Free range or enclosed run?

[Dona Worry]

A possibly even stronger piece of evidence is what they do if you lock them in for a day after having free-ranged for a while: They will stand right by the fence and let out long moans of torment, for hours on end. Or just stand quietly by the fence and give you a very telling look if they happen to see you. If anyone can walk past a chicken run and be subjected to such sounds and sights without feeling a pang of guilt, I question that person's sanity.

Then you have a terrible run.
I lock my birds in the coop at night, no matter what. During the day, they have access to a run that has shelter, dust bathes, and treats. Most days, I open the big door to the coop and let them into the yard. On pleasant days, out they go and love it. They'll wander far and wide, and I am surrounded by cow pastures that are FULL of exciting things like compost and cow pies. On wet, cold, or windy days, they stay in the run, and I shut the door shortly after I open it. They don't miss it.

Another way to think about it is that if a chicken were less happy free-ranging, it would simply stay in the run if the door was opened. But they don't. They tend to run out as if their butts were on fire.

See above. Bad weather, they stay in the run and enjoy their bath and treats.

Why do y'all refrain from letting them out in bad weather? Unless it's to keep them from getting frost bite when it's too cold, I don't see any reason to. They aren't harmed by getting soaking wet in rain, for example.

I keep the big door closed in bad weather to keep the coop warm and dry. The chickens prefer the run on those days anyways, and they are deeply skeptical of your claims that icy cold soaking rain doesn't harm them. They prefer to stay dry, thanks.

 

[RodNTN]

Well, I voted for free range, because that works for me. If a predator attacks I'll keep them enclosed in their run for a week or two until the threat passes or we take care of the threat
Free ranging will work if you want to cut back on feed bills (this usually only counts in the warmer months), if you don't have many predators, or if you are willing to risk losing the occasional bird to a predator.

An enclosed run will work if you deal with a lot of predators, or if you can't keep your chickens out of your neighbors yard.

I guess I can't choose just one, because they both work

 

[Henrik Petersson]

Then you have a terrible run.

I'm sure my run is terrible, but it's still better than pretty much every run I've seen here on BYC. It's comparatively enormous, some thousand square feet of dirt for around 10 chickens. It has bushes and a little hut to hide in, roosts to jump up on, and a roof-covered dust-bathing area.

I think that for a run to count as "non-terrible" by a chicken, it has to be at least an acre big.

During the day, they have access to a run that has shelter, dust bathes, and treats.

Treats? How do you keep them from eating all the treats at once?

(...)Most days, I open the big door to the coop and let them into the yard. On pleasant days, out they go and love it. They'll wander far and wide, and I am surrounded by cow pastures that are FULL of exciting things like compost and cow pies. On wet, cold, or windy days, they stay in the run, and I shut the door shortly after I open it. They don't miss it. (...)

See above. Bad weather, they stay in the run and enjoy their bath and treats.

I keep the big door closed in bad weather to keep the coop warm and dry. (....)

I don't get it. Don't you have a gate that you can open in the run itself? Do you have to open the coop door?

Why will they be more dry in the run than outside? Is your run totally covered?

I keep the big door closed in bad weather to keep the coop warm and dry. The chickens prefer the run on those days anyways, and they are deeply skeptical of your claims that icy cold soaking rain doesn't harm them. They prefer to stay dry, thanks.

Mine stay under the roof or bushes in the run... Or underneath any of the numerous hiding spots outside the run, such as the cars, the human houses, the porch, or any of the numerous bushes in the yard or woods. Point is, if the get uncomfortably wet, they can decide themselves whether to hide under something or not. Point is, there's no need to lock them up in order for them to hide under something.

Or, what, you only have dry hiding spots inside the run?

 

[rosemarythyme]

I have a question about this: do any of you have your chooks in an enclosed run ALMOST 24/7?

Me. I guess I didn't actually answer that earlier!

I do allow very limited free ranging if I'm able to keep an eye on them. I have tried letting them out for longer but they usually take themselves back to the run after an hour or two.

No I don't feel like I'm depriving them, I try to make sure there's things in the run for them to climb on or explore, even if it's as simple as a pile of leaves. Yes the rest of my yard is (mostly) free of poop bombs, holes in the lawn, etc.

 

[Dona Worry]

I think that for a run to count as "non-terrible" by a chicken, it has to be at least an acre big.

My run is much smaller than that. It needs some space, sure, but also needs food, water, and fun.

Treats? How do you keep them from eating all the treats at once?

Apples are a popular treat. Also a handful of scratch scattered so they have to hunt for it.

I don't get it. Don't you have a gate that you can open in the run itself? Do you have to open the coop door?
Why will they be more dry in the run than outside? Is your run totally covered?

No, I only have the coop door. No door from the run itself. The run is an 18 feet pool frame, but it has two calf hutches attached to it, and the chickens hang out there on wet days. That is where the dust bathes and treats are.

Or, what, you only have dry hiding spots inside the run?

The only dry spot to hide not in the coop/run is under my porch, and they have to run across the open yard to get there.
I get HIGH winds at my house, and most of my trees and bushes reflect that. Very little protection from the elements is provided by my bushes in wind and rain, although they are a great favorite on hot summer days.

The point is, what works for YOUR chickens may not be a hard and fast rule for ALL chickens. Some days-- bright sunny dry days-- my chickens want to roam free and search for goodies in the pastures.
On nasty days, or hawk days, they are perfectly happy confined.

Heck, my six-week old babies haven't even ventured out into a RUN yet. I don't think they will ever want to free range.

 

[Henrik Petersson]

No, I only have the coop door. No door from the run itself.

Well, that certainly changes matters. I am so used to the idea of runs having doors that I just assumed all had them. I can see why you don't want to get you coop all wet.

The point is, what works for YOUR chickens may not be a hard and fast rule for ALL chickens.

Fair enough. I just hope people don't lock up their chickens because it's raining and because they think the chickens are too dumb to seek shelter (as apparently turkeys are, from what I've read). As long as they can easily get to a dry place when it's raining, I deem it safe to just let them roam. Heck, they often just ignore rain and walk around soaking wet, scratching away like nobody's business.

With extreme cold, I trust their instincts less. Our have sometimes gotten frostbitten combs even though they've had the opportunity to go inside a warm-ish coop.

Heck, my six-week old babies haven't even ventured out into a RUN yet. I don't think they will ever want to free range.

That sounds suspiciously like Orpingtons.

 

[Melky]

I was wondering your opinions on letting your chickens be free ranged or keeping them in an enclosed run.

I’ve heard that free ranged keeps them quieter because they have more to do but also that an enclosed run makes them quieter because they feel safer. Is one better than the other?
Any advise would be greatly appreciated

I have both. For security and weather protection. Mine are only out when I am out working so I can keep an eye on them.

 

[Dona Worry]

That sounds suspiciously like Orpingtons.

Nope. Polish Crested. The door has been open for over two weeks, and I finally booted them out yesterday so I could do a thorough clean.

They HATED it. Did not go out today, and I wonder if they ever will. . . I don't think Polish are meant to free range.

 

[Henrik Petersson]

Nope. Polish Crested. The door has been open for over two weeks, and I finally booted them out yesterday so I could do a thorough clean.

They HATED it. Did not go out today, and I wonder if they ever will. . . I don't think Polish are meant to free range.

Two weeks does sound a lot in this matter. Our record-holders for couch-potatiness were Orpingtons. Bought as adults, they had a tiny coop, and yet it took three days before one ventured outside...

... And when it did, it walked out onto the little ramp leading from the pop door to the ground, and turned back inside before it had touched ground. I had been sitting and watching them since they arrived, even planted a chair outside the run for that specific purpose, and it was just so anti-climactic when it went back in.

The next day, one actually touched ground!

... To walk back in when it had gotten twelve inches away from the aforementioned ramp.

And lo, the Orps kept discovering the run, half a foot per day... They finally achieved a roaming radius comparable to a normal chicken, but I've forgotten how long it took.

But I digress... Or, wait, maybe this could actually count as on-topic... I mean, with birds like my Orps or your Polishes, there really wouldn't even be a need for free-ranging, would it? So let's count this post as an "it depends on the breed"-argument. Or, maybe not "breed" (I've heard of active Orps), but perhaps "line", or at least "individual chicken"?

 

[Dona Worry]

Two weeks does sound a lot in this matter. Our record-holders for couch-potatiness were Orpingtons. Bought as adults, they had a tiny coop, and yet it took three days before one ventured outside...

... And when it did, it walked out onto the little ramp leading from the pop door to the ground, and turned back inside before it had touched ground. I had been sitting and watching them since they arrived, even planted a chair outside the run for that specific purpose, and it was just so anti-climactic when it went back in.

The next day, one actually touched ground!

... To walk back in when it had gotten twelve inches away from the aforementioned ramp.

And lo, the Orps kept discovering the run, half a foot per day... They finally achieved a roaming radius comparable to a normal chicken, but I've forgotten how long it took.

But I digress... Or, wait, maybe this could actually count as on-topic... I mean, with birds like my Orps or your Polishes, there really wouldn't even be a need for free-ranging, would it? So let's count this post as an "it depends on the breed"-argument. Or, maybe not "breed" (I've heard of active Orps), but perhaps "line", or at least "individual chicken"?

I certainly notice a difference in the chickens who want to go far vrs stay in. If there is one chicken that doesn't even want to leave the coop on wet days, it is 100% the buff orpington. Even on days when they free range, she and the black australorp prefer to stay closer to home than say, my rhode island red or the wyandottes. And my Polish Crested rooster, well, he would be happy to never leave the run ever.
Breed does make a difference!