We live on 12 acres with no neighbors within several miles. We’re fenced in with barbed wire to keep out free range cattle grazing US Forest land so basically no neighbors, but no effective chicken containment fencing either. We’re far from major roads and fairly far from our gravel access road. The driveway is about 1/3 mile long.
How far do chickens usually range and do they typically return to the coop at evening (assuming they’re suitably bribed with treats)? I’d like to just let them wander at will if that’s not dumb. At the moment, they’re still eggs and expected to hatch and arrive here this Friday, so it will be a while before I need to know these things. Still, I’d like to have some idea what to expect if possible.
I’ve purchased supplies to make a 100 sq ft run for use on days when we’ll be away, but I haven’t started that yet so maybe I’ll make it larger. There will be 15 chickens, more or less. I’m thinking it’s gonna need to be bigger, even though we’re usually home (when we’re not chasing back to town to get the stuff we forgot for coop construction.)
Your living situation is much like ours.
Similar acreage, length of driveway, fencing to keep out the sheep that occasionally graze the BLM land that abuts our place, but no fencing to keep anything in.
Here's my experience:
After living in their grow out coop until they were fully feathered, the first year chicks were kept in a "tractor run" from age 5 weeks to about 4-5 months, during the day and cooped at night.
I moved the tractor around the yard regularly. They willingly returned to their coop as the light dimmed in the evening. No bribes required - they knew that was their place to roost.
Once it became obvious that the dogs were not a threat to the pullets, we opened the door to the run. All that year they stayed close to the yards surrounding the house and their coop. They willingly and consistently went to roost in the coop.
No issues at all. Chickens are creatures of habit.. That can work to *our* advantage <G>.
When Winter approached we docked the tractor to the coop, it is now a permanent run (and I am hoping to build a much larger one for when we are away). The chickens ventured out in all sorts of weather, snow and cold, so long as there was a path packed down for them.
This year the girls range a little farther than the area around the house. It seems they use about half the area we have fenced for the dogs (a total of 3.5 acres with electric in-ground fencing). There are juniper trees, lots of grasshoppers and they spend the hottest part of the day under the deck. They always go to the coop by dusk.
This year's chicks went from the brooder to the grow out coop/pen at 4 weeks. After a while the gates were left open for them. They foraged, explored, always came back to their coop at dusk. At about 4 months they started going into the big girls coop and that's where they roost now. Again, it's a habit, they do not need to be enticed.
These girls range a little farther than the older group, but not by much.
You may hear from the wizards on the forum that your coop should allow about 4" per bird (and add more to allow for chicken math <G>), and the run 10" per bird, give or take.
Build as big as you can handle! and predator proof to the max just in case.
I wish I had built bigger, but then I'd have more birds and since we are not doing meat birds at all, I think our flock size is just fine. (but oh, the temptation of those little fluff butts in April!)
There are perils to free ranging. i recommend BeeKissed's article (look on the Home Page for the link). We have yard dogs, and are familiar with our local predator threats.
You should learn about yours while planning to keep birds.
The birds will do well if you consider the factors BeeKissed mentions, use a lot of common sense and trust - up to a point. have fun and good luck.
