Do I need a proper coop or can chickens be free in yard?

[katealt]

Stupid question, I know, but I wonder if we can just get a couple of chickens that could be free in the yard to roam then have the old cubby house for the chickens to have shelter and lay eggs? My daughter is obsessed with the idea of getting a pet chicken and I don't want to if it means setting up a pricey coop. I know we could cut the chickens feathers to stop it flying away (we visited a farm yesterday and I heard the farmer telling someone this). We have fencing.

Thanks to any suggestions, considerations, feedback!

 

[kezabel]

Yeah you can as long as you don't have many preditors in your area. You said your yard is fenced, is it fenced really well with no gaps under the fence that dogs of other preditors can get under and into your yard. Our friend has 2 hens running around their yard and she doesn't have a coop just a roost for them under there carport and a nesting box there as well.
You can do it depending on your area. The lady I'm talking about lives in suburbia.

 

[Year of the Rooster]

Unless you want the chickens to be dinner for someone else (aka wild animals) then YES. Even with a rooster, your chickens could dwindle down in no time.

Depending on the breed you won't have to cut the feathers as some of them are too heavy to get anywhere. Most of the time it's a combination of jumping and flapping. You could have them free range during the day and then lock them up in a secure coop in the evening/night. It won't have to be expensive if you can use it out of recycled materials. A lot of people do that here.

 

[Mahonri]

Just lock up the chickens you want to keep... OR

Let the chickens that you don't mind losing, free range.

I'm just sayin'.

 

[lauralou]

What is "the old cubby house"?

I can't picture it, but it might be just fine for chickens. You just need somewhere that you can put them at night where they can be safe.

You definitely don't have to have a pricey coop. I don't have a pricey coop. Actually, I have a bunch of very inexpensive hutch-type coops. I seem to keep adding them. Now I wish I had just built one big pricey coop to begin with! HA!

But that's my problem, not yours...

 

[TXmom]

Chickens can not see in the dark, that's why they are such easy prey at night. Dogs, coyotes, raccoons, weasels, skunks, rats...there are many many predators that go after them. Chickens are FOOD.

I know you don't want to spend a lot of money on housing, but maybe you could find a dog house or something like that on Craigslist or other local classifieds. It can easily be converted into a small coop for 2 or 3 chickens.

 

[WalkingWolf]

If you only want 2 chickens you can train them to roost in your garage if you have one. Fill a litter pan with sand for weight and to make it easy to clean and put a piece of secured 2x4 across for them to roost on. We had a spoiled cornish rooster that did not like sleeping with the rest of the chickens. We took a 5 gallon bucket put sand in it and secured a 2X4 roost. Every night he waited at the door to be let in and would go to his roost or if the DW allowed he could sit on a towel on the bed for a while to watch TV. Every morning he was waiting at the door after crowing to be let out. I just recently put a stop to it, he really needs to learn to be with the other chickens. He is still a loner though and would rather roost by himself than the others.

 

[katealt]

Thanks everyone! Well I live in Australia in a borderline suburbia/rural area (the Dandenong Ranges just on the fringe of Melbourne). We don't have any predators right here where I live as far as I know. The cubby house is a kids playhouse- wooden. The idea of rounding up the chickens to put in each night is daunting. Would they just go in there on their own accord to keep warm/nest?

 

[redhen]

The club house sounds fine for them! Just add some perches for them when they get big enough to perch. Also, they will go by them selves to the club house every night once they learn that its where they sleep. Its their instinct...

 

[kezabel]

I'm in Australia too, and we seem to have far less preditors down here, no raccons, weasels, skunks, coyotes or oppossums. There are possums but I don't think there are any carniverious ones in Australia. I'd say your only real threat is foxes, hawks or rooming dogs. I've had my chickens about 6mths now and they free range all day and they go back to their coop at night(soon as the suns going down) I had one hen who wouldn't go into the coop at first but after a couple of times of me catching her and putting her in she finally realised that is were she sleeps and now goes to bed by herself.