I just fell into chickens when my neighbor gave me two of his leghorn pullets because their flock was picking on each other. It's well below freezing, and we have about 2 feet of snow on the ground. He helped build a makeshift coop out of pallets for winter. I have it in my fenced garden area for now, but plan let them free range, they were free ranged before.
He said I should leave them locked in the coop for two weeks so they know it's home. It just seems so small, and a recipe for more boredom problems. (One of them was the victim of flock pecking and has a couple bald spots) Is it necessary to leave them for two weeks, or could I let them roam the fenced garden area before two weeks is up? The fence is 7 feet high (deer fencing). Any advice is welcomed. I've had a crash course in chicken keeping this week, and it seems there are so any different "methods", I want to try to implement the simplest, most natural approach.
He said I should leave them locked in the coop for two weeks so they know it's home. It just seems so small, and a recipe for more boredom problems. (One of them was the victim of flock pecking and has a couple bald spots) Is it necessary to leave them for two weeks, or could I let them roam the fenced garden area before two weeks is up? The fence is 7 feet high (deer fencing). Any advice is welcomed. I've had a crash course in chicken keeping this week, and it seems there are so any different "methods", I want to try to implement the simplest, most natural approach.