WHEN should i let my hens free-range? (letting out of coop)

ReillyJ

Chirping
5 Years
Jun 12, 2014
163
7
76
Snohomish, WA
I got 4 full grown (young) hens a couple months ago (they were free range and from the neighbors, slept in trees, would come over to my yard because i gave them food and water, neighbors were druggies and didn't care for them) and finally got a large dog house and small run prepared for them where they've been for 5-6 WEEKS now, seemingly happy but we have been wanting to put up a large pen so they could free range contained. However it may be at least another week or 2 before we get the pen put up and i am wondering if i just threw the door of the coop open, WOULD they return willingly at night?

They know their roost and nest box well and took to it immediately but i'm afraid they'll not come back in at night... only TWO let me pet them and possibly hold them but the other 2 definitely will not.

What would you all do? Just let them free range and not build a pen? Let them out while building a pen? Just keep them in another couple weeks?

Pics of dog house and covered run (run is cleaned out)



Area where we will pen off (between coop and a shed)

 
Yes, i'm in WA state. Having some unseasonably long hot dry days here.

I think...maybe i'll wait til the pen is up, feeling sorry for them but i think they're doing ok. They'd probably be fine roaming around and would return in the evening but i think maybe i'll just stick it out until my husband and i have time next week to make a pen.
 
I bet they would return. I got 10 that free ranged all day and were 19 weeks....I had them for a week and let me out.....they stayed close and had an open door and would come and go as they wished....now I gotta kick em out....LOL they love the coop and want to stay in then they love to range and don't want to go in. Do you have a rooster? My rooster is awesome and runs them in and out as he sees fit...danger and he gets the girls in BEFORE it could get bad......he even warned of a hawk this morning while I was out there....no doubt the hawk would have come to get one because it hovered ove me very low.....my roo had the girls safe before I knew what was going on. So my point is.....a roo may help you especially if you spoil them....mine have become much better after a treat of mill worms by hand. Good luck and glad you rescued the chickens.
 
I agree with the others. They have been in their coop long enough now to recognise it as 'home' and I doubt they would wander too far.

I do understand your concern though. I kept my 6 pullets and 1 cockerel in the coop for 8 days before letting them into their fenced run. They all came back to roost that night, with no help required from me.

Then hubby suggested we let them all range in our yard. Our yard is on a creek front, and we have about 5 acres, 2 acres of which are fully fenced in. They wander a little farther along each day, but again the cockerel leads them all back to the roost at dusk.

I can't tell you the number of evenings I sat at the window at dusk, willing him to take them all towards their coop! But he did, every single time.

I am sure yours will do the same
big_smile.png


Krista
PS: Lovely little gardened area you have there for your girls. You do realise it will soon be barren and churned up, ha ha!
 
Mine went into there coop to roost after 3 days and on the fifth day I let them out to free range and they went back to the coop at about 8:30 they are about 6 months old
 

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom