How far will chickens wander from coop?

[Sarah g 12]

I let my chickens out to foarage every now and then and they go out pretty far... how far from the coop will they travel? Also, are there any ways to keep them near the coop, and will they run away and never come back?

 

[rowlow]

Mine only go maybe 150ft- 200ft away and always come back at night. I guess how far they wander depends on if they find something interesting to eat. But If believe they always return to roost.

 

[A.T. Hagan]

Mine generally stay within 100 yds though I'll get the occasional explorer who will go farther.

 

[foulplay]

Mine also stay fairly close to the coop. You can see a circle of shorter grass around the coop and then it gets gradually taller the farther away you get. But I do have about five that go really far but always come back to roost.

 

[fiveladybugs]

Mine usually stay around the pens or back of our garage, which are all right along the edge of the woods, but our Sex Link is our wanderer & likes to go along the edge of the field at the side of our yard...she was the first to figure out they just cut wheat

 

[foulplay]

Mine usually stay around the pens or back of our garage, which are all right along the edge of the woods, but our Sex Link is our wanderer & likes to go along the edge of the field at the side of our yard...she was the first to figure out they just cut wheat

My neighbor has is a cash cropper and I am waiting to see if the chickens go into his field after he cuts his corn. I think they will it should be interesting to watch.

 

[cmom]

I have a few different breeds. For the most part they stay pretty close to the coops. I do have an oak tree in my pasture that they like to go forage under and some stray a little farther than others. My roosters are pretty good at not letting the girls get too far away.

To our new members

 

[janinepeters]

Mine are fenced in to about 1/3 acre now, but before I had the fence, they would range within about 2 acres. I think how far they go depends on:

• How long they are out - if they're out all day they get really comfortable with it, and will range farther. If usually out for no more than a couple hours before dark, they tend to stay closer to the coop
• Habitat and lay of the land (quality of forage and where they have to go to get it)

Before I had the fence, I used to keep them closer to home by calling them periodically throughout the day (easy to train them to come when called), and rewarding them with a bit of scratch.