How do I let out my hens to free range for the first time?

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We bought ten laying hens 2 weeks ago. We bought them from an egg production farm, and they are 15 months old. They were in long cages (3 to a cage) when we bought them. We brought them home-now they are in a "chicken house" where they have floor space, with an attached outdoor area, totally fenced in. We want to let them out, but aren't sure how to do it. Should we just let out a couple at a time? and for just a few minutes? and....do we let them out everyday-even when its chilly? aaaaaaaand...should we have it so that the door to the house is open always? Last question...since we got them, they havent layed in a nesting box. This makes sense since their eggs naturally rolled away from them before. They must be wondering why they keep staying there! Can we "train" them to lay in the boxes? and... will they lay just wherever if we let them out? *My dogs would LOVE that*

I think that covers todays questions. Thanks all! Aimee~

-- Aimee Gosse (aimeegosse@hotmail.com), April 25, 2002

Answers

I thought I'd add just to be clear that I do mean literally OUT of the house altogether. They already go in the outdoor fenced in area.

:)Aimee~

-- Aimee Gosse (aimeegosse@hotmail.com), April 25, 2002.


You can let them all out at once. Prop the door open. They should return to the coop in late afternoon. I don't know where you live but it's best to shut the coop door at night because of predators. Since you've had them for 2 weeks they should know by now where home is. Don't let them out until mid morning and eggs should be layed by then in the coop. I don't know how to get them to start using the nesting boxes unless the fake egg trick will work. I have one hen that always lays her eggs on the ground - even tho the others use the nesting boxes. Also, if you have predators around you may not want to let them out of the coop at all. Mine are stuck in the coop because we have a bobcat that hangs around. He got my favorite hen a couple of years back during the day. The chickens were pecking around in the front yard, we had the front door open with grandkids running in and out and the bobcat was still brazen enough to come after the hens. He also got my favorite duck because my pen had an opening between the door and wall that was big enough for him to "reach" into. I cried over both birds. If you have dogs that run loose they can play heck with chickens too. Good luck !

-- cindy palmer (jancpalmer@sierratel.com), April 25, 2002.

for the FIRST time,, outside of a known area,, Id let them out,closer to night,,late afternoon,, that way,, they dont get lost or confused,, and "should" go home when its dark

-- Stan (sopal@net-pert.com), April 25, 2002.

I have had bad luck letting chickens raised someplace else out to free range too soon. If you are just talking about letting them out into a fenced chicken yard, I would let them out all day and just close it up at night to keep predators out. You might have to shoo them in at night, but I doubt it. Try putting a plastic or glass egg in the nest boxes.

-- diane (gardiacaprines@yahoo.com), April 25, 2002.

Aimee, I have a chicken mobile with a drop down door. I let them out in the AM and they return at dusk, climb back in and I lock them up. I have run into problems if I move the coop too far at a time, they kind of imprint to an area. They are not fenced, I have lost 3 chickens and a rooster to predators this year (I'm not sure what). The neighbor down the road who had a fenced coop and run had his entire flock massacred in broad daylight when he went to the store one day. I think maybe my chickens have more of a chance, at least they won't all be killed at once. They are excellent at eating insects,slugs, etc. and are fun to watch. All but one lay in the nest boxes in the chicken mobile, I just put straw in them and a curtain up 3/4 of the way down because I read somewhere that they prefer it dark. I let my chickens out every day, even in the winter. They don't like snow so I put some old hay or straw down around their coop and they come out and peck at grain, go in the barns and under the coop. My chicken mobile has a hardware cloth floor so it's not stinky, I layer straw/old hay in there in winter for warmth...........

-- J.S. (stoom2@hotmail.com), April 25, 2002.


Aimee, I forgot to mention, my chickens are Rhode Island R., they are supposed to be very hardy, intelligent, and good foragers. Sometimes some breeds are better for some purposes than others. I am relatively new at this also, I love my chicke

-- J.S. (stoom2@hotmail.com), April 25, 2002.

Aimee, I forgot to mention, my chickens are Rhode Island R., they are supposed to be very hardy, intelligent, and good foragers. Sometimes some breeds are better for some purposes than others. I am relatively new at this also, I love my chickens.................

-- J.S. (stoom2@hotmail.com), April 25, 2002.

My chickens have always gone back to where they slept the night before. Even if I move a few to "Even - up the rooster to chicken ratio !

-- Elizabeth Quintana (rockshelter@webtv.com), April 25, 2002.

I would start first at about 2 hours before dark for a few days and then increase it to 4 hours. Later 6 hours, 8,10, and finally all day. While doing this you may keep a watch on them to see what they do. If they are laying hens, some breeds like to go off and hide their eggs. If this happens you may want to wait till they all have laid before ranging.

I have Brown Leghorns and they are real good to come back to the coop when they lay. Except if it is 100 degrees they will start laying under shade trees or high weeds. Anywhere shadey.

-- r.h. in okla. (rhays@sstelco.com), April 25, 2002.


Here's what I've had success with. All new birds are penned for 3 weeks. The feed hoppers are kept filled. At the end of the 3 weeks, I open their gate. They come out when they're ready; some do it right away. I do this 'cause it trains the birds to return to their pens at dusk to roost. I've never had to chase a bird to get it in the pen.

The old flock can see the newbies thru the wire pens and vice versa. When the gate is opened for the newbies, they mingle with the old flock. Since they've had 3 weeks to get acquainted thru the wire, I've never had a problem with fighting and the like. Works for me! :^)

-- ~Rogo (rogo2222@hotmail.com), April 26, 2002.



We have free range chickens that we bought at about 15 month of age. They are leghorns ( flighty ) They were raised enclosed in a coop when we purchased them. Once we brought them home we set them free range. The first couple of days we penned them next to their coop. After that they were allowed to forage free. They stayed close to the coop initially but as time wore on they ranged farther and farther afield. The more they foraged the less feed they ate. I worried about preditors at first but my two dogs keep a close watch on what comes and goes on in and around our yard. Including the Amish that pass by in there buggys. I let mine come and go as they please. I don't know how the winters are where you are but here in central Wisconsin I've let my chickens out through the winter except on the coldest of days. I have had a couple of times where I had to search for the eggs in the yard. Once in the hay pile next to the coop and once in the empty rabbit hutch. I say let them loose. Just open the door for them and leave it so they can go back in if it rains or they get scared by something. You want them to think of the coop as safety. Good luck!

-- Paul Tharp (bottomley.tharp@verizon.net), April 26, 2002.

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