How often do you let your chickens out of the run?

[jafo]

In the summer and if we're home, they are out in the woods all day. Now it's once in a while. They have a 1200 sq ft run, with grass, no bugs, and I pity any bug that DOES get in there. But we let 'em out to run around, and they come back 'bout bedtime.

 

[Tecalli]

Our three girls have a 8x20 run but love being let out to free range. They get about an hour a day before dusk. Our yard is completely fenced in but we have a sharp shinned hawk and a red tailed hawk in the area, so they can only be out when either my husband or I are there to supervise.

From reading this site before we built we thought the run would be plenty for them. They have an old saw horse in there and an old chair. But they are hardly ever out in the run. They go over to the food to eat but then spend their day time under the coop, in the coop, or immediately around the coop. Its completely secure with hardware cloth, including across the top. There is plenty of grass growing in there and I wish they'd use it more.

 

[Equus5O]

My flock goes out every day, usually about 1 1/2 to 2 hours before sunset. I don't sit out there with them. Yes, there are hawks out there somewhere. It bothers my husband that I don't supervise them closely. I can't. But, I want them to be able to have more freedom than the flock allows. Anyway, if one chicken is 5 feet away from me, another 30, etc. am I really able to protect all of them? A hawk is going to pick off the one 5 feet away from me just as easily as the one that's unattended.

 

[cackilacky]

During the week, we let ours out when we come home at the end of the day and let them range until they put themselves in at dusk. On the weekends, if we are around, we'll let them out earlier. If we're going out, we just leave them in the coop or if they're out we lure them back in. We don't have any dogs around and our cats leave the chickens alone (though one likes to watch them, she's been pecked and won't mess with them.) There is a hawk around, but so far so good, we have a lot of trees on our lot and the chickens seem to stick to the wooded areas. Our only problems with predators so far have been at night, not while the girls are free ranging during the day.

 

[ijon1]

I never let them out of their run. There is a half coyote dog living next door.

 

[abooth]

I don't know if this is considered free ranging but my hens have three different runs I rotate them thru so they always have grass to eat. They can go in and out all day. I lock them in the coop at night.

 

[Cuban Longtails]

Mine all free range at the moment, except for a chosen few who must suffer being penned (too valuable to lose)!

 

[magentamomma]

I used to let mine out all the time, then I penned them and had a 8 escape artists which got eaten by a dog, over the course of 2 nights. When that dog moved i let my hens out for the day and I lost 7 to another dog. I wish I could let them out as they have eaten all the vegetation, and are living in a muddy mess, but I just don't feel safe. So I put in fresh greens, and we put down grass clippings. I have been thinking that I would try to do it the next nice evening and just supervise them. Its just hard timing wise. we are also getting ready to build another pen so they can move to new pasture,my flock is too big for chicken tractors. i will use the current pen for my garden in the spring, all that freshh manure, and no weedse

 

[msjones]

We're new chicken lovers here in the PNW, too. Raccoon country!

We have big, fat urban raccoons in our neighborhood. We've seen 'em in the trees, under our deck, crossing streets at night, and find their footprints every time it snows. So, the girls are in the run, most of the time. I've also had hawks swoop down on them. Yikes! In the middle of Seattle! We let them out daily for about a hour, but I stay near the windows where I can see them -- usually while I cook dinner. Of course, I realize that by the time I heard a raccoon, it might be too late.

Come spring, we'll be expanding the run and keeping them in it almost always. I love my garden, and simply cannot fence off the entire thing just so the chickens can roam. I'm guessing they'll miss the big, green yard, but they'll get used to it. And I won't miss all the poop on the deck.

 

[BedlamsEndFarm]

Never had a chicken before - City folks, complete novices. My wife and I bought a hay farm five years ago. We bought this 4' x 7' chicken coop at an estate sale for $50 a week ago.

My wife put a fake chicken inside, and a couple of concrete chickens there, for fun. Anyway, we are going to buy two Dominique chickens, maybe four, if this coop would accommodate them.

Thing is, we have coyotes, feral barn cats, raccoons, hawks. I wasn't going to let the chickens out in the yard. Do I have to?