You asked - how far will they roam?

[gritsar]

I went out to check on my free range flock this afternoon and all I found around the coop was my roo and my two special needs hens, Lil' Bit and Lilith. The rest of the flock was nowhere to be found. I went searching.
Our house and the coop sit right in the center of our 80 acres.
I finally found my other ten hens at the fence line on the north end of the property, so roughly 40 acres away, happily scratching and pecking. To get there they had to go through the little woods, cross two wide open pastures and go around the pond.
So now you know. They'll wander as far as their fat little legs will carry them.

 

[Mahonri]

And so how do they get back before dark?

 

[Mahonri]

oh, and you lucky/blessed, I wish I lived on 80 acres.

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
Good question. I wasn't happy about them being that far away, especially on the edge of a wide open pasture. I walked to the top of a hill and started hollering for em, walked back to the house and got them some scratch. By the time I got back out to the coop, I could see them headed in.
I chewed my rooster out good for letting them wander so far, but DH says that a day away from the rooster was exactly what they had planned.

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
I know

 

[vicky]

Well we're not on that many acres.... infact I think we're on 1/8th of an acre.

But my chooks fly over the fence and waddle down the street about 300m every day scratching through all the neighbours front yards on the way.... But they always make it back in time for night time.

Luckily we live in an area with a LOT of renters - so no dogs in this area. Yay!

 

[insiderart]

Ha! I bet they go that far all the time, you just didn't know it. Crazy hens.

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
They better not be or Thor and I are going to have a talk.

No, usually they stay within about five acres of the house. They're getting gutsy in their old age.