Is it OK to free-range chickens that haven't started to lay?

[MIChickandGuinea]

my white leghorn is about 4 to 5 months old and has laid about 4 eggs

you can fix places in your yard where you want them to lay make it really privet so the hens will like it

good luck

If you have a lot of land, id probably keep them in until they know where they should lay. Then let them out.
One time I found about 30 eggs under a bush beside a fence. So not only were they NOT laying in my coop, but that fence is where predators come from. So they were risking their lifes, and not giving me eggs at the same time.
It taught me a lesson.

We have a lot of land (80 acres) and so many places for the ladies to hide their eggs if they want to. Forests, barns, corn fields, hay fields, lots of mowed areas around houses and pond ... gardens, planters, etc. If they decided to hide their eggs, I would never find them. I think I better keep them in their pen until late in the day so that we have the best chance of them laying eggs in a place we can work with!

 

[sueiris]

keeping them in til later in the day might be a good compromise......

 

[barred2rock]

We have a lot of land (80 acres) and so many places for the ladies to hide their eggs if they want to. Forests, barns, corn fields, hay fields, lots of mowed areas around houses and pond ... gardens, planters, etc. If they decided to hide their eggs, I would never find them. I think I better keep them in their pen until late in the day so that we have the best chance of them laying eggs in a place we can work with!

Perhaps you can fence off an acre or so to limit their travels?

 

[Sublight]

We have a lot of land (80 acres) and so many places for the ladies to hide their eggs if they want to. Forests, barns, corn fields, hay fields, lots of mowed areas around houses and pond ... gardens, planters, etc. If they decided to hide their eggs, I would never find them. I think I better keep them in their pen until late in the day so that we have the best chance of them laying eggs in a place we can work with!

I do not have a lot of land, mine is fairly small. However my dad has 11 acres (not huge, I know), but first his chickens rarely venture more then a 100 yards or so away from the coop. I have never seen his chickens down at the pond, they just don't venture that far away. They all come back to the pen to lay their eggs, while they are free ranging.

Its should be ok to let them free range, after they have been laying in the coop for a while. Mine do the same thing, but I don't have a lot of land.

I would keep them in the pen for a month or so, so they know where to lay, and then let them go. Besides, if you see a drop off in egg production, then lock them up. I would say give them the benefit of the doubt first.