# Free range question for first timer



## kstring (Aug 3, 2016)

My little girl is an animal lover and wanna be farm girl. So we got her some chickens. My FIL had been keeping them for us for the last few months until we got moved in to our place in the country where we can keep them. We now have plenty of room and I want to let them free range but come back to the pen at nite. How long should I leave em penned up before it'd be safe to turn em out? 

We have 7 birds...was 8 but a Sussex rooster had an attitude so he'll get added to a pot of dumplins before long. We do have 1 dominecker rooster with 4 hens and 2 speckled Sussex hens. Put them in their new pen today and my daughter already got to collect a couple eggs.

Thanks for any advice.


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## nannypattyrn (Aug 23, 2015)

I'd leave them in the coop for about 10 days to 2 weeks. They will learn that this is home and come back to it at night


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## seminole wind (Aug 22, 2015)

Congrats on your new chickens! I think the most important thing right now is keeping them safe from all kinds of predators. And always make sure they have water.


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## MikeA_15 (Feb 21, 2016)

kstring said:


> My little girl is an animal lover and wanna be farm girl. So we got her some chickens. My FIL had been keeping them for us for the last few months until we got moved in to our place in the country where we can keep them. We now have plenty of room and I want to let them free range but come back to the pen at nite. How long should I leave em penned up before it'd be safe to turn em out?
> 
> We have 7 birds...was 8 but a Sussex rooster had an attitude so he'll get added to a pot of dumplins before long. We do have 1 dominecker rooster with 4 hens and 2 speckled Sussex hens. Put them in their new pen today and my daughter already got to collect a couple eggs.
> 
> Thanks for any advice.


 The pen around the coop should be secure and covered over the top. Predators will always seek an entrance. Equally important is the amount of space provided. Give them as much space as possible since they need range in a secure area when no one is watching over them. Whoever comes up with these goofball figures about 3 square foot of space per bird should not be writing books at all. Think about the importance of ventilation in their coop on those hot and cold seasons. I think others mentioning a week or ten days should work well in most cases. The coffee can of scratch grain being shaken will train birds to come to you in the penned area.

Roosters have attitude. That is nature. They are fearless protectors of the flock, and keep hens from getting too nasty with each other. A good rooster will always ensure hens eat before them and offer food to their hens. In more than 30 years of raising birds on my own, I wouldn't have a flock without a rooster. It just wouldn't seem like a complete flock to me.


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## seminole wind (Aug 22, 2015)

I think I'd have all roosters if they got along. But so far just 5 silkie roos together. They do like me and get excited when I go to their pen. The hens can't be bothered. In 10 years of roosters (alot really big) I've only had one that couldn't behave. And that was a bantam.


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## Rocky (Jul 9, 2017)

Hi chicken friends. Im a first time chicken Mom. I bought an unsexed group of Polish chickens. They are 10 weeks old. So of course I ended up with 3 roosters and 2 hens. I don't want to get rid of any. How do I best deal with this situation? I have plenty of room. Should I separate roos and hens forever or can I let them free range together during the day and separate at night? Or... can they live forever together?


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

You can have one of the boys living with the girls but that might end up being a problem if you let the other two boys out, they will want to challenge the boy living with the girls. 

You could keep all three boys together and only put one in with the girls occasionally if you want fertile eggs.

Free ranging could be a problem even if the three boys are living together. For some reason a change of any kind sets them off and they begin fighting. 

Example: I could move one of my bachelor boys to a pen on the opposite side of his neighbor and the fight would be on. Same birds that have lived next to each other for ages but move one and that changes everything.

And welcome to the addicting world of chickens!


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## chickenqueen (Jan 9, 2016)

With more roosters than hens,the hens may be over mated resulting in feather loss and injuries.Rule of thumb is 8-10 hens per rooster.Maybe you could get a few more hens?


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## Rocky (Jul 9, 2017)

Thank you for the info. Boys will be boys. Sounds like the girls safety is the most important thing to keep an eye on. But I will be prepared to separate them. Bummer because they all look so content together. No fighting just hanging out and learning from each other what bugs taste the best. .


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

And being chickens, you just might get lucky and have none of the things we listed happen. They do what they're going to do and there's not much we can do to change that.


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