Electricbarbarella Posted July 28, 2008 Share Posted July 28, 2008 And does anyone not, I am still really nervous about free ranging and the girls seem so happy in the cube + extension. Does anyone else keep them in, does keeping them in kind of defeat the point of keeping your own chooks, I get in with them plenty and have lots of fuss. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted July 28, 2008 Share Posted July 28, 2008 I do try to let mine free range most days. They are perfectly OK without though. so long as they have enough room. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Earthchild Posted July 28, 2008 Share Posted July 28, 2008 I am really fortunate to work from home and also have a very secure garden, so I have let mine free range everyday from 11am. However, they have only been aloud out for the past week, so Im not sure if I will be able to keep it up when the kids go to school as I will be in and out on the school run and the dog is really good when I'm here but not so great when I'm not Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave36 Posted July 28, 2008 Share Posted July 28, 2008 We free range ours all day unless we are out and then the girls get locked up untill we are home. We brought some netting from omlet which controlls where they are free ranging, and it may help you if you are a little worried about letting them out, ours have never tried to jump the netting as i beleive they are happy with what they are doing, although i think they are making a tunnel for there escape Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seagazer Posted July 28, 2008 Share Posted July 28, 2008 I let mine out mostly in the afternoon, probably about an hour or so and then again in the evening if we're sitting out there. I can't leave them out alone as we have foxes around. They seem happy enough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cooks Posted July 28, 2008 Share Posted July 28, 2008 I let mine out whenever we can do it safetly. They freerange everyday for varying amounts depending on who is about to monitor their safety. But they are in a large enough run, so if I couldn't let them out for whatever reason I wouldn't worry too much as long as I gave them some extra items to keep them occupied. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welsh sarah Posted July 28, 2008 Share Posted July 28, 2008 mine free range all day every day at the moment because i am home from school. i did leave them out all day saturday and sunday when we were not in, they were alright i think there were so many people out in their gardens mr fox wouldnt dare. i know it is a risk but so far so good. i just cant bear to lock them in although they have a very large walk in run i am sure it doesnt hurt to keep them locked in as long as they have enough space sarah Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
choppish Posted July 28, 2008 Share Posted July 28, 2008 mine free range whenever i am at home although i do try and keep them in till about 2pm. I will then leave them to it without supervision. howeever there are only 2 and they seem to get very restless i n the standard eglu run. maybe becasue they can see lots of fresh green grass just out of reach beyond the bars! i would let them out more but don;t want them to get too used to it as i work shifts so there is very little structure for them to get used too. they moan loudly in the morning if they see me at the window and pace up and down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
debbie26pet Posted July 28, 2008 Share Posted July 28, 2008 mine are allowed out in the afternoon, if im not going out, until they go bed, we are going away end this week, so this week im restricting there time a bit less, but they will still get out when mother in law comes, they have a run etc so im not to worried and i know htey will get spoilt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MadMitch Posted July 28, 2008 Share Posted July 28, 2008 I don't let them free range as such as its far to risky in our garden but they have an electric fenced area which they have access to from 16:00 till bedtime throughout the week and all day at weekends (although they don't go to bed at the moment but sleep on top of the cube) . I must say though, although its there they only probably use it for about 5 mins every hour as they seem to prefer to spend their time scratting round their enclosed run. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lewis Posted July 28, 2008 Share Posted July 28, 2008 I free range out of term time, the rest of the time im stuck at school The girls have a big run which they are in everyday and they come out whenever we are in the garden. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mayflower Posted July 28, 2008 Share Posted July 28, 2008 Mine do not free range, because I am at work nine hours a day and work shifts as a nurse. My hens live in a large walk in run, and I make sure(probably over the top) that they have a happy life. There is not pecking or squabbling amongst my little flock, but like I say, when I'm home, I'm in and out of the garden and in their run because they love human company. Inside their run is a large branch which they love to roost on, and can also see our family in the living room!!! They have a large log from where they can peck their greens. They have two dustbaths, one in a terracotta pot, and another in a tin bucket. After they have laid in the mornings, whoever is in my home, removes the back off the cube. This gives them extra roosting space, which they love to fly up to then walk down the steps...like a game! Twice a day they are given a large dish of salads. I used to give them corn every evening, but now they turn their nose up in favour of grapes. It takes me 15 minutes to cut the grapes into pecksize pieces, and 1 minute for them to gobble it all up. They have been out a couple of times and scratched around, but I am fearful that they will come to expect this and become unhappy in the run.I can honestly say that my hens are really happy and contented...but I work hard to make it so. I clean up the poohs twice a day as well as the house, and sprinkle oyster shell and chicken grit onto the aubiose which they love to scratch around and find. In the Autumn, I am planning to put them out on my veg plot at the weekends for a couple of hours, but like I say, I do'nt want to rock a very happy boat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christian Posted July 28, 2008 Share Posted July 28, 2008 Mine free range in their 'corner' of the garden most days. If we are both at work at the same time, then they are confined to the run. They are let out at 6am most mornings in the summer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunshine Posted July 28, 2008 Share Posted July 28, 2008 We don't let ours free range either because people are constantly going in and out so someone cannot be there to watch them all the time or at least be in the house when they are free ranging. They seem perfectly happy and are given greens instead of them eating our plants and veg. When we first got them we did let them out if the weather was nice but then we had builders round, and dad likes his grass and mum her veg in summer. So they havn't been let out for a couple of months now. They have a large enough run with shade and and area for a dust bath with some perches. They will probably get let out once mum wants them to scratch in her veg patch in the winter but then they will go back in next summer. I think its good that people can let theirs free range but its just not possible for us, which is why we built them a run that would be big enough for them for the summer months. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Electricbarbarella Posted July 28, 2008 Author Share Posted July 28, 2008 well i bit the bullet and let them out, was a really nervwracking experience, the cats were stalking them, I certainly wouldn't want to do it unless I can actually sit out with thgem although i may be more comfortable when i get used to them. have now hosed the lawn down, bet my grass will thrive anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beach chick Posted July 28, 2008 Share Posted July 28, 2008 depends how you define free range I spose... mine used to have the run of the entire garden and field (about an acre and a half) but they were almost always to be found in the same places. they are now confined inside 50m of electric netting, and are out in that all day from whenever I let them out (anything from 7-8ish am) til they go to bed, which is at dusk. they seem just as happy inside the leccy fence as they ever were when they were totally free range. I notice the days are starting to shorten now, used to be 9pm they were all tucked up and now its nearer 8.50. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abwsco Posted July 28, 2008 Share Posted July 28, 2008 Ours free range around our small garden all day usually from around 8.30am. Do sometimes wonder why we bothered spending money building a run. Our plan was to only let them free range for a couple of hours a day but we're all too soft to keep them in their run when they charge at the door to get out:oops: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shirl Posted July 28, 2008 Share Posted July 28, 2008 We're like that Anne. We bought an expensive run because the girls wouldn't be free ranging in summer and they're still out every day but now only from about 3pm 'til bedtime. In winter they will probably free range all day but then the days are much shorter anyway so probably not much difference really. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steph101 Posted July 28, 2008 Share Posted July 28, 2008 All day, come rain or shine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparkysmum Posted July 28, 2008 Share Posted July 28, 2008 Hi, ours free range most of the day, if Sparx my dog can be supervised. Otherwise I have to timetable the garden and try to ensure that they have fairly equal time.What I think is really hilarious is that only a few weeks ago our girls were in battery units and now even their run isn't sufficient for them They squawk quite indignantly when they're in their run. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
New2this Posted July 28, 2008 Share Posted July 28, 2008 Hi, I'm lucky in that I work from home and therefore I am able to let the girls free range a lot. They are also fortunate to have both an external run as well as a being allowed to free range in the rest of the garden. However, what ever you decide to do be aware that if you let them out once, they will want to do it all the time. They are very good at 'twisting your little finger' when they set their minds to it. Good luck with what ever you decide. Christine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spike-J Posted July 28, 2008 Share Posted July 28, 2008 Mine are out from what ever time we get up until they put themselves to bed. We are lucky the garden is very secure so no fox worries, and the dog is only out when someone is at home. (and the flowers I'm especially fond of are fenced off along with the fruit and veg... Have I got my priorities back to front...?) I was worried about the local cats ar first especially when we caught one stalking them on a few occasions, however there has been no sign of any cats anywhere lately (not even on the fence). I suspect its because the 2 girls don't realise they are hens. They will happily square up to the dog (german shepard/ collie cross) and put him is his place, so the cats are probably scared! I know what Sparkysmum means about them squawking- ours give off in no uncertain terms if they think we are lying in too late. (or not letting them inside, or not feeding them enough corn etc...) They have given us so much entertainment in the 3 or 4 months we've had them. Spike-j Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gamebird Posted July 28, 2008 Share Posted July 28, 2008 Mine used to free range only when I was out with them until a fox decided that I wasn't scary enough and made an attack in front of me. Luckily the chicken escaped. They are now safely enclosed behind 50m of electric fencing and free range from when they get up at about 5am until bedtime at 9pm every day. They have a huge oak tree to shade them from the sun and have made several dust baths. I do think though that chickens will cope with whatever is best for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
