I cannot free range or can I?

[danepup]

This is what I would suggest, but you could also train them to run into their kennel (or coop or run or wherever) for treats. That way you could lock them up any time of day.

I think that kind of training works best if you yourself can walk inside their coop or pen and call them to you.

Once I move them out to the coop, I can start this kind of training. They're only 7.5 weeks old so while they're living in my garage and going out to the front yard enclosure, I carry them. This is to socialize them too. They're all very cuddly! I hadn't planned to give them snacks until about 18 weeks old and this will give them time to get really used to their coop (if it ever gets done) before we venture out. By then, it'll be October, so the cooler weather will be nice for me to hang out outside with them for the training process. At the moment, when I walk out to their enclosure, all of them come running toward me to be petted, so hopefully it'll be easy. I will post a couple photos of the coop-in-progress!

 

[danepup]

Also would love to see photos of your chicks and the set up

Here's the Nugget apartment in progress. Also, their expanded garage set up. I currently have seven hens, but will have six tomorrow since I think one is a roo or else a very noisy hen and I can't have either in my neighborhood - so this one is going to a friend's farm tomorrow. Also, I gave the girls a stump today (in their front yard enclosure) and they're pretty excited about it.

 

[GlicksChicks]

Good call. In the past, when I had a flock before, the dog space and chicken space was separated. This house is set up differently and I hadn't planned on free ranging the hens because of my hardscaped yard. I still may decided it doesn't work well for them since I likely need to supervise and there is not safety (bushes, etc.) to protect them from hawks. My dogs are vetted and don't hang out with other dogs so do not have worms so we should be good there. Thank you!

There is some netting hou could get for relatively cheap off of Amazon for protecting your chickens.

You could also make a caged in area for your dogs to go to for their daily duties.

 

[Finnie]

Looks like you may have a few boys there. Did you buy sexed pullets or straight run chicks?

 

[KimbosKluckers]

Here's the Nugget apartment in progress. Also, their expanded garage set up. I currently have seven hens, but will have six tomorrow since I think one is a roo or else a very noisy hen and I can't have either in my neighborhood - so this one is going to a friend's farm tomorrow. Also, I gave the girls a stump today (in their front yard enclosure) and they're pretty excited about it.

Lovely! Open air coop? You must live in a mild climate. Even better. Gorgeous birds. I filled a kiddie pool with sand that they love! Maybe you can do that for dust baths etc.

 

[EnderianQueen]

Hi everyone,

I have six young hens (7.5 weeks old) who are living in my garage while their coop mansion is being built. Every morning, I haul them out to the front yard X-pen contraption so they can enjoy outdoors. Their coop is in the backyard which has ZERO grass. It's totally hardscaped - all river rock. Their coop is 8' x 12' and currently has a dirt floor, but I will put wood mulch down once it's complete. I have four dogs too. My thought is that I would not free range them because there's nothing for them in the backyard but rock - but maybe that's not accurate. Would it benefit them to free range on rock with ZERO grass and no way to get to the dirt or should I go with my original plan which was for them to be cooped and supplement their diet with fresh fruits/veggies, laying food, scratch, live crickets, and meal worms (all in moderation except their regular food) - plus grit and oyster shells and plenty of fresh water? I'm building them a swing and they'll have a variety of roosting options. I see how much they love the grass so it pains me to take them from it. The only other options is to figure out a way to every once in awhile enclose them in something (portable mesh coop) that's outside my fence in the grass between my neighbor's yard and mine - but not sure what that might be and it would have to be something easy to set up and tear down. I welcome any thoughts.

A.

Just fill their coop with dirt and plant grass seed letting it grow before releasing them into it