Question for part time free rangers

[bearzhere]

I let my chickens out on a regular basis. They return back to their coop by themselves as the sun goes down. They also go back into their coop to lay their egss, then back into the yard to play some more.

 

[Hangin Wit My Peeps]

I'm going to clicker train mine the same way you do a dog. You can pick up clickers at petco for a buck. Click it and throw scratch out every time you click. Soon they will hear that clicker and come running

It worked for my friend like a charm

 

[Miltonchix]

I just close the door at dusk. They put themselves away.

It may be breed related. I have 2 Sex Links (reds) and they are the MOST docile well behaved chickens I have ever had the privelage to know. Now I've got 4 Gold Comet pullets that are about 6 weeks old. I don't freerange them yet but they are anti-social to the point of almost being mean. I've hand raised them from the day I got them (at about 2 days old) and it seems to make no difference.

 

[WoodlandWoman]

Scratch is ok, but not a big deal around here. If we REALLY want them to head back to their run at a break neck speed in the middle of the day, we get out the "chicken crack" - a small ziploc bag of sunflower seed hearts!

Bribery + conditioning = success with pets!

 

[d.k]

* Lol!! Woodland, what do you say when you call them for sfseed hearts??? Is it different than when you call them for a little scratch?? How do they know that's what is on the menu?

 

[bigzio]

For any folks that have never free ranged your flock, the key to success is to have your birds in their coop for at least 3 weeks, so they Truly know where home is.

Once this time has passed, they will always come back at dusk, even without any treats, I'm sure.

bigzio

 

[WoodlandWoman]

I don't have to call them when I have the bag, I just have to let them see it. They watch from across the yard, any time I come out a door. It's the only food they get from a little ziploc bag. We buy in bulk and I just keep refilling it, because they recognize it. They even inspect me when I'm sitting on the patio, to see if I might be hiding it on the seat next to me. They are really funny!

Any food they like, in any container, works. I used a bucket for our sheep, when we had them. If I'm tossing grain to the chickens, I usually use a feed scoop. After Santa brought them dried mealworms for Christmas, it didn't take them long to recognize that container, either!

They go back into the coop at night on their own with no problem, but a bribe works great to get them back to their run on the spur of the moment, in the middle of the day.

 

[Iceblink]

My girls get to range when I'm home. Usually in the evenings, and on weekends. They come inside at night (don't laugh, I only have three, and after a skunk got in the coop and scared the crap out of all of us I started bringing them in) and start tapping at the doors and windows at dusk. I put a little bit of scratch in the crate where they sleep at night, and they run right in. In the morning I put their food, sunflower seeds and what ever treats they get in the coop. They all run right in there too. I also only put treats in the coop during the day, so they go in there randomly and find a suprise. For treats they get fruit and veggies, some pasta, bread, and their favorite, cornbread. Not very much, just what ever I have left over. My yard is fenced, otherwise I wouldn't feel safe ranging them.

 

[blurose]

From 2002 to 2004 I had a flock of chickens when I rented a house on a cattle ranch. My chickens, 3 roos and about 8-9 hens, free-ranged over a 50-acre area with cattle pasture, a river, forest and blackberry bushes included. The henhouse was just for egg laying and roosting in. I kept their feeder in the henhouse though. When I first got the chicks I kept them locked in the henhouse 24/7 for about a month. Then, I cut a hole in the wall, re-hinged on the cut out piece to make a door and from then on let them out every morning. When it would start to get dark they would find their way back into the henhouse to roost for the night and I would then close and latch the door. During the day they stayed close to home until they'd layed their eggs for the day, dividing themselves into two flocks actually. Early on my 2 biggest roos (Americaunas) roamed with the hens roamed with the hens while the less-dominant one (a GL wyandott) stayed near the henhouse to ambush the hens after they came out from laying their eggs. That's the only way he ever got to mate with a hen. After the hens had all completed laying their eggs for the day, the lesser roo would lead them out to join the rest of the flock. I never lost a hen during that whole time, but I lost my 2 biggest roos to a fox, each sacrificing themselves to protect the hens while the lesser roo ran back to the henhouse with the hens. This happened on two occasions. The last roo succeeded in injuring the fox enough that it noticably limped away from the scene, but the roo had a broken neck and there was no saving him. If you free-range you'd better be prepared to lose some chickens is all I've got to say.

 

[wendy]

that is so funny woodlandwoman about the chicken crack

we did not let ours free range till they were about 16 weeks or so. we really have had no problems and we let ours out no earlier than 4:30 to 5 pm so we can watch them closely till dark because of predators. we lost one chicken by our own fault of letting them loose earlier times in the day and having to go inside at times because of young kids, phone, etc. so this works best for us, but we are wanting to build a chicken tractor for more free range time since darn feed cost go up every time we go to buy our feed!!!

wendy