Free Range in Late Afternoon - Is there a reason why?

[Sequin]

Yeah, for me too it is a schedule thing. I come home around 3:30, potty/exercise the dogs, let the chickens out to run and sip a glass of wine before starting dinner etc. Then I bring the chickens a treat/snack to get them back into the coop for the night. They would go there on their own, but I like to make sure everyone is safe and sound for the night so I don't have to chase black chickens in the dark.

 

[Beekissed]

I have the perfect place and set up for free ranging and exceptional LGDs, so I never close the pop door of the henhouse. They ebb and flow as they see fit and they lay in the nest now, after sufficient training. Sometimes, when I get a batch of new layers that are confused, I will keep them in until afternoon until they get used to using the nests.

I'm just glad, with my crazy work schedule, that I don't have to be home to let chickens out at any special time. This works well for us. I check in the evenings for eggs and have a look at the flock while they are on the roost, for any health problems.

 

[Chickenaddict]

I free range all day from 7 am until about 6:30 pm now seeing as thats when it starts getting dark. Most of the time i am here but sometimes i am working and still leave them out. They usually stay in the yard altho one time they crossed the road to go see the neighbors, all but the rooster were over there. I have a 10 ft by 15 ft dog kennel run that is predator proofed but they dont like it compared to the huge yard. I have never had a problem with predators, there are plenty of hawks around but also lots of crows that chase them off. When its time for them to go to bed they shuffle in the coop one by one with no problems.

 

[Village Farm]

Quote:
We put a bell on the coop and once or twice a day ring it then toss some scratch ("chicken crack") into the coop. They're so trained to the bell that when the town's bell (cast by Paul Revere, btw) rings, they all high-tail it to the coop and look hopeful.

Using the bell trick, it's not at all difficult to get them rounded up when we need to.

 

[Shogun99]

Yelling "CHICK CHICK CHICK" works for me...I'm bell-disabled ha ha.

 

[cajunlizz]

Quote:
We put a bell on the coop and once or twice a day ring it then toss some scratch ("chicken crack") into the coop. They're so trained to the bell that when the town's bell (cast by Paul Revere, btw) rings, they all high-tail it to the coop and look hopeful.

Using the bell trick, it's not at all difficult to get them rounded up when we need to.

I promise you we DO NOT have to ring any bell . They have great hearing . We come into the backyard , and they ALL lined up along the fence to the run waiting .

OR you can throw 1 hand of feed and its a done deal , they all come a running . and we have a flock of over 100