Chickens won't leave the coop!

[EggSighted4Life]

My hens are now over 7 months old. I have 15 hens I bought from Murray McMurray and all brown egg layers. Doing well I might add !! Plenty of eggs too.
My RUN is about 20' or so long , 7' wide and 7' tall with chicken wire for the top so nothing can get in. They have never been allowed out of the run to free range in the backyard. I don't want to loose any by flying over the fence in the neighbors yards. To keep from flying, I can only resort to clipping their Flight Feathers. I have no problem with birds of prey .....doves , pigeons, and squirrels are the only wildlife close by!!
I need some pointers about letting them out. When they are let out, I'm not sure they will find their way back to coop at night. One more thing.....will they lay eggs in the backyard and I have to go egg hunting everyday? Any info will help. My name is Ed and live by Galveston,Tx.....No snow country here!! If you want, email me at [email protected] regarding pointers. Happy Thanksgiving all

Hi, welcome to BYC!

If your hens are already laying in the boxes, you shouldn't have to go egg hunting. They will stick close by the coop at first and adventure farther before long, staying together as a group. I have never once had a chick or chicken not find their way back to the coop once they new that was their home. You can practice getting them back in their run by using their favorite treat in the same container each time and shaking a little while you use a sound you wan't them to respond to, like "here chickie chickie". That way you can get them back in early if you need to. Usually works.

Best wishes!