The girls are a-roaming

[B40chick]

I am letting my 17 week old young ladies free range. They can go to the run, the tractor, or wherever. They cool it under the coop often. They have been staying pretty close to "home" so far. They even lounge about in the tractor...or forage under the fig tree near by. I guess they feel safe.
In the last few days they are getting farther away in their exploration. Today they were in the edge of the woods, which is probably not as safe. I tried to coax them across the yard to a safer stand of planted pines that does not have so much undergrowth. I was luring them with their yogurt dish. They got half way and then got too nervous. I guess they will have to slowly learn that territory. I might get them in the tractor and move them over there to help them see how much straw and bugs they will find.

 

[B40chick]

Their favorite hangout, beneath the fig tree

 

[Stipenvlerk]

Lovely flock!

 

[Mrs. K]

The more often and longer you let them out, the farther they will roam and the greater chance you have of loss.

If you want them to stay closer, don't let them out every day, all day.

Mrs K

 

[Folly's place]

While they will have some sense of caution naturally, they haven't had a broody mama to really educate them, and haven't had any bad experiences yet.
Chickens prefer ground under trees and shrubs, rather than open ground, for several reasons. More yummy bugs and worms, shade, and it feels right to a species that was from the jungle originally.
Birds who have had a bad experience will do better; they survivors of a predator attack, specifically, aren't so ignorant any more. With a free ranging flock, this is going to happen sooner or later, and you hope it's one bird, and not multiples lost at once.
Letting them out at different times of the day may help foil predators watching your pattern, and later in the day will help keep your laying hens doing their thing in the coop, not anywhere else.
Mary

 

[RobertaD1]

You are braver than I am.... being right on the edge of a woods... I wont let mine free range. Mine use tunnels to different grazing pens that are covered. But at least they have several options.