Keeping Chickens Free Range

[Tikkijane]

Usually around eight weeks is smart. Not that I ever follow that...I usually have week-old chicks running around the gardens.

For me, it depends on whether or not they have a mama to direct and teach them. Not so much an issue if mama is around. Otherwise, I wait until 8-12 weeks.

 

[duluthralphie]

For me, it depends on whether or not they have a mama to direct and teach them. Not so much an issue if mama is around. Otherwise, I wait until 8-12 weeks.

I have mine on free range in a few weeks, It depends on the birds. I use a tractor to get them started being outside, and get them free ranging as soon as I can. My last batch of CX's I had free ranging at 10 days for a couple hours a day, of course the other chickens were with them. For some strange reason my older chickens took a liking to the CX's. The rooster I had actually protected them from the few mean pullets.

 

[sunshynertc]

The only reason my pullets and hens are not together is the property line fence is down and the neighbors do not want the hens on their property. We will fix them a large fenced in area this weekend. We have the fencing equipment so they will be restricted to the chicken tractor.

 

[JessicaThistle]

Well, I started with six girls, about 7 months in one was MIA when we got out to the country. This morning the 5 remaining girls were out free ranging doing their thing. We went to go work on the front of the property for a few hours and when we came back they are all MIA. The only thing we can think of is that they went over the fence into the neighbors yard. They don't normally do that but we have searched in all the areas they normally range and beyond with not a feather in sight. It will be interesting to see if they come back. We were probably about a 1/4 mile away on the other side of some trees so I don't know if we would have heard anything or not. We have to leave now and go back to the city so I won't know until Friday unless my neighbor happens to see them. This may be the end of the free range experiment.

Oh my gosh! I would be a complete wreck leaving for days not knowing where my chickens are! Of course, I have raised all of my chickens by hand including cornish cross meat chickens, which makes me very hands on and a bit crazy some would say. I just really love my chickens. Now I am worried about yours!!

 

[ChickyChickens]

X2!

 

[dpenning]

Oh my gosh! I would be a complete wreck leaving for days not knowing where my chickens are! Of course, I have raised all of my chickens by hand including cornish cross meat chickens, which makes me very hands on and a bit crazy some would say. I just really love my chickens. Now I am worried about yours!!

X2!

I've left them during the week since they came home. When they were little my neighbor kept them until they were big enough to go in the shed. By then they were on nipple waterers and bulk feeders. The first week they stayed in the coop the whole week, after that I turned on the pop door. Because of the hands off way they were raised I do not get to pet them or hold them unless I go in the coop when they are roosting. But otherwise I couldn't have chickens until we moved full time! My neighbor said she saw one or two of them yesterday afternoon after we left so they must have been in the neighbors yard in an area behind a privacy cloth so I couldn't see them when they were looking. I guess I'll have to trim their wings so they can't go over the fence. I hate to do that because I like them being able to get up into the trees we have around the property when they are free ranging if they need to, we'll see. This is the first time this has happened so we'll see how many come back when I get there on Friday.

 

[ChickyChickens]

I've left them during the week since they came home. When they were little my neighbor kept them until they were big enough to go in the shed. By then they were on nipple waterers and bulk feeders. The first week they stayed in the coop the whole week, after that I turned on the pop door. Because of the hands off way they were raised I do not get to pet them or hold them unless I go in the coop when they are roosting. But otherwise I couldn't have chickens until we moved full time! My neighbor said she saw one or two of them yesterday afternoon after we left so they must have been in the neighbors yard in an area behind a privacy cloth so I couldn't see them when they were looking. I guess I'll have to trim their wings so they can't go over the fence. I hate to do that because I like them being able to get up into the trees we have around the property when they are free ranging if they need to, we'll see. This is the first time this has happened so we'll see how many come back when I get there on Friday.

 

[duluthralphie]

I've left them during the week since they came home. When they were little my neighbor kept them until they were big enough to go in the shed. By then they were on nipple waterers and bulk feeders. The first week they stayed in the coop the whole week, after that I turned on the pop door. Because of the hands off way they were raised I do not get to pet them or hold them unless I go in the coop when they are roosting. But otherwise I couldn't have chickens until we moved full time! My neighbor said she saw one or two of them yesterday afternoon after we left so they must have been in the neighbors yard in an area behind a privacy cloth so I couldn't see them when they were looking. I guess I'll have to trim their wings so they can't go over the fence. I hate to do that because I like them being able to get up into the trees we have around the property when they are free ranging if they need to, we'll see. This is the first time this has happened so we'll see how many come back when I get there on Friday.

Please do not do that.

I know they are your chickens and you can do what you want with them. I would be nervous leaving them for a week at a time, but I understand they will mostly survive and maybe even flourish to some degree. However, clipping their wings is takng away any chance they have against a land predator. The furry kind!

A chicken hunkers down under something when attacked from above, A chicken flies when attacked from the ground. Everything, including us, likes to munch on a chicken. The only chance a chicken has when there is no person or dog their to protect them is to fly..

My 2 cents.

 

[dpenning]

Please do not do that.

I know they are your chickens and you can do what you want with them. I would be nervous leaving them for a week at a time, but I understand they will mostly survive and maybe even flourish to some degree. However, clipping their wings is takng away any chance they have against a land predator.  The furry kind!

A chicken hunkers down under something when attacked from above, A chicken flies when attacked from the ground. Everything, including us, likes to munch on a chicken. The only chance a chicken has when there is no person or dog their to protect them is to fly..

My 2 cents.

I don't want to Ralphie, just for the reasons you stated. I'll have to come up with an option though if they are going into that neighbors yard. The way my coop Is setup the run goes off to the left and uses the property line fence as one boundary. The reason for this is there is a large tree they like to hang out under and I have an electric fence creating a boundary around the front of the tree with a chute going behind some holly bushes for free range access. I may look at the property fence and see if I can make that section taller. The tree gets in the way. More research is required. I just hope they all come back.

 

[duluthralphie]

I don't want to Ralphie, just for the reasons you stated. I'll have to come up with an option though if they are going into that neighbors yard. The way my coop Is setup the run goes off to the left and uses the property line fence as one boundary. The reason for this is there is a large tree they like to hang out under and I have an electric fence creating a boundary around the front of the tree with a chute going behind some holly bushes for free range access. I may look at the property fence and see if I can make that section taller. The tree gets in the way. More research is required. I just hope they all come back.

I understand, we all do the best we can with our situations. Is it feasible to make a large covered pen for them or several smaller ones connected by "tunnels' ?