Chickens wont leave the coop!

[Semper]

We have 11 chickens 10 hens and a rooster (Plus 6 chicks and a footless chicken in a brooder.) we have 10 acres and they are on the edge of our property next to our big storage barn. they will go to the trees and fire pit that's about 20 feet away and mess in there, they will go about 60 feet from the coop to the house but that's about it. we have been feeding bead and other treats farther away, in my horses pasture to try to get them over there but they will eat all the food and leave running back to the coop.

How can i get them to go away from the coop they have been in the yard roaming free for 3 to 4 months now and they just stay near the coop. we have the next chicks going out in a few weeks if they ever grow! we have two large ones about 3 to 4 times bigger and the others are fairly small yet and we got them in end of February or beginning of march. we have a mixed breed 'herd' also.

i have waters put farther away to get them to move away i shut the coop from them once they are done laying so they have to go out a little farther to get water but they always run back to the coop!!!

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

We have 11 chickens 10 hens and a rooster (Plus 6 chicks and a footless chicken in a brooder.) we have 10 acres and they are on the edge of our property next to our big storage barn. they will go to the trees and fire pit that's about 20 feet away and mess in there, they will go about 60 feet from the coop to the house but that's about it. we have been feeding bead and other treats farther away, in my horses pasture to try to get them over there but they will eat all the food and leave running back to the coop.

How can i get them to go away from the coop they have been in the yard roaming free for 3 to 4 months now and they just stay near the coop. we have the next chicks going out in a few weeks if they ever grow! we have two large ones about 3 to 4 times bigger and the others are fairly small yet and we got them in end of February or beginning of march. we have a mixed breed 'herd' also.

i have waters put farther away to get them to move away i shut the coop from them once they are done laying so they have to go out a little farther to get water but they always run back to the coop!!!

They are showing you that they are feeling insecure in the open - which is natural for chickens. What sort of cover is available to them in the pasture? Providing various cover for them scattered around the area you want them to range about in will help them to feel secure enough to venture farther away from the safety of the coop. This can be some areas of tall grass, brushy bits or even pallets up on cinder blocks -- anything that they know they can reach fairly quickly to get under/into should an alarm call be issued by any member of the flock. Right now, the only cover they are sensing is their coop - and they are doing exactly what instinct tells them to do by staying within a range to that safety that they can get to it quickly if/when needed.

 

[Semper]

we have tall grass as the horses have only been out there for a few hours this year a lot of trees as in its mostly trees with small area thats open. theres an old coop that is there that we are taking down but its all open up so if they want to they can go into it and its about 30ish feet from the fence and they go near it when we treat them. theres bushes and shrubs also around. these are so much closer then their coop is..