i was thinking about letting the free range?

[chickenbottom]

they havent before because i thought something would try and take them. i mean there are 14 of them and i just dont want to lose any of them. i was gonna do it right before dark like at 6 to 8pm and i would be there with them but i dont want them to think they are free and just leave. my leghorns im scared will fly up into a tree and try and sleep there and i wont be about to get them down and also im scared that something will swoop down and kill one of my babies right in front of me. they have been in the coop long enough to establish that is where home is but i dont know if they will go back how should i go about doing this? ide like to trust them lol.

 

[lovinlife]

I was nervous the first time I let mine out, too. I put a chair out in the yard and watched them. Nothing happened. They were fine. And they loved scratching around for bugs.

Later in the evening, I tried to round them up to put them back in the run and it was not fun. Herding chickens is not easy. I was very frustrated and decided I didn't want to do that every night.

But, a friend told me that if I waited until after dusk, they would go back into the run on their own. Sure enough, they did. Occasionally (like once every three months) I find one or two on top of the run trying to roost. They're already comfortable and sleeping, so I just reach up and take them down. They usually protest, but not for too long. I put them back on the roost in the run and they're fine.

Every night, when I close the coop, I do a head count. They're always there and I haven't lost one in two years. I live in the country and constantly have hawks and coons checking out my property.

Oh, I also don't let my chickens out until they're grown, for a few reasons. The younger ones are in a separate run because they eat medicated feed still. I'll introduce them to the hens when they're old enough to eat layer pellets. Also, I don't want my smaller ones to become food for a wild animal. Maybe I'm too cautious, but I still have my chickens.

6-8 at night is a good time to let them out. They'll go back in on their own. You may have to encourage one or two to find their way back home, but they'll learn quickly.

 

[citrusdreams]

I free range too from dawn till dusk too. But I think that if you're nervous, sitting out with them for an hour or two before dusk is a good way to start and definitely is safe. Some people like Lovinlife have a few stragglers, but I've only had stragglers once. Though the guineas are a different story: they roost in a big ol tree at night on nice evenings.

It's normal to be nervous the first time. But it's also normal for chickens to want to go home to sleep

So they'll all start meandering back to their coop as it starts getting dark. You might have to direct some if they get "lost" as a few of the younger ones sometimes seem to not find the way back in sometimes the first time.

 

[Crazy4cochins]

Scratch grains is also great to use to train chickens

 

[boxermom]

I was nervous too for awhile. Mine could only go out when someone was with them. I have loosened up on that aspect now. The chicks and the turks are fine. They go all over, but stay in the general vicinity of the barn. They even go inside the barn mid day for their "siesta"

Everyone goes in at night to roost. The only trouble I have is when I have to put them in earlier in the day. Most of them may be in the barn, until I try to round up the rest. That is their cue to run out of the barn in droves.

Oh well, they sure are fun to watch outside with all their butts in the air...

Also, I do not leave them outside when no one was home. The other day, we herded them in. (I was tempted to leave them out since we were only going to be gone about 15 min.) I'm sure glad we didn't. When we got home, the neighbor's dog was just leaving the run area. We checked the fence around the run. Everything was intact and there was no evidence of digging and everyone was outside with their butts in the air. No stress in that run... Good thing we put them in.

 

[chickenbottom]

glad im not the only nervous one lol clairese free ranges all the time but she knows her bounderies. ill try it tonight and if they do good then it might be a twice a week or 3 times a week thing i dont know yet. thanks all. im not worried about the flying critters since im gonna be out there what im worried about is all the cougars we have around here but im gonna try it. i know i can free range 4 at a time i feel comfortable with that but they all look so sad when its not there turn. so i need to get the courage to let all 14 of them out to play hopefully they do pretty good i think im gonna clip my leghorns wings before i let em out though so they dont leave

 

[WalkingWolf]

The birds that I don't have penned for breeding free range from sunrise to sunset. But I have a fenced yard that is marked and patrolled of a night by 2 wolfs and a dog. I also mark the yard in the evening, this helps keep predators away, especially the human scent. I never lost a bird to a 4 legged predator until just recently. A new neighbor let his GSDs run free and on Sunday one killed a duck. All mine were in the house, so they could not have stopped it. I have talked to the neighbor and he assured me that the dogs will now stay penned. He also payed me for the duck, which does not help I probably will not be able to find one this time of year at least laying age.

I would never attempt free ranging without a fence, and having or at least borrowing a dog to mark the yard. And of course mark it yourself if you won't get arrested. For hawks make sure the birds have plenty of places to duck in and hide in case of a attack. Picknick tables and lawn chairs work great for this.

 

[chickenbottom]

Quote:
theres a goat lol and the whole area is fenced in but they could easily fly over it if they wanted too and they have plenty of places to hide under its just hard thinking that something might happen to them but its i risk that im willing to make

 

[Jen4]

I was just asking this same question a few weeks ago... lol I was scared too, but everything is great

 

[SurprisingWoman]

I have five eight week old pullets (I hope they are all pullets) and I let them free range part of the day.

If I let them out in the morning they free range and then when they get full or hot they go back to the coop.

If it's late they go to bed in the coop by themselves. I am lucky because if I am going to be gone in the evening they can free range for a bit in the morning and I don't have to worry about them being stuck in their run all day.

I would give them a try. They might surprise you.