Keeping Chickens Free Range

[duluthralphie]

For those of you that free range your birds. I guess this question is more for those that don't have an automatic coop door. What do you do on days when nobody is home at dark to close up the coop?

I do not fret it. I have roosts that are 8 ft in the air. It would be hard for any fur bearing critter to get up there. It could happen, but highly doubtful. If I am going to be gone for a few days I have an enclosed run, they can come and go from at will. It is like fort knox. I have three chicken doors on my coop, one to the outside one to a pen I have not covered yet and the fort knox door. I just decide which door to let them use.

 

[SmColorInDaPan]

My chickens have never missed going into the coop at night....They have missed the nests many times. I have a few that think it is fun to make me look for their eggs.

Someone on your health care team told them You needed the exercise! Least, that's what i told myself when I was hiking for eggs...LOL!

"I just decide which door to let them use."
Oooookkkkkkaaaaaaayyyyyy...... Is there an Abercrombie & Fitch, Gap and bookstore in there too?

 

[Attila the Hen]

That is a problem. It is my priority to be home to let lock them safely in and to get up early to let them out. If I am not committed to this then I wouldn't keep chickens.
Of course there are times when I have had to get home after dark. I close them in when I get home after checking I am not locking a predator in with them.
I confess that for the first time ever I forgot to close them in the other day. They were fine-- probably thanks to a crazy beagle that let's the world know they are not welcome.

 

[Attila the Hen]

I do not fret it. I have roosts that are 8 ft in the air. It would be hard for any fur bearing critter to get up there. It could happen, but highly doubtful. If I am going to be gone for a few days I have an enclosed run, they can come and go from at will. It is like fort knox. I have three chicken doors on my coop, one to the outside one to a pen I have not covered yet and the fort knox door. I just decide which door to let them use.

That is so clever. I should do that although I am sure that giving them less than the area they currently roam would not go down well with them. I'd never hear the end of it.

 

[Attila the Hen]

One more comment/question. Does anyone have turkeys that use an automated door? Would they squeeze through?

 

[duluthralphie]

That is so clever. I should do that although I am sure that giving them less than the area they currently roam would not go down well with them. I'd never hear the end of it.

Mine do not like being anything but free, but sometimes "stuff happens" and they have to live with it.


I do not have an automatic door so I cannot help you on that, my hen turkeys can get through the chicken doors I have, BUT Bert, my rooster does not fit through them. ( of course he is larger that the turkey hens)

 

[Attila the Hen]

Mine do not like being anything but free, but sometimes "stuff happens" and they have to live with it.


I do not have an automatic door so I cannot help you on that, my hen turkeys can get through the chicken doors I have, BUT Bert, my rooster does not fit through them. ( of course he is larger that the turkey hens)

That is so funny. He must be a beast of a guy. Couldn't you cut a slightly bigger entrance for him?

 

[hennible]

A rooster shaped hole would be perfect

 

[holm25]

A rooster shaped hole would be perfect

X2...lol

 

[Kendrain]

Ha ha!  I've had FOUR stacked in a nesting box at a time!  Two facing one way and Two facing sideways.  Two empty nesting boxes available.  They all wanted in the same box!  Too funny!

Mine all hang around a seriously just one right after another in the nesting box. They have 7 others to use but nope it has to be that one. Lol it cracks me up.