What Time Do You "Release The Fowls"?

[EggsBeesSeeds]

I don't have my chickens yet, but I was planning on allowing them free access to their run from their coop. Is this really uncommon, and if so, why? Just like my horses, I would think the chickens would prefer to come and go as they please.

I do this. You just have to make sure the run is predator proof.

 

[WalkingOnSunshine]

I only have two, one of which is a rooster. I live in town so if my neighbors complain about the crowing I have to get rid of him

he doesn't crow in his house so I tend to keep him there until noon when nobody will care about the noise. He has a fair bit of space and everything he needs in there but is this bad?

Nope. Think about this, some chickens spend their entire lives in teeny cages. Your rooster may have to stay in until noon, but he's still one of the lucky ones. And if you had to get rid of him, he might get unlucky really quickly.

 

[WalkingOnSunshine]

WalkingOnSunshine- what do you mean by the owls? do you find them roosting in your roost?
If so that would be so cool (or do they eat chickens?).

They most definitely do eat chickens. The owls came in through my pop door and were perched on the chickens' perches eating a chicken, as happy as could be. My poor hens were all cowering in the far corning of the hen house on the floor under the nesting boxes, waiting to be next. My roosters were cowering down there with them!

It was not so much fun getting those owls out of the hen house.

 

[Pinky Macgyver]

Thankyou, that makes me feel better

 

[cluckcluckluke]

Hmm, his house is about six feet by three. I do plan on hatching but either way, don't want my baby stressed!

It doesn't really matter how big the area is he is still away from light and will feel lonely so there will be a certain degree of stress.

 

[cluckcluckluke]

They most definitely do eat chickens. The owls came in through my pop door and were perched on the chickens' perches eating a chicken, as happy as could be. My poor hens were all cowering in the far corning of the hen house on the floor under the nesting boxes, waiting to be next. My roosters were cowering down there with them!

It was not so much fun getting those owls out of the hen house.

Oh WOW, I am so sorry. That sounds horrible that is much more than what I thought.
Hope you can find a way of scaring them off.

 

[1MrsMagoo]

When I let my birds out and put them in depends on the time of year and the specific weather conditions that day. We have been having very heavy, dense morning fog almost every day lately. So, instead of letting everyone out around 7 AM, I wait until the fog lifts a bit, since fog just gives predators cover. On days when it is rainy or gloomy, I also let them out later: Generally, not later than 8:30 if possible. So basically, as soon as it is full daylight outside and no sooner. Luckily, their is always somebody home, so if we have to leave early or work late, the flocks still get their free range time.
I lock all my animals up in predator proof housing every night. In the evening, all but a handful of chickens have reported to their roosts by 5:15 and the geese and ducks will start making their way to their coops around 5:20 PM.: I have them all put away by 5:40.

WalkingOnSunshine.....sorry about your owls: They can be boogers. We've only lost one bantam rooster to our pair of Barred Owls that live on the property. However, we have what we guess is a female Barn Owl that during mating season hunts during the day. She seems to favor guinea though, since those are the only type of birds we have seen her take, or that have come up missing when we've seen her around.

 

[cluckcluckluke]

Wow there is actually so much involved in this whole letting them out business. My times don't change to much only when we have daylight savings but that's only 1hr difference.
Mrs Maggo your hens go in early, is it Winter over your way. My girls don't go to bed till 8:00pm at the moment.

 

[WalkingOnSunshine]

Oh WOW, I am so sorry. That sounds horrible that is much more than what I thought.
Hope you can find a way of scaring them off.

Yeah, it's no fun. I do know from this that owls are the softest birds you'll ever touch. Really cool. They also try to kill you with beak and claws.

Can't scare them away--just have to make sure I get the chicken's pop door closed at dusk, or ask a neighbor to do it for me if I'm going to be gone.

 

[cluckcluckluke]

Yeah, it's no fun. I do know from this that owls are the softest birds you'll ever touch. Really cool. They also try to kill you with beak and claws.

Can't scare them away--just have to make sure I get the chicken's pop door closed at dusk, or ask a neighbor to do it for me if I'm going to be gone.

Why cant you catch the owl.

If it where me I would sneak down just before dusk and wait inside the roost (hiding) until It came if then I would catch it with a big net and either kill it or release it far far away.