Naively I thought chickens could be out alone all day, confused

[Jenjens]

@Jenjens where in the Midwest are you located?
Anywhere close to SE WI? If so, there's a chance I could help.

I'm in Illinois, but thank you very much.

 

[Jenjens]

Okay, I just want to say I am so thankful for every response. I got something out of each and every one and you guys are freaking awesome. Thank you so much.

My problem is that my husband thinks all we need is a barn and a yard. I had to persuade him for a week that we need to even put roosting bars in the barn! I will have to work on him on the run because I now see how important it is. And I'll work on the extras in the barn on my own if he doesn't want to help. Thank you all very much!

 

[Cyprus]

I'm in Illinois, but thank you very much.

I'd suggest contacting your local FFA chapter. Every chapter has to do a SAE (Supervised Agricultural Experiences) program during the summer. Each student needs about 120hrs of service. Building a run for you would help the kids reach that goal.

 

[Cyprus]

Perhaps a longshot, but where in IL do you live approximately? I go down to the Chicago area often enough and have a huge roll of extra welded wire and lots of extra stakes that came with the property. We'd be glad to get them off our hands.

 

[centrarchid]

Okay, I just want to say I am so thankful for every response. I got something out of each and every one and you guys are freaking awesome. Thank you so much.

My problem is that my husband thinks all we need is a barn and a yard. I had to persuade him for a week that we need to even put roosting bars in the barn! I will have to work on him on the run because I now see how important it is. And I'll work on the extras in the barn on my own if he doesn't want to help. Thank you all very much!

We used to do as your husband desires back into as late as the early 1990's. Barn lots also supported livestock and more often than not had dogs around. For us now and most areas in general, that approach is no longer sustainable owing in part do to greater abundance of chicken consuming predators.

 

[Acre4Me]

My problem is that my husband thinks all we need is a barn and a yard.

My spouse was raised for a middle portion of their childhood in rural SC. They had chickens, which did not have a run. Nor does spouse remember getting chicken feed for them. So, it took a bit to convince spouse to get chicken feed - which we did before getting chickens. Spouse figured corn was just fine, along with scraps....but was easily convinced that feed needed to be available every day. Anyway, people raise chickens in all sorts of ways. You can raise them with just a barn and yard, but you'll need to have a replacement plan in place. Also, you may not get all your eggs bc they may lay in spots you can't find. I'm sure you'll find the system that works for you and you'll find the right balance for all parts of chicken keeping.

 

[starri33]

Mine are in a coop with a run attached, I have let them free range a bit, although there isn't much here in the desert for them to free range on, so to keep them entertained, my husband and I hung 2 heads of cabbage today. But chickens don't have to be entertained all that much..lol. They will be just fine in a run. When you or hubby are home, you can let them out for a while, training them to come when you want works well as that way should you have to go somewhere, you can get them back in with you. I've got mine trained to the sound of a coffee can with scratch in it being shook. They come running.

 

[New2Chicks97]

As Starri33 says a treat and a specific call helps get them to gather back up and follow you.

Mine love bread. So the minute I say “Chickie Chickies” and they see bread they are back in the run in a blink of an eye. No fuss or chasing at all. Even my stubborn girls can’t resist the lure of bread pieces.

So find a treat that they love and a sound they can associate with it.

 

[LeggyLeghorn]

Okay, I just want to say I am so thankful for every response. I got something out of each and every one and you guys are freaking awesome. Thank you so much.

My problem is that my husband thinks all we need is a barn and a yard. I had to persuade him for a week that we need to even put roosting bars in the barn! I will have to work on him on the run because I now see how important it is. And I'll work on the extras in the barn on my own if he doesn't want to help. Thank you all very much!

Good woman!you can do it!

 

[NNYchick]

My chickens don’t get out unless I am home so an hour or 2 in the evening and on the weekends. So they get sunshine, grass and bugs. From November to March they don’t get out at all as I have too much snow. What I do is bring lots of fall leaves in for them to dig in, give them a variety of chopped greens, alfalfa, sprouted grains. I have stumps and shelves, different size roost for them to hop on and get excise. Ventilation for fresh air and I keep my flock numbers lower to give plenty of space for everyone (I aim for 12-14 square ft per bird for my Silkies) and keep to manure load down. Also different breeds will tolerate confinement better than others, as well as different breeds free range better than others as they are more alert to danger and have good flight skills.