1st time free ranging/bedtime

[DaisyDiamond]

Firstly, what a great forum - so much information and much more user-friendly than the books I have looked at so far!!

I have had my girls a week now in a sort of moveable ark and things seem to be going OK I think - there are signs eggs may not be too far off! I would like to let my chooks have free range in the garden when I am around but am not sure the best way to go about this for the first time.

I am a little concerned as I am not 100% sure that they are putting themselves to bed successfully yet. The have needed a little coaxing but I am not sure if I am trying to shut them up too early.

Any advice/suggestions on letting them out and bedtime would be greatly appreciated!

[davefromthechipie]

Hi DaisyDiamond and welcome to the forum
You will know if they are putting themself to bed ,Just wait till dusk and if they arnt inside by then .. they need more training Still give them chance dont lock the door intill its dark outside ! then you will know if they are trained. Still one week isnt long You could find them laying outside Check back here if this happens .
also the 1st time you let them out make sure its almost close to dusk.
Id give it one more week if it was me
good luck and let us know how it works out.
ps
O and we all love pics on here SO POST SOME LOL

[chickadee]

Yup, only had mine a week and mine put themselves to bed at around 8.30pm, must like early nights! lol
Tina
x

[Nicos]

Mine have just taken themselves to bed!

Glad you are so pleased with your chooks!!!!

Oh...and welcome to the Vine!!!

[sheena]

Yup, only had mine a week and mine put themselves to bed at around 8.30pm, must like early nights! lol
Tina
x

Mine go around 8.30 too, maybe I need to take a leaf out of their book. lol

[lettucegrow!]

Hi! Mine just didn't know where to go! If you think about where they have come from,( mine were in a big barn and had arrived from who knows where a couple of days before) it is no surprise that they are not sure about bedtime routines. I went out the first evening to see if they had gone to bed and they hadn't so I just popped them through the pop hole and did the same the next night,opening up nice and early the next day and I think that was that . They had the hang of it. I think they will go with the way you would like to do things,they haven't got much choice really have they? And as long as it's sort of normal routine stuff that has to be OK doesn't it? Take control and things will OK!!!

[Flummery]

Hi and welcome to the grapevine! My supplier told me to make sure they had at least 2 weeks in the run before they free ranged. They need time to imprint themselves on the run area as home so they will go back to it readily. (A little bribery also helps!)

[rew15]

We have had ours just over a week and we've had them out around the garden. We started for an hour or so and have slowly built up the time. They spent three or four hours out yesterday. They also seem to take themselves to bed at half eight.

[DaisyDiamond]

Thanks for all you help - still not quite there yet but getting better. I am thinking that maybe as the ark is ground level it confuses them slightly as they are not going up to roost. There is a roosting bar inside! And a quick bribe of raisins gets them in without too much hassle. I'm sure I am not the first person to use an ark so we will get there eventually!!

[Squizz]

We've had ours for about 3 wks and for the first week we kept them within the run as advised. Now they have a large 'electric fence' run that goes around an apple tree and the coop but they don't go to bed until 9.00pm! I've tried to encourage them in with corn but none of them like it! They will only eat layers mash, slugs and mealworms I've tried almost everything else!

[bluemoon]

We've had ours for about 3 wks and for the first week we kept them within the run as advised. Now they have a large 'electric fence' run that goes around an apple tree and the coop but they don't go to bed until 9.00pm! I've tried to encourage them in with corn but none of them like it! They will only eat layers mash, slugs and mealworms I've tried almost everything else!

Thank goodness for that! Ours won't go to bed until nine either. There's always a fair few people on the lotties at dusk to shut their chickens in safe for the night and we're always the last to leave.

[MaureenHall]

We've had ours for about 3 wks and for the first week we kept them within the run as advised. Now they have a large 'electric fence' run that goes around an apple tree and the coop but they don't go to bed until 9.00pm! I've tried to encourage them in with corn but none of them like it! They will only eat layers mash, slugs and mealworms I've tried almost everything else!

To get them off layers mash and onto pellets, try mixing the pellets with some warm water first, then gradually reduce the amount of water you're adding. It makes a lot less mess than mash and there's a lot less waste.

They'll start going to bed later and later during the summer, they're guided by dusk, so the later that is the later they go to bed. They need around 14 hours of daylight for optimum egg laying too, so don't worry, they know best

[Flummery]

Mine are going just after nine too. They have an automatic pop-hole opener (60th birthday present!) and they tend to go up to bed (they have a raised house with a ladder) about 15 minutes before it shuts. They are in the back garden so we always go out with a torch and check that there hasn't been a 'lock-out' but not so far. The run is, we hope, fox proof - flagged floor and paving or brick path outside too - so at this time of year it wouldn't be too bad. However, it comes into its own in the morning. When we wake at 6.50 they are out in the run and pottering!

It's their instinct to seek safety at dusk so they will probably go to bed later and later until midsummer. Thank the heavens that you don't live in Forsinard like Birdie-wife. Bet hers never go to bed in uummer!

[Glutton4...]

Those automatic openers are wonderful. Whoever builds them has set them just right, mine go in about fifteen minutes before their door closes too! Clever Chooks

[Squizz]

To get them off layers mash and onto pellets, try mixing the pellets with some warm water first, then gradually reduce the amount of water you're adding. It makes a lot less mess than mash and there's a lot less waste.

They'll start going to bed later and later during the summer, they're guided by dusk, so the later that is the later they go to bed. They need around 14 hours of daylight for optimum egg laying too, so don't worry, they know best

Thank you, they do make a terrible mess and alot of waste! Are pellets better for them?