To Free Range or Not To Free Range

[M_Kelley]

Your welcome I try to help my fellow byc peeps as much as possible! If the roost in the run will that shelter them if it storms in the night? Will you be okay with them sleeping there come winter and colder weather? I know some birds roost in trees and there's no cover from rain but me personally I like mine to be dry and comfortable at night. I also want them to have shelter from the cold come winter when the wind is chilling. Also they need to roost where it's predator safe. Racoons, opposums, all those nocturnal animals come out and could strike. My set up is no way fancy lol they don't care! They just need shelter and a safe place to lay eggs. If you have a nest area you want them to use make sure they can find it easy. Also try playing golf balls or fake eggs there until they get use to it. Maybe some oyster shells are needed for that calcium boost. I would provide that freely to your girls. Sometimes my hens lay eggs in the coop at night while they sleep. I think it's just when they had the urge to let it out! Free range is great for them but it has it's cons as does keeping them in a pen all day.

I would much rather them roost in the hen house. I believe my coop needs a revamp. Thanks again for the advice!

 

[Katt577]

I’ve had chickens for eight years. It’s been trial and error concerning free ranging.
We had a problem with raccoons for a while. Almost wiped me out 3 times.
So now I have a good system. My coop is 1/2 my garden shed. It’s about 8x10 feet of floor space and 8 ft high. The girls have a 6 foot ladder to roost on that we made from some felled cedar trees. (Still not high enough for some, the rose in the rafters above the ceiling fan)
I have a door on a pulley that lets them out into a 16X16x6h run.
I let them free range when I get home from work and on weekends. I set an alarm to remind me to lock the door every night. If I get lax, tragedy strikes.
They can go in and out of the run whenever they want. And yes I do find random clutches of eggs every so often.
If egg production is low I lock them up for a few days and start egg hunting on my property.
When I used to leave them out all the time I would come home to piles of feathers in the yard.
This is my happy medium. They weight for me to let them out every night and give them treats.

 

[Peppercorngal]

Thank you for taking the time to read and reply to my post. I think the roosts not being high enough has a lot to do with it. Did you let your chickens free range before they started laying?

Yes. Free range chickens are much happier chickens, they pick on one another less and it's the way I introduce new chickens to the flock as well.

 

[M_Kelley]

What are the dimensions of your coop? Are you in a hot climate?

I'm not positive about the dimensions but yes it is hot and humid (South Carolina). Her are a couple pictures of my coop just to give to an idea of the size of it.

I’ve had chickens for eight years. It’s been trial and error concerning free ranging.
We had a problem with raccoons for a while. Almost wiped me out 3 times.
So now I have a good system. My coop is 1/2 my garden shed. It’s about 8x10 feet of floor space and 8 ft high. The girls have a 6 foot ladder to roost on that we made from some felled cedar trees. (Still not high enough for some, the rose in the rafters above the ceiling fan)
I have a door on a pulley that lets them out into a 16X16x6h run.
I let them free range when I get home from work and on weekends. I set an alarm to remind me to lock the door every night. If I get lax, tragedy strikes.
They can go in and out of the run whenever they want. And yes I do find random clutches of eggs every so often.
If egg production is low I lock them up for a few days and start egg hunting on my property.
When I used to leave them out all the time I would come home to piles of feathers in the yard.
This is my happy medium. They weight for me to let them out every night and give them treats.

That sounds like what I would like to be able to do.

 

[keesmom]

I'm not positive about the dimensions but yes it is hot and humid (South Carolina). Her are a couple pictures of my coop just to give to an idea of the size of it.View attachment 1472401 View attachment 1472402

Your coop is small and there's not a lot ventilation, so I suspect it's hot in there. They probably are roosting outside because it's cooler.

 

[Peppercorngal]

I'm not positive about the dimensions but yes it is hot and humid (South Carolina). Her are a couple pictures of my coop just to give to an idea of the size of it.View attachment 1472401 View attachment 1472402

That sounds like what I would like to be able to do.

I'm not sure of what I'm seeing. Where do the chickens lay eggs? It appears your coop is your feeding room! I have a run area that is 1/2 covered against rain and I put the food and water in the run, not in the coop. An I correct in what I'm seeing? How many chickens do you have. It does look a tad bit small, but if everyone gets along I guess it's fine!

 

[MissChick@dee]

My hens are about 16 weeks old and I was letting them free range until 4 of them started roosting in a tree next to the coop and 2 of them were staying on top of the coop. I caught them all and put them in the coop about 4 days ago and havent let them out since. I would love to let them free range but I am worried something is going to get them and since they aren't laying yet I wondered if they would start laying in the woods or some other random place rather than using the laying boxes.....any and all advice welcome

 

[MissChick@dee]

Clip their wings

 

[M_Kelley]

Your coop is small and there's not a lot ventilation, so I suspect it's hot in there. They probably are roosting outside because it's cooler.

That's what I figured (It seemed so big when they were little). It was cold when my husband built the coop and we (being first time chicken owners) didn't think about them being too hot during the summer months. I have been keeping the door open and there is also another small opening on the side where they go in and out of the coop. It doesn't seem any hotter in there than it does outside but then again I don't have feathers and im not sitting in there with a bunch of other feathered friends either lol...We have talked about bringing it the rest of the way across and lengthening the run but there are a few other things that I would like to change so we are trying to come up with the best and most cost efficient way to renovate it. If it was up to me and I had the funds...my whole backyard would be one big chicken coop .

 

[M_Kelley]

I'm not sure of what I'm seeing. Where do the chickens lay eggs? It appears your coop is your feeding room! I have a run area that is 1/2 covered against rain and I put the food and water in the run, not in the coop. An I correct in what I'm seeing? How many chickens do you have. It does look a tad bit small, but if everyone gets along I guess it's fine!