Keeping Chickens Free Range

[ReillyJ]

Just found this awesome thread!

I acquired 4 grown hens about 3 months ago (neighbor abandoned them) so luckily i had a big dog house and attached run and it took an hour to get them in there (one stayed out all night but joined her girlfriends the next day!) and i left them in there for about 5 weeks which i'm sure was over-zealous, they were ecstatic to be let out as they used to free range before i got them.

We live on 3/4 rural acre and i was very nervous about them returning to the coop after letting them out but it has NEVER been a problem, i just leave the coop door open and they return about 7 ish on their own and i close the door.

I don't let them out until i'm pretty sure all have layed which is usually before 2, i ignore their pleas (LOL) as i do not want eggs anywhere but the nest box and that i'm not confident about, plus it narrows the time for possible predators and i figure 5 hours of solid free ranging all over my property is enough

I also absolutely provide food, i'm feeding organic and just now starting to FF (ferment). I don't believe they will get all the nutrition they need as layers just by free ranging.

 

[SmColorInDaPan]

Gads, what i miss when I don't check back.
1st, Reilly, It sounds like they, after 5 weeks, know the coop is the place to lay & will LIKELY return there unless they go Broody, think they're having chicks….N/A in this case? any Roosters? I AM NOT savvy on THAT topic….
2nd, congrats to Alabama person on her first egg! Isn't it cute how small the 1st ones are?
3) I agree with someone a couple posts back that cover, is the BEST defense for hawks. 2 porches, an open shed, 2 vehicles, a few high bushes, sandstone rock cave-like places, and their own instinct keep mine safe. No loss to hawks in 3 yrs….may be 4, I forget…. Oh and the dogs..
My dogs are not trained however in watching me feed, occasionally handle the chickens, they have learned to watch out of them. know when I feed my chickens their own hardboiled eggs, al natural Calcium supplement, they'll get a bit also. Saw a hawk less than 5 ft from ground; dog was btwn it and chicken, chicken had squaked the 'Help" scream. I can only guess my dog responded. Hawk left EMPTY handed, Not seen it since…..LOTS of other for it to feed on….
Funny story. LOVE has my hound dog, severely abuse b4 I got her, quite lovable. Called her before throwing HER part of a hard boiled egg 'treat'. It hit the ground, an eager chicken runs over. Hound pulled her front paws up, landing each paw on either side of treat, startling chicken. "Hey, you get your Own, MOM said this one is MINE!" LOL!

 

[duluthralphie]

I turned my CX's chicks loose today!

I was going to wait until next Wednesday when they turn 4 weeks old. But they looked big enough, so today it was.






They are close to the "Scrape Pile Gangs" territory , but everything went fine. A couple of the chickens lower on the pecking order snipped at them, but nothing bad happened.

 

[ReillyJ]

Gads, what i miss when I don't check back.
1st, Reilly, It sounds like they, after 5 weeks, know the coop is the place to lay & will LIKELY return there unless they go Broody, think they're having chicks….N/A in this case? any Roosters? I AM NOT savvy on THAT topic….
2nd, congrats to Alabama person on her first egg! Isn't it cute how small the 1st ones are?
3) I agree with someone a couple posts back that cover, is the BEST defense for hawks. 2 porches, an open shed, 2 vehicles, a few high bushes, sandstone rock cave-like places, and their own instinct keep mine safe. No loss to hawks in 3 yrs….may be 4, I forget…. Oh and the dogs..
My dogs are not trained however in watching me feed, occasionally handle the chickens, they have learned to watch out of them. know when I feed my chickens their own hardboiled eggs, al natural Calcium supplement, they'll get a bit also. Saw a hawk less than 5 ft from ground; dog was btwn it and chicken, chicken had squaked the 'Help" scream. I can only guess my dog responded. Hawk left EMPTY handed, Not seen it since…..LOTS of other for it to feed on….
Funny story. LOVE has my hound dog, severely abuse b4 I got her, quite lovable. Called her before throwing HER part of a hard boiled egg 'treat'. It hit the ground, an eager chicken runs over. Hound pulled her front paws up, landing each paw on either side of treat, startling chicken. "Hey, you get your Own, MOM said this one is MINE!" LOL!

Yep they go back there like clockwork, idk where else they'd feel safe to roost so it was a huge relief!

NO roosters, yay! So no broody hens

 

[Sylviaanne]

How do you get them back in? I am new to chickens and I can't catch them once they are out. Herding them is not very reliable either.

I put food out when I let them out and then I put food in the coop at night. Most of them are already in the coop when it gets dark and more go in when I put the food down and the rest are usually pretty easy to herd up the ramp. I do have one that likes to be picked up and put in the coop, after he bites me and half the time he has a partner that wants to be put in.

 

[S5apiotrowski]

This thread is a breath of fresh air after reading the thread about loosing hens to predators! We like to free range our flock and recently expanded from 2 hens to 6 hens and a roo. We had free-ranged the 2 hens but almost lost one to the neighbors dog. I have no idea where the hen disappeared to (it was beyond our 3.5 acre wooded lot) - but she made her way home several hours laters. We expanded the flock to avoid leaving a hen by herself when one is lost. One of the expansion hens turned out to be a Roo, so we got a few more hens. Our coop has space with a 20' x 30' run, but its not enough space. We have a gate that opens into a larger run (all forested area) - which is probably the size of a city house lot or two. When we are home, we open both the coop-run area and the extended run area to the rest of our land, but the hens prefer to stay in the grassy areas and surrounding wood-line without going to deep into the woods. We let them free range without supervision - but when we leave the premises, we like them within the smaller run area.

Today we had a brief encounter with a bird of prey - thankfully no bad outcomes... Nonetheless, it was a reminder to me of the dangers of free-ranging. There is a part of me that wants to protect the birds (and we do close them in at night). However, I cannot see keeping them in a small, confined area. They are so happy scratching around and exploring the space we have. In some ways I think it may be good that one of the hens turned out to be a Roo - and I am hoping that he helps protect the girls!

 

[SmColorInDaPan]

Welcome, S5! Kinda laid back here, chatty like. Glad to hear it helps!
I went down to where my Broody has been last 12-14 weeks today. All rotten eggs, float in water. Will try to contain her soon, cure her of Broody.
Gave the 1 younger roo, (he let me get close enough!!) chick start I bought, in case…They are going to be Handsome Bantams!!
I need to correct my earlier post; I have seen the red hawk since the time my Bigger dog, Chevy, snapped at it.
My older Roo and the dogs seem to keep it at bay? I have ngbrs, NOT too bright, who let loose Non fixed kittens 2 summers ago. With cat food just within reach, Heaven only knows what may be tempting it aside from my girls…..
My younger hens sit on the kindling box on the back porch, with the older roo, while everyone else sits in the tree just 6 steps from the same back porch. Have only had critters here for cat or dog food. Will clean out sticks in that box soon so can dump in 'fertilizer' bucket.

Not what'cha got, It's what'cha DO WITH IT!!

 

[SmColorInDaPan]

Oh, Duluth, THEY ARE ADORABLE! Saw wild turkey and her chicks the last 2-3 days. They GROW fast!
Good luck with growing them!
C.~ aka same color in da pan

 

[LadyBroody]

I save up all my money to buy chicks. I think they're just sooo cute!! Love them. Only really like to expand my free range flock like that. Just love watching them grow.

 

[MrsFitzDarcy]

Once they get used to their coop...That is their nesting spot and they will return to it every night, all by themselves.

Yes, but I need to alternate with our dogs ... sometimes I need to get them back in the pen/coop around 2 pm. Waaaay before they want to. They are not done with the compost pile yet.