Will chickens return to coop?

[Fallenone05]

Hi everyone! I've got a question about how well chickens return to the coop? I've had them in their coop/run since I got them (since about November), but I'd like to let them out to eat the grass and tree buds before everything else gets them. Do you think they'll come back by themselves?

I'm also a little curious about chicken breeds? I've got two 'mysteries' I've received from a neighbor.

Thank you very much!

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Now that they know where home is, they'll come back by dusk.

 

[Fallenone05]

Do they wander very far from their coop? I ask due to the yard not being fenced in completely.. And they don't much care to be caught and handled.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Initially they won't wander out of sight of the coop but as they get comfortable that they can find their way home and familiar with their surrounding, they'll venture farther afield. I've never seen them go farther than 100 yards even after they're extremely comfortable.

 

[jas humbert]

You might want to start out easy and let them out only an hour or so before their usual roost time and keep an eye on them for that hour, See how that hour goes and work from there.

 

[Fallenone05]

Thank you all very much! I'll let them out for a little while later and see how they do!

 

[lazy gardener]

As far as them staying in your unfenced yard, you can be sure they will choose to go where you don't want them to go. Enjoy!

 

[Fallenone05]

They definitely stuffed their crops full of dirt, moss and grass! It was beginning to get dark and they showed no signs of returning to the coop, but they corralled inside easy enough. This was a fun experiment. While they meandered the yard I put a large pile of leaves in their coop for entertainment.

I do have another question though! I bought pellets for them a week ago and they still show no interest in them. When should I get worried about them eating? Of course not today.. They ate a lot of grass.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

How old are they? Are you talking about layer pellets or all flock pellets? (what's the calcium percentage)

They should be getting a grower type ration till they start laying eggs.

I doubt it is dirt moss and grass.

Grass isn't much nutrition for chickens. Are you using the term grass generically, as in referring to greenery? Are you sure it is grass or a mixture of succulent greens.

 

[Fallenone05]

There's a mix of both all flock and layer in it.

My hens are all X2 11 months, X2 1.5 years and 1 mystery buff orp who is laying.

And I mean grass as in anything green in my backyard, along with flower blossoms and any bugs they found scratching around in leaf piles and in the dirt just a bit ago.