Odd Chicken Behaviour?

[kbeerice]

My flock will NOT stay out of the chicken pen. I have provided fresh water and lots of scratch and pellets outside of the pen, we don't have dogs running around or an obscene amount of predators about in my area. Why won't they free range?! I take them out of the pen and shut the door and they fly over the top almost immediately? what should I do to encourage some free ranging?

 

[chicmom]

That's odd. How long have you had them? How many do you have and when you say chicken pen, do you mean their coop or just a fenced in area? Also how old are they?

 

[kbeerice]

I got them March 17th of this year as 3 day old chicks so however old that is. The "coop" is a fenced in area with a make shift shelter I slapped together from scrap materials and I have 8 all together, 2 roosters, and 6 hens.