I didn't expect this when I let them free range

[McGobs]

I think they are all like that at first. Give em a few days...then your gonna have to get out of the way when you open the door. Mine come flying out as soon as they see a crack in the door.

 

[ChickensRDinos]

Well I can't plant anything in the run they will eat it destroy it in no time. Maybe I could plant some bushes outside the run.

I do throw scratch in the run.

I also have a dust pit full of dirt/sand. Funny, the other day I added sand after a heavy rain had washed a lot of the dirt away. They got in there and was eating the sand.

Are you giving them grit? If they are limited to a small area then they need grit. If they are not getting any this may be way they started eating the sand.

 

[theoldchick]

Mine eat sand,too, despite getting all the grit they want. Then they decided to dust bathe in it.

I wasn't worried about crop issues since I keep plenty of water available, and I give them plenty of greens: wild clover and native grasses. You can grow your own grasses and such in pots, and when they are ready, you can put them in the run for all the chickens to enjoy.

 

[WildBillHicks]

They get crushed oyster shell but the only grit they get is whatever they get from the run. I don't actually buy grit. Not sure how to supply them with grit.

I throw grass in there, pick greens from fields behind the pen, give them scraps from the table, give them sunflower seeds, suet, throw worms in there so they get do get to eat more than just scratch and mash.

 

[theoldchick]

That's a good start!

 

[ChickensRDinos]

They get crushed oyster shell but the only grit they get is whatever they get from the run. I don't actually buy grit. Not sure how to supply them with grit.

I throw grass in there, pick greens from fields behind the pen, give them scraps from the table, give them sunflower seeds, suet, throw worms in there so they get do get to eat more than just scratch and mash.

It depending wilding on how big your run is but if it is not very large and they always stay in one place they will eat up all the minerals from the dirt. My yard is very small so I leave out a separate little container of grit next to the oyster to make sure they have it.

 

[lorindaeb]

I just started to let my chickens out yesterday. Mine are only a few months old, and they are already brave, roaming the entire yard. In fact, they are chasing away any other birds that come into THEIR yard! It's pretty funny. I'm really new to this, but everyone seems to say the same thing...they will get used to it and will eventually know where there home is. Yesterday I got a suggestion from someone about giving them treats, in the same container, to bring them back to their coop in the evening if they don't do it on their own. It took a few min for them to figure out that they were suposed to follow me, but then when they saw that they were getting raisens and bird seed, they quickley went in and settled down.

Good luck....let us know how it goes!

 

[WildBillHicks]

I guess I'll call the feed store tomorrow to see if they have grit.

 

[ScottM]

Well I can't plant anything in the run they will eat it destroy it in no time.

I plant grass inside my run, here's how.

Use scrap 2x4s to make a box/window frame
Split those 2x4s into 2x2s so you now have two frames
Cut some hardware cloth to fit
Predrill (splitting happens) and affix the hw cloth between the two.

Place on ground and grow grass/wheat. The birds get the greens and can't scratch out the roots

 

[MarineCorpFarmr]

Thats an awesome idea man