build a run or let them free?

[poncahills]

I live in the country on 5 acres. It's wooded and hilly, but my coop is fairly close to my house. I imagine we have predators in the area, but none have bothered our coop and we have a dog (who, despite harassing the cat incessantly, completely ignores the girls). The coop itself is new and pretty secure. My hens have just started laying.

My chicks stayed inside, then in a heated kennel, but have been in the coop for about 2 months. I haven't let them out because the coop is a good sized and it's been too cold for them to be out. But now its starting to get warm, and I want to get them outside.

Ideally, I'd like to have them just free ranged. I know this means some hidden eggs, but I have 25 hens, and they are very good about laying in their proper boxes. So my questions are:

1. how do i transition them outside? they've never just wandered around since they were chicks, so I'm a bit hesitant to just open their door and hope for the best

2. what is the upside of a run? i know it means they'll lay inside, they'll have daytime protection, and they won't get lost in the trees... but is this best given my situation?

I've read past discussions on here on the issue, but any additional advice would be great. It's getting warm here and they ought to be enjoying the sunshine!

Thanks

 

[pwdiver]

back when we had chickens and a large assorment of other animals we had a 40 x 50 ft pen and a 12 x 12 coop that had lots of stray in it, it wasnt heated they did fine. I did have to put a chicken wire roof on the whole pen had Hawks and Owls getting in and feasting on the birds. Im starting a small pen this time.

 

[Yay Chicks!]

How about both? If you have a run, you can start letting them out gradually to free range...like an hour or two before they go to roost. And if there is a problem, you will already have the run available.

 

[secuono]

1. how do i transition them outside? they've never just wandered around since they were chicks, so I'm a bit hesitant to just open their door and hope for the best

Start letting them out 30min-1hr before dark. Or you can make a temp run so they learn what the outside looks like. I added 10 chicks[2mo] in my coop maybe a month ago. I just rounded them up from the house, brought them to to barn, trimmed wings, added a leg band and let them go inside the coop. All while the human & chicken doors were wide open for free-ranging. I never locked up the coop to 'home them' so they know where to stay, they did it on their own. All the chicks stay in the back, they won't come out still, maybe once spring comes they will come out, who knows. They don't want to so I don't make them go out. They have slowly made their way to the front of the coop, but they still won't come out.


2. what is the upside of a run? i know it means they'll lay inside, they'll have daytime protection, and they won't get lost in the trees... but is this best given my situation?

That's pretty much it for why. If you can afford it, make them a large secure run and let them out while you are home. But I've realized that even if they are in a run or free and you are home, losses can still happen and eventually will happen. I have started taking down the run here at our renting house. Only the small chicken wire run is still up. It will come down this weekend. I free-range them from 7:30am when I leave for work to right before dark, about 6pm right now. I am not home when they are free and when I am home, the dogs are out. The chickens stay away from the front yard[where the chicken killer is]. The dobie runs free, he is chicken-safe, the birds don't take much notice of him. They do realize strangers though and will run back to the coop if they get too close. If the dobie barks and looks up, the chickens all freeze and look up. Though the dobie is usually only going for these little tweety birds, lol.

 

[Knock Kneed Hen]

I have a covered run and was feeling guilty about not letting them free range so I was letting them out, first supervised, then not just a few hours each day. Someone let one of the dogs out (but it could have been a hawk) and my favorite hen almost didn't make it. I spent a lot of money saving her. It was an expensive lesson for me, but my girls don't free range any more. I sold some of my less favorite hens in order to give my girls more square footage in the run.
Some people feel safe if they are outside with their birds. Personally, I know I couldn't move fast enough if a hawk was swooping down or a stray dog got into the yard, and I can move pretty fast! Just my 2 cents since you asked.

 

[7L Farm]

Since, they have been cooped up so long they no where home is. Just let them out when it starts getting dark they will head for the house. Chickens do not see well in the dark. I'd build a covered run. There will be times you might not let them out bad weather who knows what. Build it big & use hardware cloth not chicken wire. I also would install a auto pop door.

 

[Backyard Hencam]

I felt guilty having an enclosed coop and run. That is, until I saw a fox looking through the hardware wire sides of the run and licking her lips. Then there was the red-shouldered hawk, perched on the side of the compost bin, watching the hens who ran, squawking in fear. If I let my hen free range, I know it would only be a matter of time until a predator would snatch one. I love those darn hens. I compensate for their restriction by giving them greens every day. Good luck, I know you'll make the right decision.