How hard is it to let your chickens out of their coop to be in yard?

[AllenInTampa]

I also was gun shy about letting mine out. I had been wanting to, just afraid they would never go back in the pen. One afternoon, with the help of several beers

I opened the gate and pulled up a chair. I was amazed at how easy it was to get them back inside. I kicked myself over and over for not doing it sooner.

I have a white plastic pan I always give them their treats in since day one. All I have to do now is simply drag the pan out and they come running. I mean they will literally fall over their own feet running back to the pen. I always reward them with a treat of some sort for going back in.

I do try to stay outside with them when they are out as we have a ton of hawks around here

 

[RedStarLady1207]

I let mine out but I have a fenced area although it has no top and is only 4 feet tall. They can get over it but never tried until today. Lucy took flight but before she got over I snatched her down from my picket fence. I clipped both her wings today. You can't let them run over other people's property and tear up their gardens or yard or leave poop on their sidewalk. A fast way to irritate your neighbors.

I didn't let them out for two months and now I let them out once or twice a day for 2 for 4 hours depending on how long I feel like being out there (with some fast dashes into the house for a drink for me and a small treat for them). In my dream world I would have an enclosed aviary (lol) but my fenced in area is 30 feet by 50 feet with tall trees, so closing it in completely across the top is not an option.

If you start to let them out I would do it just before dusk in 1/2 hour increments. My chickens go up their ladder on their own when it gets dark and then I lock them up for the night and close up the coop/run as well. Some days I don't let them out at all if I will be away and that is just life. They have plenty of room in the coop/run combo but they do like to be out and about.

I was a bit nervous when I let them out the first time as they acted a bit crazy with the new found freedom and starting running all over the place at top speed and flapping their wings! I thought - oh my gosh - I won't do THAT again, but I did, and now we enjoy our time outside the coop together.

I love watching them chase flying insects, scratching around in the leaves, jumping up in my lap (only one does that) taking a big communal dust bath, and how they watch and listen to all the other birds around in the woods, people, sounds of cars, etc.. It is really funny to watch them turn their head completely sideways to look straight up. When crows fly over head, mobbing a hawk for instance, they all run under my chair. I guess I am their safety net (or my chair is). Chickens are 100 percent food motivated. I'd like to think they like me but they like me because they associate me with food. That is a good and bad thing. It is easy to trick them into where you want them to go, but on the downside, you have to watch when you are walking into their yard as they will trip you up being underfoot and obnoxious.

I do think it is a matter of time before one goes over the fence but if you keep them busy they soon forget. I shake their feeder, or pull a bag of mixed seeds out of my pocket, or some grapes. I only have three chickens and two follow me around and go in the tractor with just my me going over to it but one would rather not, and instead continue to scratch about. She knows the deal and I have to attract her first sometimes with a delicious treat and if she goes in the other two are easy. I can pick those two up but not Rita. She is more independent and won't be touched or held if she has any say.

 

[off-grid hen]

I would try training them to come when called, but sometimes they can be stubborn and not want to come when you call them. Even with treats. Try the training as suggested in the link above, and in the meantime, fence your yard in. You don't want chickens roaming the neighborhood, unless you've cleared it with your neighbors. Replacing the neighbors flowers and veggies that the chickens dig up will eventually get expensive. They also will eventually cross the road, so consider how much traffic you have in your neighborhood. I'm not sure how much land you have. If you mentioned it, I don't remember. Mine roam as far away about 200 yards around their coop once they're comfortable roaming and foraging. Good luck!

 

[outdoorsii]

I let mine out but I have a fenced area although it has no top and is only 4 feet tall. They can get over it but never tried until today. Lucy took flight but before she got over I snatched her down from my picket fence. I clipped both her wings today. You can't let them run over other people's property and tear up their gardens or yard or leave poop on their sidewalk. A fast way to irritate your neighbors.

I didn't let them out for two months and now I let them out once or twice a day for 2 for 4 hours depending on how long I feel like being out there (with some fast dashes into the house for a drink for me and a small treat for them). In my dream world I would have an enclosed aviary (lol) but my fenced in area is 30 feet by 50 feet with tall trees, so closing it in completely across the top is not an option.

If you start to let them out I would do it just before dusk in 1/2 hour increments. My chickens go up their ladder on their own when it gets dark and then I lock them up for the night and close up the coop/run as well. Some days I don't let them out at all if I will be away and that is just life. They have plenty of room in the coop/run combo but they do like to be out and about.

I was a bit nervous when I let them out the first time as they acted a bit crazy with the new found freedom and starting running all over the place at top speed and flapping their wings! I thought - oh my gosh - I won't do THAT again, but I did, and now we enjoy our time outside the coop together.

I love watching them chase flying insects, scratching around in the leaves, jumping up in my lap (only one does that) taking a big communal dust bath, and how they watch and listen to all the other birds around in the woods, people, sounds of cars, etc.. It is really funny to watch them turn their head completely sideways to look straight up. When crows fly over head, mobbing a hawk for instance, they all run under my chair. I guess I am their safety net (or my chair is). Chickens are 100 percent food motivated. I'd like to think they like me but they like me because they associate me with food. That is a good and bad thing. It is easy to trick them into where you want them to go, but on the downside, you have to watch when you are walking into their yard as they will trip you up being underfoot and obnoxious.

I do think it is a matter of time before one goes over the fence but if you keep them busy they soon forget. I shake their feeder, or pull a bag of mixed seeds out of my pocket, or some grapes. I only have three chickens and two follow me around and go in the tractor with just my me going over to it but one would rather not, and instead continue to scratch about. She knows the deal and I have to attract her first sometimes with a delicious treat and if she goes in the other two are easy. I can pick those two up but not Rita. She is more independent and won't be touched or held if she has any say.

Oh be sure to just clip one of their wings, makes em fly wonky if they try; I'm about to have to do that to mine, I really don't want to, b/c I love watching them run around and fly its so funny. We found a good way to get them back in the pen...LOL, my dad jumped out of this bush screaming and yelling like a crow would or a hawk LOL, they TOOOOOOK OFFFFF towards the pen lol, some of them missing the door they were going so fast....

 

[Lovinmygirls]

Great information! My OCD Border Collie loves herding them the couple of times they have been out. They do stumble over each other running when food may be offered. Time to train them on a really special treat just for this occasion, any suggestions? It would be great to enjoy the summer and fall evenings letting them spread a little. I lost one of my girls recently in a freak accident where they should have been safe (bad pre-made coop design) and do want them to be safe and manageable on the outside of their fence. I still mourn the -1 egg.

 

[janinepeters]

I would try training them to come when called, but sometimes they can be stubborn and not want to come when you call them. Even with treats.

This is true, if they have not been out for very long. I haven't had any trouble getting them in if they've had at least 4 hours to run around, by which time they're ready for a treat. Even if they are out for a shorter period, I can almost always get them in, but if not all of them go right in, just shut most of them in, and wait a few minutes. Usually (always, for me), you will find the stragglers waiting by the door to be let in. They want to be with the flock. It also helps if they're tame, so you can scoop up the stragglers if necessary.

 

[janinepeters]

If all of your birds are strong flyers, then a 4 ft fence will not keep them in unless you clip a wing. But most breeds don't fly well, and if you have only a couple in your flock that fly well, I've found that clipping is not necessary. I have 2 birds that occasionally fly out, but social creatures that they are, they want to be with the flock, the rest of which cannot get over the fence...So the flyers just come back within minutes.

But the type of fence is important: A 4 ft wire fence with nothing for them to land on contains all but the best flyers (like hamburgs). A 4 ft wooden fence with a nice sturdy rail makes it easy for most breeds to hop-fly onto the rail, and then out of the yard.

 

[outdoorsii]

If all of your birds are strong flyers, then a 4 ft fence will not keep them in unless you clip a wing. But most breeds don't fly well, and if you have only a couple in your flock that fly well, I've found that clipping is not necessary. I have 2 birds that occasionally fly out, but social creatures that they are, they want to be with the flock, the rest of which cannot get over the fence...So the flyers just come back within minutes.

But the type of fence is important: A 4 ft wire fence with nothing for them to land on contains all but the best flyers (like hamburgs). A 4 ft wooden fence with a nice sturdy rail makes it easy for most breeds to hop-fly onto the rail, and then out of the yard.

Yea your right janine, our fence is about 3.5' i think & it does the trick, we have gravel/rocks & some wood planks against the outside in case the fox wants to try to get in. And yea most breeds can't fly that well full grown, but my wynadottes, they can fly lik the wind so we're definately cutting a wing each of theirs, our dominique blackie would probably be the only 1 that could get outta the run if she wanted to, she's the lowest on the totem poll in terms of pecking order, but she never has tried to get out already I do have a video of her jumping up on the roost which is at least 4.5' tall, no other1 can do that lol, I've seen em try & they just get their lil chins up there lol & hang tillt hey fall, dorks....

 

[janinepeters]

but my wynadottes, they can fly lik the wind

How old are these wyandottes? Are they bantam or full sized? I've had wyandottes in the past, and they definitely could not fly as adults. Their short wings couldn't seem to get their roundish bodies off the ground very high, unless there was something to hop onto.

 

[outdoorsii]

How old are these wyandottes? Are they bantam or full sized? I've had wyandottes in the past, and they definitely could not fly as adults. Their short wings couldn't seem to get their roundish bodies off the ground very high, unless there was something to hop onto.

Oh our GLW are full sized definately, for the bigger eggs...& this coming weekend they'll be 4 months; so they can still fly pretty good for beign about half grown. Our dominique has short wings & she seems to be able to fly straight up on the roost from right underneath it, bout 4.5 ft up, I think she just likes to show off though.