Julia, J.Lo, Fanny, and Coco at Home in the Garden
Even if you provide your chickens with a chicken coop “extroadinaire” and an adjoining spacious outside pen, their preference will always be out roaming free in your yard and garden. So much garden to explore, bugs and worms to forage, dirt baths to indulge in, and plain ol’ sunshine and breeze to enjoy.
I encourage you to let your chickens out to roam and free-range in your yard and garden, mind you with a watchful eye. It is important that you protect your chickens while they are outside of their pen, and on the “flip side,” you are aware of the necessity of protecting your flower and vegetable gardens from your chickens, too.
If you let your chickens out in your yard and garden, be aware of possible predators such as dogs, coyotes, raccoons. Never let your chickens out to roam at night, only day time. Make sure your yard and garden is free of any glass, nails, and sharp objects which could possibly cut or puncture a chicken’s foot. Punctures in a chicken’s foot, has enormous consequences, and can lead to infection and bumblefoot. Use common sense to eliminate anything in your yard and garden which could potentially harm your chickens.
If you have a prize-winning garden, or an incredible green thumb growing organic vegetables, you should take precautions to keep them protected from your chickens. Chickens love home-grown vegetables, and will be in your vegetable garden, if not protected with a surrounding fence or netting. Our beloved hens will jump a foot or so to eat a lush cluster of grapes in our vineyard. We net our vineyard to dissuade wild birds, as well as own chickens. Chickens know where the good eats are, rest assured.
In your flower gardens, chickens are more likely to wallow in dirt baths at the base of shrubs, rather than eat actual plants. They are foraging for bugs, worm, small lizards more so than your flowers. Dirt baths for chickens are a form of cleansing their feathers, cooling themselves in the moist soil, and general relaxation.
Chickens if roaming outside, naturally head for their coop at dusk to perch on their roost at night. If it is not dusk, and you need to coax your chickens back into their coop and outside pen, try training them to herd.
Herding works with a small flock of chickens, not usually a large one. Herding chickens is a bit like “herding cats.” When you first get your chickens, start training them at a young age to herd as soon as possible, especially if you are going to let them out to roam. I have never had a rooster, so I don’t know if this method works for them, too.
My technique for herding chickens, is to gently walk behind them, patting or clapping my hands together, using my left or right arm out to steer them. It works. If you have a small flock, once you get the leaders heading towards your coop, the others fall into place. Gently clap walking slowly behind them, and they will march back to the coop.
Chickens love to be in your yard and garden. They love to have the freedom to roam and explore, but don’t have to be out in your yard and garden all the time. Let them out, when you have time to keep an eye on them, and when you have time to be in your yard and garden.
Please share if you let your chickens out in your yard and garden at times. Please comment on any method you use to herd your chickens.
{ 32 comments… read them below or add one }
How wonderful! All my favorite homes to visit when I was a child ALL had chickens in their yards. And I never realized it until I read this post!
Lydia, I agree, there is something special about the “down home” feeling you get when you see happy and content chickens around a home and garden. Thanks for your wonderful comment….VintageGardenGal
That’s funny, I clap to get my girls to head back to the coop too. Although, I just started it. There’s been to much deep snow for them to want to go out.
Today, they didn’t even seem interested in coming out into the run either. Their not impressed with the wind.
Your hens are pretty by the way.
Shell
http://www.shellsgang.blogspot.com
Michelle, clapping is a good thing when it comes to herding your chickens. Glad to know someone else is using this technique. Chickens are a lot smarter then are given credit. If the weather is nasty, they prefer to stay in, and out of it. Thanks for your great comment….VintageGardenGal
OK, dumb question from a chicken wannabee (or is it wannahave). Don’t chickens fly? ie Will they fly out of my yard with its 6 ft cedar fence?
Kathy, generally speaking chickens don’t fly, and a 6 foot fence will keep them in. Chickens will use their wings to hop onto their roost, or fly/run close to the ground if they are out in your yard. With that said, their are breeds, like some of the bantams, which like to hang out in trees, and will fly a little more than the heavier breeds, but no, you shouldn’t have any problem flying out of your yard unless they are in danger or something like that. Thanks for your great question….VintageGardenGal
Hello Everyone- I live in the historic part of Tampa and have two 9-week old girls (Francesca and Louisa) that get to roam the garden when I’m home. I get them to back to the coup by holding up a treat (usually flowering broccoli) that they only get when it’s time to go inside for the night. So far it works and most nights they race past me to get to the coup and wait for their treat.
Lorie, way to go with your girls. You are training them well. Thanks for your lovely comment…VintageGardenGal
Bonnie, I now know what a Sheep herder uses his herding stick for. I have a walking stick which is something I use to go up and down our mountain. Our girls have gotten used to seeing me with the stick when we walk around the mountain. When I move it back and forth in front of me they all get in front of me and race towards their coop, and they know its time to go back inside. They are so funny to watch.
What can I say, chickens are delightful…..VintageGardenGal
HI Real People,
I have just aquired : three , year old , mormon, bantam chickens, raised by the chicken whisperer. I just got my first two eggs and we are building a coop. Thanks for having a free site with great directions. What about chicken wire bottoms on nesting area. I like the idea of washing down everything. Goodness they do do-do a lot. Send bessing to my chickens. Char star
Char, wire bottoms on nesting area might mean broken eggs, dirty eggs. Best to put comfy bedding in nesting boxes for your hens comfort. Thanks for your comment…VintageGardenGal
Oh my. So much to learn. I’m another chicken wannahave (love that term!) busily cruising the Web and researching.
Thanks for a very useful and informative site!
Well, I was considering chickens; but if they would destroy my garden…no thanks.
Maybelline, there is “give and take” when it comes to chickens in the garden. I love my hens in my garden, especially as I garden, they are close by. It is an individual thing. Thanks for your great comment…VintageGardenGal
I love to let my girls run around my yard. They LOVE it! I have a 6 year old Golden Retriever who is so good to them and such a great “guard dog!” When my garden is in bloom I keep a fence around it, but this year I think I will let them wander in it a little more. I have heard they are great for corn. They love my tomatoes and strawberries so between my little daughter and my chickens last year my husband and I got very few of each. I usually just leave them out in the afternoon and as the sun sets they make their own way home. I have never tried to heard them, but they always come running to me when I call/talk to them. So love my chickens!
Catherine, I like that your golden retriever is a guard dog for your chickens out in the yard. I can just imagine some of your photos with them all together…VintageGardenGal
I am wondering if e-coli is a concern if I let my 4 chickens spend time in my vegetable garden when the vegetables are just about ready?
Lynda, e-coli would not be a problem. Your chickens might eat your prize vegetables however…VintageGardenGal
we are raising chickens for the first time, I LOVE it!!! we have 8 straight run chicks and 1 golden comet hen. all about 7 weeks old. Our 11 month
Thanks for all the good advice y’all are giving. we first timers need all of it you can give.
Thanks again, Barbara
My chickens get to free-range in my yard which is quite large and is right next to where the horses are at night. They love chasing bugs of any sort, not ladybugs which I found fascinating. They enjoy hanging out in their holes they have made in the cool soil under the trees near our livestock guardian dog. They have access to their house at all times and head there at dusk. They only get to be out during the summer when I’m home so that is most days since I have summers off. During the school year they are confined to a large yard right off their house. If I have to put them up early I call them and they come running. I always give them some sort of goody such as cooked pasta or rice or bread or fruit. They especially love watermelon. My daughter has commented, “Mom, your chickens are like cats because you can just pet them”. I haven’t tried herding the chickens but I do my geese. I have a long, thin white pole and I use it to direct them but they are such creatures of habit they get into the routine and I pretty much just follow along to open and close gates and the door. I really like the idea of a manure box and since I’m in the process of remodeling my 16′ x 16′ chicken house to make it more comfortable for my hens and more efficient for me I’m putting one in! I’m delighted I found your site.
Deb, your property sounds wonderful. Thanks for sharing….VintagGardenGal
I loved reading this. I have 8 mixed chicks almost 3 months old. I just love them and have fun watching them – they like watermelon and carrot tops, bread, etc. for treats. It is surprising how fast they grow! I want to let them out in our small backyard garden, too, but have heard that eggplant and tomato plants can be poisonous to chickens. Is this so, and do you know of any other plants that are dangerous to them? (I will exclude these from next season’s garden.) Thank you so much.
Audrey, yes tomato and eggplant leaves are poisonous. There are also many other poisonous plants such as oleander, foxglove. If you have a vegetable garden, it is best to contain with a fence for one thing, and not allow your chickens roam in it. I have had a vegetable garden for years, planting lots of tomatoes, and my chickens have never been interested in them.
It is best not to plant known poisonous plants around your chicken coop, and/or directly give your chickens anything but fresh greens, vegetables, and fruits that are good for them. Thanks for your great comment….VintageGardenGal
Is there a certain age chickens need to be before you can let then out to roam? My chicks are about 7 weeks olds. We have a fairly large yard but it is not fenced in however our road is not too busy. Are they old enough to know to return to the coop?
Thanks so much great site!
Jacquie, you know your chickens and yard best. With that said, I would wait till they are a little older, closer to three months old. I would caution you about letting your chickens free roam, especially without a fence protection and close to a road. It will only end in heartbreak. If you had an enclosed outside pen connected to your coop, you could be letting them out now. Chickens do like to roam large distances. Think about creating a safe fenced outside enclosure for them…..VintageGardenGal
I have a bantam tro and yesterday bought a younger trio og chocolate partridge wyandottes to go with them, my older hens free roam all day and return home to roost at night. How long should I leave the new ones i. To know where ‘home’ is??
Joanne, it depends on how old your new bantams are. Are they at least 2-3 months old? If they are at least 3 months old, I’d leave them in their coop for about two weeks, and then let them out with your others. Use your best judgement….VintageGardenGal
Hi All!
I have about 23 hens RR; Aracanas and B-Rocks, all have been in my coop and run for about 5 months now and are just beginning to lay, I can pet most of them and they have a nice coop and laying boxes, I so want to let them free range when I am out in the evenings but am afraid they will not come back on thier own. They love bread do you thing if I go out in as the sun is setting with popcorn or bread they will all come? we do live in the country and have hawks, along with all other wild animals; they are safe in thier coop, please reassure me that it is o.k. to let them free range; should maybe I just start with 2 or 3 a day and test the waters?
Jane, if you want to let your hens free range, do it in daylight. Hens if they are out, will naturally go home to roost at dusk and for security. You can train them with treats like bread and lettuce. Anytime you are letting your hens out day or night to free range, there is danger for them. Especially, the environment you live in you are describing. Hawks, raccoons, coyotes, neighbor’s dogs are only some of the dangers to them. Perhaps you can build a solid outside pen, with wiring on the top, too….VintageGardenGal
Hi Bonnie,
I saw that you said there is no E coli risk if the chickens are pooping in the veggie garden. I have heard that uncomposted chicken manure is not safe on veggies you plan to eat fresh. You have heard something different?
The other thing I want to ask you about is if you ever have problems with the chickens not wanting to come in even after dusk. I let my 7 chickens freerange in my yard recently and chased them for HOURS to get them to go back in the enclosed run/coop, so I’m scared to let them out again. Do you think if I had just waited until it got dark they would’ve gone in on their own? I have to let them take turns with my dogs if I let them out because my dogs think they are chew toys
Thanks for any advice!
-Laura
Hi Laura,
I compost all of my chicken manure daily from my chicken coop. I actually shoo my chickens out of my vegetable garden if they get in it, mainly because their digging and scratching disturbs my tender vegetables. I don’t want to sound misleading, one should always be careful of E coli, but I have not had any problems. I normally don’t let me chickens into my vegetable garden, flower gardens, yes.
Chickens should naturally head to their coop at dusk? Are your chickens young? New in their coop? You might want to entice them with a little lettuce at the door of the coop, same time every day to coax them into the coop till they get the hang of it. Thanks for sharing…VintageGardenGal
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