Chortle Chook Posted September 4, 2013 Share Posted September 4, 2013 My chickens free range all over my garden so are constantly around, but OH is saying he thinks they could be confined, all be it to a WIR. He is selling his car and we're going to be a one car household with our one car parked in the front, so there will be a largeish area at the bottom of the long thin garden (c 10x10m) going free, so to speak. I've seen quite a few chickens in pens at the bottom of gardens and I wonder if, in the end, that would mean that I'd end up only seeing them at egg collection and cleaning out time. I know effecitvely it would be down to me, but I'm trying to be realistic. What happens in your households? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly Posted September 4, 2013 Share Posted September 4, 2013 I'm at work and out of the house for 10 hours a day, and if I left my hens free ranging they would be foxed within 24 hours. I let them out to free range when I am in the garden - it means I enjoy their company and I do a lot of gardening even in winter. It's up to you how much time you spend with them, but I wouldn't let mine free range everywhere anyway - I like to keep some parts of the garden chicken-free. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LolaLayla Posted September 4, 2013 Share Posted September 4, 2013 Mine free range during the day in a fenced off area (omlet fencing) at the bottom of the garden. I can see them from the house though. As it gets nearer winter I will move them to an area nearer the house but to the side. I feel they are safer nearer the house in winter and it is less of a trek for me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparkysmum Posted September 4, 2013 Share Posted September 4, 2013 Hi Shabby Chic Mine f/r almost all day, most days. However we do have an area we can confine them to if motivated. We have 5 hens atm and the penned off area is about 13m x 3m. The issue I have is that when penned in they sit around a lot more so of course I feel sorry for them & let them out. It has lots of mature shrubs and lots of interesting things for them so they are never bored, they just prefer having the freedom if the garden. The other issue is that despite clipping one of my scots dumpies wings, she still gets over the omlet fencing by means of jumping & climbing. So if she is out and my little sablepoot is out (I could never clip her wings) they might as well all be out One of these days I really will harden my heart and keep them confined Good luck with yours Ax Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gavclojak Posted September 4, 2013 Share Posted September 4, 2013 We built a 35 square foot enclosure at the bottom of our garden and the cube is in there, i let them free range occationally, we call it free range Fridays but they so seem very happy in their enclosure Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HarrisonFamily Posted September 4, 2013 Share Posted September 4, 2013 I have 4 girls in a large WIR at the end of the garden, I have only started free ranging this summer and some days they have only 10 minutes but if left out for an hour they generally headback to the WIR on their own - so I guess they are happy in there..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redsunset Posted September 4, 2013 Share Posted September 4, 2013 Well as you know mine have the whole garden as have 26 of them so would need to be a ruddy big WIR to keep them in. I guess it's an individual choice as some people prefer to keep them in a WIR as they want to protect their gardens/keep them safe from fox attacks etc. Chooks seem to be quite happy from what I read on here in their runs if filled with a bit of interest for them and see no problems. The guilt of suddenly penning them in would be for you (guessing here) as you like to see them pootling around, but chooks have short memories and adapt quickly to new surroundings? The upside would be for your hubby as no more poop picking, I'm guessing? You could compromise and keep them in a run and have set times to suit yourself to let them out with you, and then both parties are happy? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs_B Posted September 4, 2013 Share Posted September 4, 2013 I sometimes wish my two flocks could FR in the garden, but with the foxes/dens only behind my fence that backs onto woods - it's not possible. Due to a few disabilities I suffer from, I can't rely on me being able to catch them if I let them FR whilst being supervised. The WIR is as much about the chickens safety as it is me being able to manage them. Our girls love the WIR we have and we felt it was large enough to get two sets of girls I enjoy watching them and getting into the WIR with them when cleaning and feeding. I take a lot of pride with the girls' space It is a lot easier to clean a certain area and make sure everything is picked up that needs to be - and I like doing the way I do it as I feel I can offer them everything to my best ability this way. One day I would love to live somewhere where my chickens could walk around without worrying Good luck in whatever you choose and everything planning wise, Shabby Chic! x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lavenders_Blue Posted September 5, 2013 Share Posted September 5, 2013 10mx10m - that's bigger than my whole garden Your chooks will be more than happy in that space. My hens have a run approx 11m.sq that we built this summer (they were in a larger open pen before that). Bella and Bluebelle have adapted fine as they are both quite lazy birds but little Pearl has been quite cross about the whole thing. She used to jump out of the old pen whenever she fancied a bit of free ranging, toddle around the garden for a bit, then jump back in when she realised she was missing the others Now she can't do that, she's throwing a few tantrums, but she's got me well trained taking treats out when she throws a paddy. I'm sure yours will be just fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chortle Chook Posted September 5, 2013 Author Share Posted September 5, 2013 Thanks everyone for your answers. I like the idea of creating the WIR and having my chooks in there for most of the time but letting them out to pootle about when I'm gardening (or to look at me when I'm eating on the patio ). Our garden has been created over my few chicken keeping years to have specifically chicken friendly plants and I think I'll keep it that way and not suddenly go in for lupins and pansies, but as you say, Redsunset, it would mean less poop sweeping off the paths for OH (Why is it that OH minds chicken poop and I don't? ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandychick Posted September 6, 2013 Share Posted September 6, 2013 Mine are in a WIR up the garden and in a simular sized area. They are in the WIR unless I am there because of foxes. I still spend a lot of time with them though in evenings and weekends. In summer there is always lots to in the garden anyway. My garden shed is in the chickens area, so I'm often in there doing something horticultural or fixing the bike or sometimes take paperwork up there to do in the company of the hens! I also have my rowing machine and turbo trainer in there which I use most evenings. Also a kettle, radio and heater. The hens just pop in and out to see what I'm up to. I'd definately reccomend a shed for spending time with them! Actually, could sell the house and move in to the shed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted September 6, 2013 Share Posted September 6, 2013 I usually recommend a WiR for anyone who is uncertain about the security or fox-ability of their garden. Mine have an long, extended cube run and free range most days, most of the time, except in the winter when they are confined due to short daylight hours. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alis girls Posted September 6, 2013 Share Posted September 6, 2013 On the other hand put OH in a pen and let chickens roam free................. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plum Posted September 6, 2013 Share Posted September 6, 2013 Don't let him near the shed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lulabellx1 Posted September 8, 2013 Share Posted September 8, 2013 Ours have a massive walk in run and they get to free range for 3/4 hours each day... usually in the afternoon when my OH has got up (he works nights). However I would say that I like having the WIR near the house, so I can sit and watch the hens from the kitchen. I think if they were right at the back of the garden, I would have nothing to keep me occupied when nursing a cuppa in the morning before work! x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickencam Posted September 9, 2013 Share Posted September 9, 2013 We have our larger group in a walk in run with plenty of perches and a couple of different levels. It is on soil with a deep layer of bark chippings on top so they have about a foot of loose dig able material. The run is totally enclosed and has a Perspex roof which keeps it quite dry. We take out a couple of barrows worth of the litter every couple of months or so and throw in a couple of bags of new chippings. It breaks down into a lovely soft soil like material which makes great compost, never smells, it must have a great Eco system. We also use this system in the Eglu run, so long as they have plenty of loose stuff to dig in they are happy, we are always amazed by the earth worms n the lower levels, you would have thought that they would have all been eaten by now but they must be deep enough most of the time to survive. I throw in the odd scoop of stalosan F from time to time to keep down the worms, but because it is pretty dry they seem ok I only worm every 6 months and have very healthy happy hens. We have been using this method for over 6 years now. The girls free range in the winter more because we have less in the garden that they can damage and it makes it more interesting for them, in the summer they only come out a couple of times a week for short periods. We let the two groups FR together which makes it much easier when we amalgamate them n the autumn if we are getting new youngsters. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
