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Obviously I would love my 3 girls to free range in the garden. I'm worried about getting them back in the coop though. Sage my Warren will be fine as she is a friendly little bird but Onion my Rhode Rock and Carol my White Star are not so friendly. Will they just take themselve off to bed in the normal way if I let them out?
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Bex
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Train them to come to you by rattling corn in a tin, then scatter it in their run and shut them in there. Then they'll go off to bed as usual. -
By the time I get home, my chooks have already put themselves to bed, they only get a bit funny when I move the house and its not where they were expecting.I'm only here cos I got on the wrong bus.Comment
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When I first let my birds out after I got them a year or so ago, they didn't wander very far from the coop at first - they seemed to orientate themselves slowly over a few days or weeks, and go a bit further as they gained confidence. The same thing happens now when I introduce new birds - they hang around close to the coop for a while, and gradually follow the others as they get used to their new environment. Also if I open up a new bit of garden for them all - they're wary at first, and take their time to explore. Even when they get cocky, they always put themselves to bed at night, I never need to go and fetch them - apart from the occasional broody hen, or newbies who are being bullied and are afraid to go inside. So I wouldn't worry about it, they'll love being able to free range and will be much happier birds for it, honest
. Mine start heading back to bed at about 4.30-5.30pm at the moment, but I'm an hour ahead of you so your's will probably make a move about 3.30-4.30, just before it starts getting dark. You can always bribe them as VC suggests if you get worried about them, but I'm sure you won't need to .
sigpicGardening in France rocks!Comment
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Ours are always up on the roost much earlier than we go to lock them up. Just recently they have been going into the spare henhouse and roosting, but when you go down there they will follow you to the right side and go in happily. Even twice when they were chased by the dog they came home to roost.Ali
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Some days it's hardly worth chewing through the restraints!
One bit of old folklore wisdom says to plant tomatoes when the soil is warm enough to sit on with bare buttocks. In surburban areas, use the back of your wrist. Jackie French
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One thing I do like to do is to round them up at lunchtime and do a headcount if they're out exploring ... So I give them their 'treats' in their run by the coop, and they come running as soon as they see me with a dish.sigpicGardening in France rocks!Comment
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As above, food.
they're incredibly greedy. Unbelievably in fact.
They'll naturally want to roost as it gets dark anyway so if they know their coop is safe, and where it is, they'll most like go in there!Comment
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All I can say is that we have 20+ hens and cocks which are free to free range over around 3 hectares of our land and have free access to other huge areas of woodland and farmers' fields. They make full use of it all, and ALWAYS come back at feeding time and to put themselves to bed in house, so have no fears!
If only the blasted geese would do the same! These awkward girls (and boy) willl stay out every night, all night, if they can and have to be shooed into their house every single night. A real chore!Comment
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