When do you start letting them free range?

[10xmama]

My girls are 9 wks old. They have been in their coop/run since about 4wks. They are growing so big. I have 12 (3EE, 3 AL, 3BO, & 3RS). We live on 4.5 wooded acres. I had intended to let them free range a bit ... but I am concerned with predators. How do you manage letting them out and not worry all day long? What if I let them out around 6:00pm for just an hour and a half (they have been going into their coop around 8:30pm -- I'm in FL)... hopefully they would go back in on their own right? Do you not start letting them out until they have established laying? I'm a newbie so I have no clue what the normal procedures are...??

FWIW, we do not have any dogs or pets ... but I have seen raccoons, foxes, hawks, snakes.. and an occasional cat on our property.

 

[ellie32526]

It really is a personal risk decision each person has to make. I do have 7 dogs so I decided my girls need their own space. They have a large fenced in area and I do let them free range in the larger fenced yard we have when I am home. I try to let them have an hour in the morning and at least an hour or two in the evening. Keep in mind that some hawks and owls can carry off a medium sized chicken. I think if you are going to lleave them free range when you are not near you should provide them some shelters they can run under for protection from predators. But that may not protect them from all predators.

 

[10xmama]

It really is a personal risk decision each person has to make. I do have 7 dogs so I decided my girls need their own space. They have a large fenced in area and I do let them free range in the larger fenced yard we have when I am home. I try to let them have an hour in the morning and at least an hour or two in the evening. Keep in mind that some hawks and owls can carry off a medium sized chicken. I think if you are going to lleave them free range when you are not near you should provide them some shelters they can run under for protection from predators. But that may not protect them from all predators.

How do you get them back in ... in the morning? I figured they go in on their own in the evening .... but it would be hard to chase and catch all of them in the morning ..?

Would my barn be an adequate place to run from trouble? Our barn in next to their coop-run. It isn't a barn for animals ... but our tools, mowers, etc ... I could leave it open ... and I could leave their run open?

 

[10xmama]

What age do you start letting them out?

 

[WalkingOnSunshine]

The pullets will go back to their shelter at night, but perhaps not the first few nights. Unless you have a way to catch them in the evening and put them where they need to go if they don't do it on their own, you may have a mess on your hands. After being put to bed for a few nights, they'll start to get it. Usually takes mine 3-7 nights.

With your set-up, you will have to expect to lose birds. EVERYTHING loves to eat chickens, and you'll have dogs and fox and coyote and raccoon and weasel and skunks... not to mention hawks and owls.

The only way to keep from losing birds is a predator proof coop and run. Second best is a predator-proof coop and a fenced chicken pasture that will keep out all but the most determined coyotes or dogs. Truly free range chickens are prey. We have eight acres with no woods and a dog that patrols for predators, and twice this year I had a Houdini hen that kept getting out of the pasture for a walk-about. Those hens both disappeared. I also had a group of pullets that I let out for the first time without a fence around their coop so that I could catch them for those first few nights, and they scattered the first time I Iet them out. I couldn't catch them, they never did go back to the coop, and I watched them disappear one by one over the next week until all were gone.

I learned my lesson, and won't let pullets out without them being in a fenced area again. They're just not smart enough to go back to the coop on their own the first few nights.

 

[10xmama]

Y'all are making me think mine may just need to stay in their coop/run. Their coop is 6x6 and their run is about 15x7. They seem happy enough. I just wanted to afford them with the opportunity to forage and have some freedom ... but I do not want to leave them out to be easy picks for the predators. I regularly see raccoon .... and cats ... sometimes we've seen a bobcat .. and I have seen a fox. I guess I figured if I leave the run door open that they would come back into the coop at night. I certainly do not want to have to chase 12 chickens all over our land to get them back in ... nor do I want to traumatize my kids should one get picked off. (((sigh))) Maybe I will look into a chicken tractor.

Here's a picture of our set-up:

 

[Island Roo]

I use electrified poultry netting to control and rotate the free-range area. And I make sure they have places to run for cover when raptors come around.

Sometimes I'll put crop netting overhead.

I might start some limited free range at about 8 weeks.

Everyone is different - what ever works for you.

 

[JackE]

Some people freerange with no problems. I got away with it for almost a full year.But after two daytime attacks, and the loss of 16 birds, it became obvious it wasn't going to work here. I'll second the electrified poultry netting idea. I have my chickens surrounded by 600' of it. That's what makes it possible for me to let them out everyday and not worry about them.
Jack

 

[mvinotime]

I live on about two acres and I open my coop/run door in the mornings and mine free range the pasture and yard etc all day long then put themselves to bed in the evening and I lock them up for the night. I do this with my adult birds. I have some young ones that are about 8 weeks old right now that I just started letting out. They started an hour before their usual bedtime and each day I increase it an hour. They have returned to their coop/run no problem themselves. I have yet to lose a bird to a predator (knock on wood) but fully understand the risks. They have their open coop to return to as well as a barn and other various animal shelters, bushes etc if they get spooked. I just prefer to let mine free range.

 

[ellie32526]

Y'all are making me think mine may just need to stay in their coop/run. Their coop is 6x6 and their run is about 15x7. They seem happy enough. I just wanted to afford them with the opportunity to forage and have some freedom ... but I do not want to leave them out to be easy picks for the predators. I regularly see raccoon .... and cats ... sometimes we've seen a bobcat .. and I have seen a fox. I guess I figured if I leave the run door open that they would come back into the coop at night. I certainly do not want to have to chase 12 chickens all over our land to get them back in ... nor do I want to traumatize my kids should one get picked off. (((sigh))) Maybe I will look into a chicken tractor.

Here's a picture of our set-up:

Mine usually wander around the yard and eat their fill then go back to the coop to digest the food they have eaten. When they all go back in the yard I shut the gate.

Sometimes I don't have as much time as others, so if I need them to go back in before they are ready I give them some of their favorite snacks. They like bread, corn, raisins and dried cranberries, and tuna - they LOVE tuna! The protein and vitamins and minerals are good for them and not too expensive to give every once in a while. I only give them tuna in water. But you have to be careful because tuna will show up in the eggs and make them taste fishy. Right now mine haven't started laying yet - Soon but still waiting - so I can give them fish without worrying about the taste. Anything the hens eat will cause the eggs to taste of that object.


You have a lovely coop. Losing a hen to a predator is a risk we all run, whether we free range all day or not. The bottom line is that predators are always looking for an easy meal, so if we can make it difficult for them to get to our girls, they may decide to go after something easier. I have to also protect mine from my 7 dogs. I have a pitt that I love dearly, but I know in his heart he is a hunter and will kill my hens if he gets a chance so I have to protect them from him. We have all sorts of hawks and owls in the area, plus I have seen several cats and a couple snakes. I'm sure there are other things out there. I hear coyotes at night, but have never seen any. Perhaps the dogs keep them away.