letting my fock loose

[Rooster1235597]

i have 3 RiRs and a mixed chicken that i dont know what it is and i wanna let them roam around the yard today cause my neighbors put up a 9 foot fence for deer so i dont think they can go anywhere.... but if i let them out will they actually come back,what time, and should i watch them ?

 

[hippichick]

I would keep an eye on them. If you've had them awhile, I'd say they'd definitely come back to the coop. They should know where it is if they've lived there for awhile.

 

[ging3rhoffman]

My girls were in their coop and run until they were 12 weeks old and my husband and i let them out in the evening around 7pm and those little stinkers went straight in to their coop before dark. So each night we let them out for a couple of hours and they go back in each evening on their own.

We take lawn chairs out and sip on Ice tea and watch the girls play...it is so relaxing.

 

[Rooster1235597]

lol thats a good idea but we have a lot of woods and a yard so do u think theyll stay in the yard or go in the woods?and if they go in the woods should i follow?

 

[quiltnchik]

Quote:
They'll be fine. My chickens roam 3 acres, mostly woods, and they all come back to the coop every evening. In fact, the first night I introduced by Barred Rocks to the coop (they had been in quarantine in the house up to that point), I kept them locked in the coop/run for a couple hours and then let them out. They've been free ranging ever since. I think chickens are a lot smarter than we give them credit for sometimes. Just relax - they know what to do

 

[Stephens]

Where I live, I have woods on all sides, I let one coop out about 2 hours before sundown and leave the door open while I'm working in the yard. I had them since October. Balboa my Barrock roo will gather them up and put them to bed, I just lock the door before I go in.

 

[shanonspeeps]

There are woods behind my coop and to be honest in June I ended up missing 7 chickens!! I had been letting them free range all day for about a week and one day they just disappeared. My son found lots of feathers back in the woods so I am assuming something got them.

 

[Rooster1235597]

well im kinda aprehensive cause we have hawks and maybe i can just herd them around the yard with my bow and arrow and shoot anything that comes close lol

 

[SallyF]

I have four hens that I let out to free range for about half a day. They stay pretty close to home, and I usually herd them back to the coop at sunset.
Just got two buff rock roosters (couldn't resist two, they are sooo handsome!) two days ago. I kept them all in the pen for the first day, and let them out yesterday around 3. The roos stayed with the hens, learning the lay of the land, and herded all the girls back to the pen sooner than I was going to. They did a great job!

 

[SallyF]

I forgot to mention, we live on the edge of a field next to 250 acres of forest. Lots of temptation, but they resisted.