[Lewjam]

Hello!

I have been away from these forums since last summer as i have just moved house!  I now have a garden again so i am finally getting round to getting some hens!

I have bought a coop, which comes with a small 2msq run.  Im looking at getting 3 hens and i realise this run is not really large enough going fwd (even thought its advertised and suitable for 5!).  I will be adding an extension of ~ 4msq to begin with and hoping my fiancé falls in love with the hens so i can claim more of the garden for them!

In the mean time, i would like to have them roaming free in the whole garden but im worried about them hopping fences or not going back to the coop while they are young.

Should i keep them in the small run for a few weeks before letting them out into the garden?  Also a fence on once side of the garden is only ~5ft high - is this tall enough to keep them in if I clip one wing?

Looking at getting Sussex type chucks.

If I secure the garden, is it safe to leave them out in the whole garden all day if no one is home, or would you only do that when some one is in?

Lew
 

[cejx]

roaming free is fine - but they will dessimate your garden within days.... keep them them to their own patch.

[daisy1990]

We kept ours in the run for a few days so they realised where home was.  They now free range but behind an electric fence (to keep foxes out not them in as we back on the the Wolds)  They could easily fly over the fence if they wanted as they often sit on top of the coops where they could launch themselves from! but they never do.

If I was leaving them out all day I would definatly want them behind an electric fence for peace of mind- they soon become very precious!

[SoniaBA]

Hi,

The fence i have around 2 sides of the chucks part of the garden is only 3ft high, and although they could quite easily jump it they never have 

 

[Tigerwren]

Hi Lewjam,
I have 4 girls who free range.  I kept them in their run for a few days like Daisy1990 and then let them out.  I also made sure that the first days they free ranged were weekend ones so that I  was around.  Mine range around the fields and lane adjacent to our house and I just make sure that if I am going to be back after dark/ twilight that someone locks their run for me.  It is really up to you if you deem the 'risk' is worth taking.  We did lose one of ours early on to a dogwalker's dog, but have not had problems with foxes or badgers as we always lock them securely when it begins to get late in the day.  They will come back to you because they love their food!! Goodluck.

[themagicaltoad1]

Hi,

The fence i have around 2 sides of the chucks part of the garden is only 3ft high, and although they could quite easily jump it they never have 

 

You're lucky! mine cleared a 6ft fence into next doors jungle with no problem. They haven't done it since I clipped them but I still catch them eyeing up the fence and looking for any launch pads.

[SoniaBA]

Oh i know its luck thats kept them there
They have jumped on top of the closed run and used the outer egde like a tightrope to get to the coop roof to perch (first time this happened it gave me a right shock last thing i expected to be looking in my dining room window at me) but they've not even tried to jump the fence. Wont tempt fate tho cos i know they can very easily.
Would like to think if they did, then my flowers and veg beds would be as far as they got as i dont let them range if i'm not home.