Just Started and Have a Few Questions on a Coop/Safety

[Rio_Vern]

Hello,

First post here, thanks for having me! We are new to keeping chickens. We had a hen show up (we think from the neighbors) one day and she comes and goes at will. A friend gave a us a rooster that is clipped so he hangs out in our very large fenced back yard. Then hen was staying at night in a tree on the other side of the fence (still our property). Long story short, they got together and we found her in our barn, under a pallet with 10 eggs. They hatched, 8 survived and she and the babies roamed around. I was concerned so we gathered them up, clipped her wings and put them all in a coop. They have been in there for 14 days trying to train them. Ideally I would love them to allow them to roam around the backyard during the day and come home at night. I am afraid to let them out.

The coop is great for night, but I am wondering if I need to build a run for safety. Like I mentioned, I am new to this and want them to be happy and not cooped up (no pun intended).

I certainly appreciate and welcome any and all advice/guidance.

Many thanks!

Vern

 

[Three Little Bunnies]

Your coop is beautiful! It is not necessary to have a run, although it could be wise if your yard is mostly unprotected or if the mama hen likes to take her babies everywhere with her.

 

[DobieLover]

Hello,

First post here, thanks for having me! We are new to keeping chickens. We had a hen show up (we think from the neighbors) one day and she comes and goes at will. A friend gave a us a rooster that is clipped so he hangs out in our very large fenced back yard. Then hen was staying at night in a tree on the other side of the fence (still our property). Long story short, they got together and we found her in our barn, under a pallet with 10 eggs. They hatched, 8 survived and she and the babies roamed around. I was concerned so we gathered them up, clipped her wings and put them all in a coop. They have been in there for 14 days trying to train them. Ideally I would love them to allow them to roam around the backyard during the day and come home at night. I am afraid to let them out.

The coop is great for night, but I am wondering if I need to build a run for safety. Like I mentioned, I am new to this and want them to be happy and not cooped up (no pun intended).

I certainly appreciate and welcome any and all advice/guidance.

Many thanks!

Vern

Hello, Vern, and welcome to BYC.
You can free range her and the chicks and just lock them up at night for safety.
But your coop is not secure not sized for very many chickens. The chicken wire should be replaced with 1/2" hardware cloth and you need a predator apron around the coop.
Where are you located?
What type of predators are you up against?
What are your plans for the cockerels in your brood?

 

[Kusanar]

Something that will help if you want to start free ranging is to start making them associate you and a noise with treats. Pick a noise, any noise, could be you saying a word, making a funny noise, ringing a bell, you name it. Then once you pick the noise, take some treats that they like (stale bread, scratch, mealworms, etc, whatever your crew likes) out to the coop, then make the noise and immediately give them some treats, repeat a few times per day, at some point they will run to you when they hear the noise knowing that a treat is not far behind.

When you first start letting them out, let them out in the evening not too long before dusk, let them wander a bit, then as it starts getting darker, make the noise and take them in, they won't have gotten far in the short period of time and will be easier to get back inside. As they get more reliable about coming to you outside and coming when you make the noise, you can let them out for longer periods.