A moment of free-range for my girls

[QH Girl]

As a horse owner, I have to admit I was a little paranoid about the whole 'free-range your chickens' thing. My horses have no loyalty and visited several neighbors when a gate broke a few years back. Thankfully my chickens aren't as adventurous, at least not yet

I let them out at dusk, planning to keep their field trip short and sweet.

My favorite, an EE, didn't really see the whole point of the great outdoors.

This is close enough - thank you.

But finally, after 20 minutes she just couldn't stand it anymore!

They all stayed within 5 feet of the coop and marched right back in when it started to get dark. I'd love to let them range in the horse pasture when they get a little older but I haven't figured out how to lead them over there yet

 

[ChickenCharmer]

AWW That is so cute!!! <3
I love how the chickens can be so funny like that. You can always tell exactly what they're thinking!

 

[Qi Chicken]

They will go exactly where you don't want them to go. We have 5 acres and they go to where we are staining the deck. It took ours about 4 weeks to cross the driveway. And about one week to go out into the run from the coop. They are cautious little critters........some might say "chicken"!

 

[3chimama]

Oh they will get braver and braver and more adventurous!

 

[Falcon61]

They'll find there way. Looks like your coop could hold 50 chickens..nice

 

[Mrs. Fluffy Puffy]

Ha ha - Too Too cute!

 

[CarolAnn]

I'd like to let mine run longer during the day but we have big hawks and owls around so I can't risk it. My little terrier already absconded with my little cochin roo, took him under a cedar tree and licked him within an inch of his life. LOL She thinks he's hurting the girls. Well I thought so too when his hormones started to kick in. I do shoo them away from the area of my big perrenial flower bed up near the house.
They're out for around 1.5 hrs every evening. I also don't want them laying their eggs all over the yard.

 

[sheilawagner]

What are the dimensions of your enclosed run? It looks so big, spacious and gorgeous.

 

[theoldchick]

Now, why would they want to leave spacious digs like that?

 

[QH Girl]

Thanks everybody! My run is 30'x16'. I have 20 acres, so I'm always thinking expansion.

I'm trying to convince my husband to build a pig pen but he's still in sticker shock from all the money he spent on the coop/run