[Tigerwren]

Hi, just wondered how do people get their little darlings to come back to them?  Do you bribe them?  I get mine on Tuesday and the will be my first chooks.  I have read lots of posts which suggest limiting their adventures for a few days so that they can get used to their new home.  When and how will I know when I can let them roam freely on the lane?  I really want them to roam as much as possible as I want them to be free range.  I will have a run, but don't want them to stay in it for too long.  Any advice very welcome

[joyfull]

the majority of chickens are open to bribery so have a tin with mixed corn or mealworms in - just a shake of this will soon bring them back half flying half running 

[afewgoodchickens]

Hi - mine were kept in the hen house for a few days and I would visit them regularly and talk to them bringing them food, for the first lot of chickens I then put up some chicken wire to keep them in the back garden for a few days after that, always talking to them and bringing food then let them loose and chewed on my nails for a few days - as long as they are happy together and happy to roost in their home they seem to know which side their bread it buttered on.....   Good luck, they are lovely things (till they get in the house and poop on the carpet!)

[Mulberry1990]

I got my first chickens about 15 weeks ago when they were 4 weeks old. We kept them in their coop and run until they were deemed big enough to play outside.
Because we fed them treats from hand when we first got them, they now run at anybody that even heads down towards their area in the hope of being given something nice.
Ours have quite a large area to roam around in, but they tend to use less than half of it, only venturing from their coop, to each of the rabbit hutches, then the rabbit run, then the quail coop to investigate and make sure they're not missing anything =)

[Rasco]

I have only had mine for about six weeks now.

I kept them confined to their run for four days with the intention of only letting them roam while I was their in case of emergencies.

On there first day of freedom I was quite nervous as to whether they would "go home" but around twenty minutes before dusk they appeared almost in a line and marched straight through the open run door.

The second day I just didn't have the heart to keep them confined while I was out because I could see by their antics that they just wanted out. So I took the chance on letting them loose again and have never looked back.

They return dutifully every evening in fact usually during late afternoon because that is now associated with my return from work and "treat time"

I also witnessed them seeing off a neighbour's cat and a squirrel that got too close to the pellet feeder so I have no fears that they can't handle themselves and know their territory.

[Debsie]

Hi
wekept ours in for 2 weeks until last Sunwhen I finally plucked up the courage to let them out. They could not believe their luck and had a lovely couple of hours with us digging for worms and other titbits, hubby threw one of them a slug and it was so funny watching them all chasig her for this slug, she stopped for a mo, turned her head and one of the others swiped it out of her mouth, hilarious!! Getting them in was easy with a handful of mealworms, as soon as they saw what I had they chased me across the garden and into the run!

[rachelr]

I think each hen is different I have 7 that will come when called and as soon as the treat box is rattled however I have 4 who will not come back who sit in trees and enjoy getting into the neighbours gardens and eating her wonderful picture perfect plants.

I have now got them on lock down and it will be no parole until they eat out of my hands. I wil let you know how long it takes me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

They are getting very stressy as the others seem to be taunting them and walking around the cage geering at them lol

[Fisherman]

When feeding them with treats like mixed corn try whistleing or calling them for a week or so before you release them to freerange. When you let them out and want them back to the coop just whistle or call them and they will come legging it back. Don't be fooled into thinking they are coming because they love you as their attraction is just their love of food not you

[compostqueen]

Rasco, you can't go to work and leave them out as the fox will be prowling you can be sure of that. Keep them secure while you're out and keep a close eye on your girls even when you're at home 

[Fisherman]

Its a very good point that Compostqueen makes and quite easily ignored until it's too late. There are too many predators about to leave your birds freeranging without a watchful eye unless you have them in an enclosure i.e. foxes, dogs, cats, stoats, birds of prey etc. Unforunately chickens are easy targets

[orchardlady]

I think I must disagree with keeping them in while you are out. I keep all my (40+) hens free range in a field at the bottom of my garden. As said I've kept them like that for over 15 years. Yes we do have foxes around the area and yes they have taken hens but only in exceptional circumstances. eg the night my father in law died I totally forgot the hens and Mr. Fox had five out of their (open) house. When the snow was one the ground a few years ago I saw Mr. F lurking and shouted, he ran off only to return when I briefly went to collect my daughter from the local station, that time he had three birds. It's all a bit of a balancing act on if you want o give them freedom or not. So in conclusion I've maybe only lost about 10 birds over a 15 year period of hen keeping to the Fox. I suppose it also depends on your fox population in your area. My field is right in the heart of the village and I have seen the fox in my field during the day.

[joyfull]

Like orchard-lady my hens and cockerels all free range all the time - they have our garden, the bridleway and the field around us. So far I have not lost one to predators but did lose one to a passing lorry  . This is a risk I am prepared to take to let my pets have as much freedom as they want. Fourteen of mine also never go in a coop instead they prefer to sleep in the trees or as Marilyn (who is a gold-line from Grannie Annie's) does on top of a lorry engine  .

[sheridan]

I am new to this too, I have 3 fat hybrids. They have a run which is nice and large, they are in overnight and in the mornings, then, when I pick up the kids from playgroup, and at weekends, they have the run of the 250ft garden, which they love (to wreck). They have dug a veritable pit behing a canna lily and it's their dust patch.
Initially, I kept them in the run for 3 days, to get them accustomed to my feeding times and the nice big bowl the food comes in. Then, I just let them out an hour before dark, then a bit longer and so on, and after 4 days they were legging it after me with the bowl for going in time. Sometimes, they take themselves if I am a bit late.
I haven't clipped their wings, either, although we do have a 5 foot fence at the back of the garden and 6 foot either side. It's just fields out back though. I don't let them out in the morning, as there are a lot of dog walkers using the footpath, and mostly off lead and the big Satffie type, sometimes they've jumped the fence into our garden, and so I keep them in the run until 12.00. I give them lots of nice things to play with though.

[CluckyChicken]

the majority of chickens are open to bribery

definately 

CC xx

[lightyears]

when mine are out on the freerange the mere sight of me or my wife and they run like hell at me expecting something, usally they get nothing but its the thought that counts, after some time your new hens will notice you and of course remember who supplies them with the food.