First day...!!!

[americana-chick]

Today was the first day my chickens actually "free-ranged" well in a long time anyway. about five years ago all my chickens free ranged all day and all night with no coop and no fence. they did for about 3 years with no problem and then our dogs happened. our dogs just happened to get loose one day without anyone to watch them and bamb! they attacked our very first chicken Cluckers! she survived but had to be put under isolation for a while witch made nachos our first roo go nuts! but that was like 5 years ago and now our chickens are sharing a almost 24*24 pen with our 4 pygmy goats and have grassy areas in the pen but i usually let out the goats to free range for a while every now and then and i let my chickens deside if they want to come out and free range too with the goats they have gone up to the opening a couple times and just today a few of them came out and explored and went crazy over being able to do anything they want (with exceptions of corse!) but i did have a heck of a time getting them back in there pen. we simply bang on the feed ben inside the cage and all the goats come running back inside the pen but it is WAY differnt with chickens i guess. i had to chase them all back in with some troubles. Any one know the quickest and easiest way to teach chickens to come back in the pen with little hastle?

i know they would go inside the coop when it got around dark but i cant stay out and wait for the chickens to go bac in because we live by a highway and someone has to be out there to make sure they dont get hurt. Thanks!

 

[hatchaholic]

I would love to let mine free range. But, there are too many dogs around...including my own. Daisy kept getting out of the fence, even with the electric fence, and she finally slipped down to the barn and ate two of my turkeys. But, we have since got a REALLY strong electric fence and Daisy does not attempt to get out anymore.

We do have about 1/4 acre fenced in for the chickens, though.

 

[Shogun99]

Bri,

Well, my city chickens have been trained to come back into the coop with some coaxing...I use scratch or treats and now whenever they see me, they think that I'm a walking treat ATM. But when it is time for them to go back into their run after "free ranging" in my backyard I shout "HERE CHICK CHICK CHICK!" and they come running as I scatter their treats on the ground.

Importantly I only yell "HERE CHICK CHICK" when I'm dispensing treats and they've learned to come to that call.

Hope this helps and hope that your new babes are doing fine.

I just got some new Showgirl eggs and they went into the incubator this evening! Cool huh?!?

 

[americana-chick]

Quote:
thanks, and awsome hope you have better luck with showgirls!
kimb, sorry about your 2 turkeys! but at least you have a stronger fence now.