Is it normal to let chickens out in yard?

[creedatticus]

A big determining factor is how big is your yard? I let mine out every day, but we live on 10 acres.

i have a very small yard, just a third of an acre and there are lots of weeds and bushes, and our chickens are only about 14 weeks old, probably not quite ready to be alone outside. do you guys have any tips on training them to come back to the coop when called? they are still very fluttery chickens who jump at everything

 

[NatJ]

do you guys have any tips on training them to come back to the coop when called?

Call them, and provide some kind of a treat.
My favorite "treat" for this is a dish of wet chicken food: they seem to really like it, they cannot pick up bites and run off with them, and there is no need to worry about them eating "too much" and skipping their regular food (since it IS their regular food, with water added.)

You can also use scratch or mealworms or table scraps or anything else your chickens like. It works best if you only use small amounts of the treat, so they never get quite as much as they want. That encourages them to come running every time you call and offer the treat.

For some kinds of treats (like bread crusts), the chickens will tend to pick up pieces and run around chasing each other-- not helpful, when you want them to go into the pen and stay there!

 

[AnnPann]

Call them, and provide some kind of a treat.
My favorite "treat" for this is a dish of wet chicken food: they seem to really like it, they cannot pick up bites and run off with them, and there is no need to worry about them eating "too much" and skipping their regular food (since it IS their regular food, with water added.)

You can also use scratch or mealworms or table scraps or anything else your chickens like. It works best if you only use small amounts of the treat, so they never get quite as much as they want. That encourages them to come running every time you call and offer the treat.

For some kinds of treats (like bread crusts), the chickens will tend to pick up pieces and run around chasing each other-- not helpful, when you want them to go into the pen and stay there!

second this method. also pick a sound and stick with it, whatever it is. you may need to call them when you dont have treats handy and it helps to be able to just make the sound at them. embarrassed to say the sound i make at them is a really loud “boop boop boop”. my neighbors probably think i’m insane, but it works!

 

[KRack]

Ours free range in our yard all day and don’t go on the road or even out of our property line (except to say hello to our closest neighbors who love them), but we’re on 2 acres. No fence. But I did train them to come when I call with just treats as a reward like you would train a dog, when I first started letting them out.