Distance chickens will range away from coop?

[centrarchid]

My orchard trees do not provide good cover. Birds need to be able to avoid being seen in something a hawk cannot fly through to be in good cover.

 

[GSPx2]

I only have 3/4 of an acre and its unfenced. I have a tree line that runs across the back and up the left side of my yard. This separates my house from the town houses near me. The right side is open with a few trees and my neighbor is about 40 yards from my house.

At first I was nervous to let them free range since I wasn't sure what they would do and with (quite literally) little room for error things can go bad quickly. I started with just about 45 minutes of light left and slowly let them out earlier. I now let them out anywhere from 30 minutes to 2.5 hours. Depending on my work schedule. I can tell you their routine.

I let them out. They walk around my shed for a bit. Then they go to my sons play area. It's a 30 ft x 25 ft play area with pea gravel in it. They seem to love this area. They'll stay there for a while. Then they run across the open part of my yard to get to my patio. This is where they usually spend the remainder of the day till its time to go to bed. Most of the time ill be inside and I'll look out my back door and the chickens will be on my back step waiting for me to come back out.

They haven't gone off my property yet. There's a lot for them to do in my yard so I think that helps with keeping them close.

 

[centrarchid]

Give them a few full days in a row and you will likely a different pattern emerge. Pattern will change with weather, season, number and makeup of chickens, as well experiences with predators.

 

[houseofknauss]

It is starting to seem that 3 or 4 acres is the area that a flock covers when they are let out of the coop and allowed to free range as much area as they like.

My grandfather had a flock of Rhode Island Reds on his 1-acre property. He would allow them to free range sometimes, and the chickens always remained on his land. I do not know why the flock did not leave his property.

my crew get layer pellets everyday, plus scraps from the kitchen, ---they are good buggers and eat well--we mow 6 to 7 acres of our property and they always stay on the mowed areas. our gsd travels all the mowed areas every day so they prob feel more protected. the deer are always around and the chickens think the deer are their friends and walk around them like nothing. our neighbors dog comes over often and also does not bother them.--knock on wood, this year has not been bad. I think the more you allow to free range, the more comfortable they get (or braver they get) and go further. My crew is out all day long. ducks and chickens.