Free range vs cooped up

[suzyQlou]

I'm in the suburbs, and I'm using a chicken tractor. My original plan was to let them out a couple of hours when I'm outside, but that hasn't quite worked out (yet).

Two reasons:
I found out chickens aren't 100% legal in my neighborhood. I want to make sure the neighbors are all used to them before I turn them loose. We have a big yard, but no fences.

And I haven't had much success with treat-training. Only one of my chicks is happy to let me escort her back into the run when it's time. On the occasions when they have escaped (or my sons have "accidentally" let them out), I had to patiently follow them around until I could corner them to pick them up. I'm not patient enough to do that every day.

 

[HighNDryFarm]

SuzyQLou, you only need to do it a few times before they figure it out and you just need to point them in the right direction. I've been teaching my 5 & 3 year old grandsons the art of herding chickens. It's a lot like gathering cows...if you've ever turned 500 heads of cattle you'll know that one little move can turn them in the wrong direction!

It's the same with chickens, just stay behind them, to the side of them, but don't get in front of them or they'll turn and go back the way they came.

 

[pawsplus]

That would REALLY not work w/ my girls, LOL! Esp. Clarice, who was a stray and living wild when I took her in (with great effort). If Clarice were to get out of the run, she wouldn't be back until nightfall, PERIOD (if then!).

 

[Hope49_DH]

Our regulations say must be confined in proper "housing" So they have their coop and run all prim and proper, but I'm guessing, that at some point, they may have day-trips to the rest of that side of the yard.