Free Ranging several times a day?

[devora]

On another thread a poster mentioned letting his/her chickens out ‘a couple of times a day.’ Does anyone do this? I cannot imagine the headache of trying to get them back in the coop before they were ready to go on their own. I know I can lure them w/ treats, but I don’t think any treat would be sure to trump free ranging.

 

[SilverJeep]

Dunno, I free range mine all day every day.

I just open the door on the way to work, then close it when I put the kids to bed. No problem.

Well just one problem. Chicken poop ALL OVER the back deck!!

 

[jackiedon]

I have done that with small chicks to give them some time to free range but want to be there to watch them. But I normally let them out in the morning and put them back in the evening. We have a pretty safe area. I'm sure people do that when they can only let them free range while they can watch them. My goats do a great job of "watching them"

jackie

 

[BeckyLa]

We usually let our flock of EE's out in the morning. Then we bring them in after lunch and let the BR out. Or visa versa. Or maybe the bantys. Each flock is trained to the bucket so getting them up is no problem. This way everybody gets a chance to free range. It's funny, often the flock that was out is already back up before I even go out.

 

[MayberrySaint]

I open the chicken door in the morning and my girls will stay out until dark. There is absolutely NO WAY that I could get my girls back in during the day. I have tried treats, etc. but have to wait until dark for them to go in and roost. If I finish fencing their run, I could probably get them into that and close the gate, but into the coop is impossible.

 

[ncflowerpower]

We let the girls out after work when we get home. Open the gate and out they run, they put themselves up at night, we just have to shut the door

They are out approximately 2.5 hours and seem happy. They do have a very large outdoor pen to relax in during the day.

 

[bigzio]

Devora, I agree that once the birds are out they are out til sundown when they want to come home. One of the most sressfull events with free-ranging is trying to sho birds back home when they don't want to go. We always plan on staying home when the birds are out.... almost most of the time.

bigzio

 

[domromer]

I keep my girls in a tractor during the day and then at night I have a permanent coop for them to sleep in. Lately I have been letting them freerange for an hour before it was time to go in the coop. I decided to stop this because I wanted them to associate the opening of the tractor with bedtime. Well the first night I tried this I was able to get them to their coop but when I shut them in what a racket. They complained at the top of thier little 8 week old lungs. I never thought chickens could give such attitude!!

 

[SpottedCrow]

Obelisk is like a cat, in and she wants to go out, out when she wants to be in...
She goes out a few times a day. I can't leave her and Penny out all the time because of the neighbour's dog and hawks.