Thumbcat Posted June 26, 2015 Share Posted June 26, 2015 I've just let my girls run around the garden for half an hour and they were not happy about having to go back in and now I feel guilty. They'll get another hour or more later. I work from home and let them out when I have some time to spare to keep an eye on them - they often come out two or three times a day. The other day they outwitted me and made a break for it as I was hanging up some greens for them I have three girls in a classic with a 4 metre run. They have a perch, a dust bath and a log and plenty of aubiose to scratch about in, but they do love to be in the garden. I'm sure they're fine, but they do make me feel guilty. I'd be interested to hear how much time other people's chickens get outside of their runs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly Posted June 26, 2015 Share Posted June 26, 2015 In winter - zero (maybe an hour at the weekend). In summer - between 30 mins to 2 hrs a day, but not every day as it has to fit in round work and other things. I won't leave them in the garden unless I am out there because of the fox risk, so it has to be when I am gardening or woodcutting or similar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mullethunter Posted June 26, 2015 Share Posted June 26, 2015 Over winter, a few hours at weekends only. Currently a few hours most evenings and most of the weekends. The rest of the one they're in a 3m Eglu Go run and only run up and down apparently trying to get out when they know I'm looking! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
merlina Posted June 26, 2015 Share Posted June 26, 2015 In the summer I mostly work shorter days and they're usually out from early until they put themselves to bed; unless I'm going to be home after dark. In winter, it's dark when I leave and dark before I get home, so they only get out at weekends, and even then only if I'm at home all day. Hens are ace manipulators who are expert at making you think they are hard done by. When mine get to free range all day, they actually spend 99% of the day by the conservatory door hoping treats will materialise Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grandmashazzie Posted June 26, 2015 Share Posted June 26, 2015 Luckily I no longer work so my lot are out from lunchtime until 7ish. I agree they are little madams, if I am going out I don't let them out and they pace up and down their large WIR like caged lions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvachicken Posted June 27, 2015 Share Posted June 27, 2015 Mine don't get to come out at all but they all seem very happy and busy in their run. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HampshireGardener Posted June 29, 2015 Share Posted June 29, 2015 My chickens are let out for the time it takes me to clear out their poop from the nestbox and the poop trays, rake and fluff the hemp bedding half of their run, rake their sand and gravel half and remove whatever poops I come across. Then I replenish their food and water. All the while the girls keep popping back into the run in case I've delivered their treats. When I'm finished I shake the mealworm tub and they come running back in. Then I spend a few minutes putting the soil back in the borders where it belongs after their earth removals, and replant anything they've dislodged. Theyre probably out about 20 minutes or so, sometimes twice a day, but usually once as I have 4 Jack Russells and although they happily co-exist I would never have them all loose in the garden together. The girls have quite a large run but whenever we appear they run to the door like eager convicts looking for freedom! They have cabbages and CDs hanging in their run to stop them being bored and all in all are very happy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackrocksrock Posted June 29, 2015 Share Posted June 29, 2015 I am so lucky mine free range all day long - they go into the field behind the house with the horses and 2 sheep also and come back to lay and drink and eat and go to bed. Sometimes they come back just for a look to see what is going on and then disappear again!. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaisyAndBobby Posted June 29, 2015 Share Posted June 29, 2015 Varies for us too. They're out every evening from when we get home from work until they take themselves off to bed. Obviously in the winter months that's not at all. At weekend we let them out whenever we can. Usually in the mornings whilst we have breakfast and are downstairs in the house to keep an eye on them and we'll pop them away again when we head out for the day. Basically, if we're home, they're out. Ours a remarkably restrained with their digging activities. They have made a good attempt at de-leafing my Lupin plants though, but their garden circuit takes in most of the flower beds and they remain mostly intact. I actually thought there would be a lot more damage than there is, and I'm a very keen gardener so it they were demolishing things, they'd get a lot less time out. It's actually quite funny as they do have a little circuit of the garden they make, repeating it over and over again during the day. But, as one previous poster said, they spend a good proportion of their time waiting by the conservatory door looking indignantly at us every time we come near them without a grape. Ours are in a 2x2m low rise walk in run, we only have two, a Speckledy and a Lavender Araucana so they have plenty of space in there when they can't get out and about. I build them a new perch yesterday, a high one up at 18 inches and they seem to be enjoying it, jumping straight on it when I'd moved out with my tools. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
