Keeping Chickens Free Range

[lethalfire]

I know a LOT of people who live in the city who would LOVE for the city to allow them to have backyard chickens, with that said I imagine not all people appreciate the benefits of chicken poop, especially if they are roosting in a tree over their yard. I think your best bet is to get a fence because if the city gets too many complaints they just might revoke the backyard chicken thing. If it's flying that high to roost in a tree some wing clipping might be in order also, nothing worse then making enemies out of neighbors and they can get pretty revengeful.

Thankfully I live on the edge of a small country town and one of my neighbors who is IN city limits is allowed to have backyard chickens just no roosters. Part of my property is in city limits (oddly enough it's the "forrest" part of my property) and then where the house and everything else and part of the "forrest" is out of city limits so they can't really dictate what I can or can't do as if they don't like it I just step over to the "out of city limits" part.

 

[Deckgirls]

We can't afford a fence although we ARE moving soon and that yard does have a fence so i'll just keep them penned up for a few more months and allow them to roam one a time while i'm back there. we did clip the wing of all the chickens just in case. i didn't want to but it was a close call with that chicken flying in the neighbors tree i was up all night SICK worried she would be eaten OR the neighbor would discover her and turn us in. sigh. well i'll just wait a bit and when we move they will have more free range time

 

[heiditam]

Well it's taking longer than I hoped to coop train these girls! I planned on free ranging and not having a run but they don't know what to do with too much freedom-I was chasing chickens around my yard a day ago well past roost time! I have put up a very temporary deer fence to somewhat constrain area as it is too hot to keep them cooped up. I am planning on letting them out into fenced area at 3pm and then as soon as they prove they can go back to coop on own at night, I will give them freedom! Until then.... :/

 

[holm25]

Well it's taking longer than I hoped to coop train these girls! I planned on free ranging and not having a run but they don't know what to do with too much freedom-I was chasing chickens around my yard a day ago well past roost time! I have put up a very temporary deer fence to somewhat constrain area as it is too hot to keep them cooped up. I am planning on letting them out into fenced area at 3pm and then as soon as they prove they can go back to coop on own at night, I will give them freedom! Until then....

I'm glad it did not take us long ours went in the coop there first time out but we did have two older hens as role models!!

 

[CapitalChickens]

Hi everyone,

I just acquired a small flock of four pullets (probably 12-16 weeks old): 2 chocolate orpingtons, one blue cochin bantam and one cream crested legbar. They weren't range raised for the first few months of their lives and they seem very nervous to come out of the coop (house + run). And they're small enough to be a bit flighty (especially the two chocolate orpingtons). I've been coaxing them out with a treat trail to the grass, but they seem to head back in after only a few minutes.

It's so different than my short-term flock of three cockerels that we raised from 2 weeks old to 14 weeks old, who just loved being out, knew exactly how to come home to the coop at the end of the day, and weren't too into flying.

Any tips?

 

[katatonic123]

CapitalChickens...I'd say time is your friend. Mine didn't range far for the first few weeks. Now (15 weeks later)is another story. I was worried the other day that they were getting too close to the road. Well away from their coop and the house.

 

[ChickyChickens]

CapitalChickens...I'd say time is your friend. Mine didn't range far for the first few weeks. Now (15 weeks later)is another story. I was worried the other day that they were getting too close to the road. Well away from their coop and the house.

Haha! It happens to everyone who lives near a road...

 

[heiditam]

For those free rangers here that only have a coop(no run)- what do you do when you go on vacation?

 

[Rusty's Ranch]

Heiditam - I used to rely on family/friends to care for the girls, but found them unreliable. Now I hire a pet sitter to take care of the birds and our two dogs. It's not cheap, but I have peace of mind that everyone is being cared for properly. She arrives around sun up to let the girls out of the coop and then comes back at dusk to make sure they are back in the coop and locks them up. She also makes sure they have feed and water and we leave treats for her to give the girls. So far, it's working well.

 

[duluthralphie]

For those free rangers here that only have a coop(no run)- what do you do when you go on vacation?

I wonder how many people that free range do not have a run/pen/paddock or something like that?

I free range 99.9% of the time, but I have 3 pens now with plans to add more. There are times I just need to keep certain birds segregated. ( like breeding season, or just prior to departure to freezer camp.)