Free-ranging intro help!

[SimplyShayely]

Just got 10 pullets, aged 2-3 months. They’re slowly adjusting to their new home and me. I want them to free range however I don’t know (1) when to introduce them to the great wide open and (2) how to ensure they all come back to the coop. My lot is just over an acre and is only partially fenced. Any advice is greatly appreciated!

 

[TwoChicksChix]

My chickens all know a call I make. It’s basically me just going chick-chick-chick-chick in a unique voice. To train them to it. I use that voice whenever I feed treats to them.

So I go outside and make the sound and give them some tomatoes, or fruit, or sunflower seeds. After a couple days I can make the sound and they come running because they know I have a treat. I own five acres and they’ll come from nearly the other end to get these treats.

It’s a great way to ensure they all come when you need them to, but also, if they’ve been locked up in their coop for a few days and see it as home, they’ll naturally want to go back to the coop at night for safety.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

They don't venture far from where they know home is. If they have been confined to the coop for any amount of time, they already know where it is safe to sleep so they will most likely go back at dusk.
Do you have any way of penning them around the coop for a day or two so they can orient themselves to their surroundings before being allowed to venture further?

 

[SimplyShayely]

They don't venture far from where they know home is. If they have been confined to the coop for any amount of time, they already know where it is safe to sleep so they will most likely go back at dusk.
Do you have any way of penning them around the coop for a day or two so they can orient themselves to their surroundings before being allowed to venture further?

They have two chicken runs/pens to choose from with two different exits in their coop. They’ve come and gone between each run and will always travel between the two runs together.
I’ve read that introducing them to the free range an hour or two before dusk/bedtime works. ???

 

[TwoChicksChix]

To be honest, when mine were introduced to free ranging, I just let them out one day, just opened up the full thing and they were fine. But doing it a little bit before they go to bed doesn’t hurt. It might make them return better

 

[SimplyShayely]

To be honest, when mine were introduced to free ranging, I just let them out one day, just opened up the full thing and they were fine. But doing it a little bit before they go to bed doesn’t hurt. It might make them return better

How old were they when you let them free-range for the first time?

 

[TwoChicksChix]

Hmm, I’d say about 10 weeks

 

[centrarchid]

Assuming they have been kept in a pen or coop where they can see their surroundings for at least three days, they typically have an idea where roost is when released. Still on first day of release, my preference is to do it an hour or so before they would otherwise return to roost. I stay out with them to determine where they actually roost. Last night I released a single cockerel that is somewhere in the range of 6 to 8 weeks after 4 days. He tried to roost in a location outside his pen so he was collected and put inside. Process may need to be repeated with some before roost you want used is used.

If weather is good and predator management, especially with respect to hawks is sound, then I will go as early as two weeks when free-ranged for first time.

 

[Cryss]

An hour before bed is an excellent way to do it. I wish I could. I just have too many predators.

 

[TomZilla43]

Hello and . If they have had the same coop/roost for at least 3-5 days I would say that you're fine to start allowing them some free range time. And just shortly before dusk is a good way to start off, because they won't stray quite so far from the coop(not that they go terribly far anyway). Hope your chooks figure it out and do well, glad you could join us here.