Free-Roaming Chickes All Over The Place?

[Buster]

I let the half of my grown girls with the rooster I trust out of the coop during the day at times that I am at home and and sometimes when I'm not, and so far haven't had any problems. I generally let my dog (who couldn't care less about chickens but hates strays) out with them but she just recently whelped so they are out there now without a protector even. I have been nervous about hawks recently but haven't had a problem yet. I would let the rest of the girls out as well, but they are either too young or separated with a breed- specific roo, and that particular roo I don't trust around my two young sons. I'm not sure what anyone else's experience is, this is just mine.

 

[justinszoo]

All of my chicks are free range. Adults and juveniles. We leave the back door to the barn open so they can come and go as they please. Everynight around 9 we close up for the night. So far the only tragidy has been from a pallet fallen over on one of my ameracauna hens yesterday. Killed her dead

 

[peepkeeper]

Mine free range all day and I lock them in their coop at night. I have 8 week olds who would like to join them, but I think they're still too small. I think that the reason we don't really get bothered by critters is that I have dogs, and critters tend to avoid the scent of dogs, and we have 70 acres way out in the boondocks. Critters here don't need to approach human habitation to get food. It seems to me that the people who live in suburban developed areas have more trouble with predation because predators need to find food wherever they can get it.

 

[Beekissed]

I free range also and absolutely LOVE to watch the beautiful chickens on the emerald green grass! I am lucky enough to have 2 good guard dogs and be surrounded by pasture land, so the ground predators are very exposed if they venture this far, then they die a quick death...compliments of Jake! I feel the benefits outweigh the risks, as I feel the birds are naturally more healthy when they don't have to live on a bare run and manure. They certainly appear more content and more calm, as well as produce a nice hard-shelled, golden-yolked egg. And they follow me around, which makes me feel like a queen!

 

[ninjapoodles]

OK, so here's my follow-up question:

Do you have to "train" the birds to return to their coop at night? My biggest fear is that I let them out and they scatter to the four winds, never to be seen again!

And when are they big/old enough to go outside their safe run? Earlier I said mine were 9 weeks old, but I recalculated, and they're only about 7.5 weeks.

 

[Henrietta23]

Our yard is only 3/4 of an acre and the backyard is fenced in for our dogs. That's about 1/2 acre. The chickens free range back there all day. They do have a covered pen but one of my hens can fly over it then can't get back in so the door to the pen is just always open. My new 6 week olds won't be allowed to do that for a while so we'll have to adjust the set up so the big girls and boys can get out but the little ones will be in the pen.
We do have hawks but our yard is surrounded by trees that over hand so there is not much of a view of the chickens from overhead. I think that helps. We did lose one hen to a fox but she had gotten over or under the fence into the neighbor's yard and went broody.

 

[LuckysMom]

Well, I'm getting a LOT of yard work done, because I let my chickens out and then can't stand to leave them out by themselves.

I guess you have to know your neighborhood. There are too many dogs around for my flock to be out without my watching them.

 

[sueg6255]

I free range my chickens. I have "teenagers" that I have just started letting out. They are doing good. First I let them out for a couple of hours then the next day longer and longer. They all seem to get along and now I see the teenagers are roaming with the older birds and doing fine.

I know what you mean about them getting mad if you don't let them out. They are used to it. I even let them out all day when I am not here. They go in on their own at night.

hope this helps.

 

[Buster]

Quote:
If you keep the chickens in the coop for about a week (I would wait until they are a little older personally) and then let them out, they will return to the coop at night. I make a head count every night and lock up the coop so everyone is safe and sound and this keeps everyone there, My uncle let some of his get away with not returning for a while and eventually all of them roosted in trees, but this could have been avoided by closing the coop and finding the strays when they occurred. For the record, the only time mine haven't returned like clock work at night is when my kids accidentally locked two of them in my shop.

 

[Wildsky]

I let my hens and roo out just before lunch every day - depending on what Im doing - and how hot it is - if its super hot they get out right away to go wallow under a tree.

I have hens that are around 10 months and then babies that were born in March all out all afternoon. (my babies were out in the coop at around 8 or 9 weeks - and do what the big girls do)

My back yard has temporary fencing till we get another section done for the horse, then I'll connct to that....

THey all know where to go home to the coop - even the babies knew right away - the babies slept in the coop one night in their brooder box, and were out free ranging again the next day - they knew how to get back "home" (might have just followed the herd! LOL)

We tried a few times to get them into the coop before sun down - NOPE wasn't gonna happen, and we were running around the yard like idiots......

(where was that video camera?)