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CAT24

CAT24

In the Brooder
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Hello from West Wales, UK. My name is Claire and my husband Dave and I have just purchased our first chickens. We moved to our current house nearly 2 years ago and have converted an old pig pen into a coop and have a large run attached. We have 4 chickens a Bluebell, a Light Sussex, a Plymouth Rock (which the breeder called a Speckled, so I may be wrong?) and a Rhode Rock. I'm in love with them all already. We'd eventually like to let them free range and would love any advice on how to approach this. Thanks in advance
IMG_6529.JPG
 
Hello Claire and welcome to BYC. I hope that you enjoy your time here.

This is a useful link to take a look at - “How to...” guides. You may wish to consider including your location under your avatar (using the guide in the link above). You can use this link to contact members in your area - UK
Best wishes

Pork Pie
 
Hello from Tennessee, USA. Your chickens are pretty and your run is fabulous the way it is covered on the top! As far as free-ranging there's no science to it and there are a lot of reasons not to do it, primarily predators such as hawks, dogs, owls, etc. Chickens are pretty far down the food chain of nature and a lot of other things like to kill them. That said, it is nice to occasionally let them out and about if someone is there to make sure they are safe, like if you are outside gardening at the same time or something. When I do that, I always leave the door to the run open so that they can go back in there if they prefer, and it's not uncommon for mine to come out for a little while and then go back in where they feel safer.
Chickens are full of personality and great fun to keep. Good luck and enjoy.
 
Welcome to BYC! Your girls are lovely.

I'm no expert, but my birds do free range during the day when I am home. Otherwise, they are securely closed in the most predator-proof coops I can provide. My approach to easing them into free ranging is to make sure they are accustomed to their coop and view it as home, sweet home.

They then get to move to an attached run and slowly are first allowed closely supervised freedom -- in other words, me staying outdoors with them the whole time. Once they seem comfortable and I have stopped being a worrisome, overprotective mom, I leave them alone for short periods of time -- while frequently checking out the window.

Even then, there is a short fence that wouldn't prevent the better fliers from going over but seems to make them believe they have to stay to the south of the house where I can see them. Most of my girls are larger and only take to flight when they absolutely have to.

All in all, it's a bit like training small children -- except the chickens are much faster and can fly off a bit! Long before they get any freedom, they get used to hearing me yell, "Chick, chick," which either means a meal or chilled grape treats are about to be served. Food is the best motivator!

Good luck with your new flock, and yes, it's easy to fall in love with them right away.
 
Hello, Claire, and welcome to BYC! :frow Glad you joined.
I finished brooding my chicks in their coop and attached run so they were already well "homed" to it when I opened the run door. That's it. Just open the door.
Of course, these birds are no longer free ranging as they were getting into entirely too much trouble so they are now confined to an approximately 1/4-acre electro-netted pen powered with a 10,000 volt charger. They are protected from ground predators via the net.
They have a large quince bush they like to nap in during the day. They also go back inside the run to perch and preen on the branches and logs in there. That is their only overhead predator protection. Sooner or later, something is going to get one of them. That is just the way it is when you let your birds out of a predator proof structure.
You structure only provides protection from hawks and such. Any ground predator can easily tear though that chicken wire.
And staying out with your birds can be a deterrent but many, many owners have had their birds snatched up right in front of their eyes while they were out "watching over their flock".
Chickens love free ranging. I have done what I can to reduce their risks by penning them into the largest area I can but if they are penned in any size area, they are not free ranging.
 

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