[Jane-M]

Mine fly, jump and run like b*****y.  But wing clipping and a sort of war of attrition last autumn to identify all the gaps in ther perimeter meant they could be out quite a lot over the winter. They stay in their run for the entire growing season in the garden, I love my garden, but up here the only things above ground from November to March are totally bombproof anyway so the hennies get to roam a bit. It's their digging that does the damage not what they eat - although they do eat the Star of Bethlehem right down to the ground it comes back better than ever in spring.

[Ice]

I know, I would change it but I can't now   

Just pm Aunt Sally and she will change it to whatever you would prefer.

[SMD66]

Thanks, will do. 

[Jeanette]

Just a short reminder. I used to let my girls out in the garden for a run around the garden and i have got 6 ft fencing all around. One day i was in the kitchen and the girls were out  I had only turned my back for 10 minutes and a fox had all 6 of them it is devasting to loose them this way we thought they were safe we live on a estate and to be quite honest we had never thought about a fox being around in the middle of the day and people close by. Now I have a very large walk in avery and they are very safe. I dont want anyone else to go through the heartache of anything happening to their girls

[flangey]

I have 6 girls and their wings are clipped so no flying.  However, they have found an escape route through a 7 foot wide hedge with chicken wire going through it, into the acres and acres of fields at the bottom of the garden!!!! They limbo under the chicken wire! Little madams.  Had a lovely time in the farmers fields though, but scary as they could've gone for miles.  Agree too, that once they've been let out, they will expect to come out all the time, but soon get into a routine of when they do and don't.  They love it though so worth doing.

[SMD66]

I know, I would change it but I can't now   

Just pm Aunt Sally and she will change it to whatever you would prefer.

I have added a 'signature' to clarify things so will keep my user name.  Thanks ICE

[Sassy]

Some chooks never offer to escape and others do whether their wings arre clipped or not. Some breeds are better fliers than others but there always exceptions. I have a Cotswold Legbar that flies onto my head and walks round with me. I am 5ft 8ins so I tend to think that 6ft would not be a problem for her. It is probably better to clip wings before you have a problem as they do like to go awandering and do get a taste for it.

[Bruced]

[/quote]

I have added a 'signature' to clarify things so will keep my user name.  Thanks ICE
[/quote]

I mentally pegged your name as "Samantha of Mass Destruction".  Please don't change it and spoil that image.

[Gemma_25]

We had 3 Hen's - unfortunately I was allergic so they had to go in the end, however, we let them only free range in the evening when we were in, and as an earlier post said, once they get a taste for it, they just walked up and down the pen all day until you let them out.
We let them out and there was poo everywhere, and I mean everywhere! Ha ha! Pulled up all the plant's too....
I wouldn't do it again unless there was sufficient space for them to go... 

[dizzylizzie]

hi, i have 6 girls, they have a very large run,but we just leave the run door open all day so they free range in the garden. i do worry about them escaping, but someone is going to show me how to clip the wings. if we go out i put them back in the run.they do expect to come out tho and will pace up and down by the door!
yes they do poo everywhere, but to be honest it only take 15mins at the end of the night to clean up. i was picking it up, now i water some of it in to the grass and put the rest into the compost bin. they do dig in my veg patch, and have taken a liking to the pumpkins...so next year i will fence the beds off that i dont want them in. however i do get a lot of pleasure knowing they are wandering around scratting, having dust baths, layin in the sun, and enjoying being chickens....im sure i can taste the difference in thier eggs...happy chucks must make for happy eggs!

[CattinJ]

Hi,
we got our ex bats 4 weeks ago and 2 weeks ago we decided to let them roam the garden when we were around. We have hedges,and fences some in better repair than others. To start with I was terrified they'd get out and followed the 4 of them (easier if you have a small number of hens like us) obesssively. After a couple of days I relaxed and sat in the garden with them but they were put back in their run when we went inside. Now I feel confident enough to let them roam as long as Im in the house or garden and I check on them fairly frequently. I have to say they are very good apart from the odd plant that's been scratched up. No one has tried to escape yet - but I'm sure that day will come!!  I do encourage them to stay close to the house and pop out with treats which I feed them near the house or their run so they associate me with nice things and come running when I need them,.  We work during the day, so we let them out each evening until dusk and then they go back in fairly readily for food/drink and ready for bed.

[beulah59]

Trouble is, if they associate you with food, they'll mob you every time you go out the door!!

[SMD66]

I have a trick for mine who mob me for food every time I go into the field, which I do several times a day.  To avoid giving too many treats and to keep them from under my feet, (17 of them) I throw layers pellets on the grass.  They think it's a treat, peck it all up and leave me alone! Everyone's a winner   

[dizzylizzie]

he he he , i do that with the ex-bats food cos im trying to get them on to the pellets...it seems to be working

[viettaclark]

 I'm starting to worry about the amount a hen can eat in terms of insects, worms etc. and whether they'll strip the garden of all these soon and want to see what's over the fence!!! :blink:They do a sort of organised circuit of the garden, leaving areas for a few days to recover the creepy- crawly population (and we thought they had no brains....) but eventually there won't be many left, especially come winter!
Do you think this is what makes them want to escape? Mine are very happy scratching about at the moment.
Anyone spare a sack of wrigglies?