

The more you let them out, the farther they will roam. While I have never had a chicken not find her/his way home, the farther they are from the coop, the greater the chance of predators.

I love to let mine out, but I try and vary it, sometimes all day, sometimes not till 4:00, somedays not at all. I think it keeps them a bit closer to home..... but not perfect.

MRs K

 

[chad05gsa]

Thanks you. I should have said this is about 100-150 yards away from the coop. One good thing I suspect is the neighbors chickens where out all day everyday. There was never a problem until dark hit with his. But I suspect he forgot to close the coop at dusk when his tragedies happened.