Free range vs cooped up

[Emily1220]

Our coop is 4X8 with an attached run that is 10X8. They can come and go as they please. I am to scared to let them out into the yard. Scared they wont come back. The coop and run is inside a chain link area of about 50X 30 but what if they fly out? I'm a chicken!!! LOL!!

 

[Nicole01]

I have a 60ft coop with a 100ft run that I keep them in full time. My neighbor across the street let's her dog roam and he tries to eat our cats when he sees them in our driveway or on our porch. There are other dogs that roam along with fox, wolves, coyotes and black bears. Our city also requires us to keep the chickens fenced up in a run.

 

[kimntep]

Quote:
Emily!!

They can't fly far and if they are used to their area, they aren't going to bolt on you, silly! Do they like treats and are they used to you being the food lady? Trust me, try it and they will love it! Wait until it is late enough in the evening that they'll naturally head back in on their own to go to bed and be ready with a treat (mine love BOSS and it works EVERY time!) Shake the seeds in something that makes a little noise and they'll learn that sound really quickly. Don't be such a chicken!!

 

[VelvettFog]

If I told everyone here that my birds free range all day, and that I don't have hardware cloth on all my openings, and that I don't really latch my pop-door, just close it, I'm sure that I'd be told about all the mistakes I have made.

So I wont say all that.


I will say that I let my birds out in the morning, at around 5:30 am every day, and I close up the pop-door around 8:30 pm once they have all 'gone to bed'.



Dave

 

[ThinkingChickens]

At first mine were in their coop and run full time. I have an Eglu Go and run. Then I started letting them into a smaller fenced in yard (about 25'x30' or more) when I was home. Then I just gave up and let them be out all the time. They have a deck, their run and a tree for cover. We have hawks but the chicken area is pretty well covered. We're constructing a walk in run with roosting bars and toys that will be completed this summer. Then the girls will be in there. The run will be roughly 10'x7' or as big as we can fit in the space around the trees and such.

 

[gryeyes]

Mine range freely over an acre. They go into their coops at night, two of which have automatic chicken doors. I used to have a run, fenced around all the coops, but once I let the chickens range freely, the RUN fencing got in the way of things and I took it down. Now they stay inside the perimeter fence of the whole property.

Except for one hen who decided she didn't want to be the roosters' favorite any more, and she moved next door to the empty lot for her daytime activities. She comes home every night to roost in a coop, though. And her back feathers have all grown back very nicely. She and I have conversations as she walks back through the gap between the two six foot gate sections, then down the long drive to my front yard, and then around to the back yard after everybody else has mostly gone to roost. I find it amusing.

She may, someday, not come home. So far, however, she trundles back home every evening.

 

[HighNDryFarm]

Mine free range all day. Over the last 30 years I have lost...maybe two to hawks. I lost one to a hawk a few months ago but this new group learned a great lesson and if the hawk is around they are under cover! Amazing how smart they are. I've lost more chickens locked tight up in their coop then I ever have letting them free range.

We are beefing up a small run (about 12x18), within our large run (about 40x18), directly off the coop to keep them safe at night. Also splits the run in three sections if I need to separate anyone out and one spot that will be a nice grow out pen. We're also installing an automatic door to let them out in the morning and lock them in at night....although I do enjoy that walk out to the coop to count heads and lock the door....most of the time anyway! Mainly so that we can get away without asking the neighbors (my parents) to do more then throw hay to our horses.

For those of you afraid the chickens won't go back in the coop...chickens are creatures of habit and will go back in when they're ready to go to bed. If you want them in earlier a scoop of scratch or their favorite treat usually does the trick! I love nothing more then seeing the chickens running around the property....but 3 acres and they LOVE the landscaped portion the best if we don't close the gate to the front of the property.

 

[MarinMama]

Quote:
same here. they have a large, shaded run attached to the coop but get to free range when we are out...usually twice a day for about 3 hours but they really do not venture too far from the coop/run and if there is any sort of disturbance run and hide there.

today i saw 2 hawks circling. i stood on my raised garden bed and shook a red shovel at them. Must have scared them because they went elsewhere

i probably scared my neighbors as well.

 

[pawsplus]

I have 3 hens. They have a 10x10 run (covered) and are locked in their henhouse at night. All this is for their safety. I am in the country, where hawks and cars abound. It's NOT safe out there! I'm about to add a second 10x10 run next to the original one. They will have access to this one sometimes (not all the time, as I'm hoping to be able to keep grass in it).

 

[chicknerd]

The first time I took mine out at chicks, I was glad they were in a portable pen. Hawks were watching their every move.

They are in a large run and a grassy area which is fenced in. Too many predators around us - we have bobcats, coyotes, bears, racoons, foxes, possums.

Plus one lovable 120lb dog who doesn't understand that she squishes the birds when trying to herd them.

(But boy can she chase those predators away!)