Coup or Free Range

[NanaCarla]

I currently have my seven hens in a coup. However, I’ve been thinking of letting them free range in our back yard. If I do that, will they return to their nesting boxes to lay, or will they lay wherever they want?

 

[CluckerFamily]

How long have they been in the coop? The need to learn where home is. Have they started laying already so that they also know where to lay the eggs?

 

[LaFemmeKatia]

What time of day do they normally lay? If they lay in the morning, let them out in the afternoon when they are “finished”.

 

[Kayallen]

I’ve tried this and mine started laying in my neighbors bushes and I lost a lot of eggs. Now I keep them in the coop until about 5pm and I let them out to roam. They always come back around dark and I haven’t had a problem since.

 

[MrFluffyandGirls]

Mine always come back to the coop to roost and lay eggs. On the exception of a silkie hen who is determined to go broody and tries to find secret places to sit on a nest. I typically wait until they are laying in the nest boxes and roosting in the coop before I turn them loose. Just be on guard for predators; Right when your comfortable with them out and about; a hawk comes swooping down or a random dog happens to have a field day with your flock.

 

[NanaCarla]

How long have they been in the coop? The need to learn where home is. Have they started laying already so that they also know where to lay the eggs?

They have been in the coup for seven months, and have been laying eggs for three months now.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Mine return to the coop to lay eggs. Yours should too.

With living animals you don't get guarantees. It's possible one will decide to hide a nest out there instead of lay in the coop. Or she may lay in the coop for weeks or months and then decide to hide a nest. From my experience that is pretty rare but it can happen.

 

[Annalyse]

Make sure that there's no hawks, falcons eagles any animals like that so you can keep them safer during the free ranging

 

[Chicalina]

mine go into the coop to lay and to sleep. Apart from that they are outside all day

 

[happychicken2435]

mine go into the coop to lay and to sleep. Apart from that they are outside all day

X2, my bantam flock free range all day and lay and sleep in the coop