in and out?

[philotheia]

we are about to get our adopted girls. what time should i let them out in the morning, and what time should i put them in at night?

 

[jma6004]

Depends on your setup. Are you talking about out of the coop and into the run? Out of the run and allowed to free range? As a general rule, if they are not "secure" meaning in some safe enclosure they should not be let out until full daylight. Letting them back in, especially once they get the hang of it, is not a problem because they will go in and start roosting around dusk. But for safety, I say they need to be secured as long as there is any darkness. Otherwise, I don't think they need any strict schedule. My setup was a coop that was always open to a run. Some days mine would be let out of the run and allowed to free range and some days not. When they I could let them out, sometimes it was as early as daybreak and sometimes not until after lunch. I always went and locked them up at dark and they were usually all in by then anyway. The big thing is if they are new to you and free ranging for the first week or so that you let them out I would watch them to ensure no neighbors dogs, cats, or other animals get curious. Its also good to watch them at first to ensure they somewhat know their boundaries but they will go farther and farther as time passes and they start to feel more safe. Good luck...

 

[philotheia]

Depends on your setup. Are you talking about out of the coop and into the run? Out of the run and allowed to free range? As a general rule, if they are not "secure" meaning in some safe enclosure they should not be let out until full daylight. Letting them back in, especially once they get the hang of it, is not a problem because they will go in and start roosting around dusk. But for safety, I say they need to be secured as long as there is any darkness. Otherwise, I don't think they need any strict schedule. My setup was a coop that was always open to a run. Some days mine would be let out of the run and allowed to free range and some days not. When they I could let them out, sometimes it was as early as daybreak and sometimes not until after lunch. I always went and locked them up at dark and they were usually all in by then anyway. The big thing is if they are new to you and free ranging for the first week or so that you let them out I would watch them to ensure no neighbors dogs, cats, or other animals get curious. Its also good to watch them at first to ensure they somewhat know their boundaries but they will go farther and farther as time passes and they start to feel more safe. Good luck...

Thanks, i'm a little nervous. I have a small coop ( that I will keep locked at night ) with an attached run. I figured I would let them into the run before I leave for work and then put them in the coop at dusk, but I wanted to make sure. I wasn't sure if there was a certain time...lol. I'm going to clip their wings as soon as I get them so that I can also let them roam around the yard when I get home from work if it's nice.