Sounds like you're doing a great job, and that's the first part to keeping chickens home. If they're treated well, they're most likely to not wander off.
They're well old enough to free range at twelve weeks, so no worries on that account. Just make sure to keep feed in their coop (coup is a government overthrow, so I hope your chickens don't have a beautiful coup)
By keeping their feed in the coop, you make sure they will always come home.
I trained my ducks by feeding them in the evenings. I would whistle, and then put the feed in their barn. They learned to come in not just in the evenings, but also any time I whistle. For stragglers, I'd follow up with a soft bristled broom and shoo them home.
Obviously you love your chickens VERY much. If you don't have a rooster, make sure to collect eggs every day. Not to be an alarmist, buy you'll want to watch for hawks, stray dogs, raccoons and possums. Lots of animals like chicken for dinner. For hawks, the best thing is to have scurry boxes around your garden. It's just a wooden crate turned sideways where the chicken can duck under cover quickly. Carefully planned evergreen shrubs can serve the same purpose.
Good luck with the chickens.
Oh, and don't forget, free roaming chickens need poultry dewormer and flea and mite dust. Get it at a local feed and seed. Chickens are highly susceptible to feather mites, and no matter what anyone says, people can get them too. Dusting once a month is a good bet.
2007-03-24 07:11:45
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answer #1
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answered by Theresa A 6
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Ummmmmmmmmm Yes just a couple.You shouldn't let chicks out of the brooder till they are fully fledged meaning have all their feathers.Young chicks are very susceptible to drafts which can cause them to get pneumonia and die or worse a type of flu.Also you shouldn't clean their brooder so frequently chickens have a natural protozoa called coccidia these are a type of parasite which they have to build an immunity to without exposure to their poop they cannot build the resistance needed.If coccidia turns into coccidiosis it will kill the chicks.I'm not sure of the age of your birds and that is what mostly determines how easily they will return to their housing.At about 12 weeks chickens are generally old enough to know where and how to return to their roosts in the evenings so getting them in shouldn't be an issue.Be sure to check your type of feed chickens can over develop from to much protein as well as they need to have a percentage of fat to balance their protein intake.As a general rule 16% protein and 8% fat is best.Being it doesn't appear you have them for eggs you can up the protein to 20% but any higher can cause them to over grow and deform.I understand your desire to keep and give them a clean place but for a chicken there is such a thing as to clean.
2007-03-23 23:39:59
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answer #2
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answered by ddstantlerstill 4
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We have chickens too. They free roam all over our little farm and we do egg hunts almost every day. Sometimes they will lay eggs in the same spot. If we don't find eggs before dark the snakes and Opossums as well as other wild critter will eat them. We also do not have a rooster. I have no idea how long chickens live but I guess I could find out on the Web. Enjoy your chickens, we think of ours as pets. Poppy
2016-03-17 01:19:48
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answer #3
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answered by Anonymous
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What your doing sounds fine. They've been in the coop and run long enough to be 'homed' to it, and to recognise it as their home. Thus, they will more than likely go back to it at night. Mine did on the very first day I had them actually . . . . and I've just had a peek outside and just now have they gone to bed (17.37). If they don't go back then you can have a look up in the trees and retrieve them by giving them a little push with a long bit of wood.
2007-03-25 07:35:49
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answer #4
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answered by Helena 6
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I have chickens and quite often let them out. they always come back to where they roost. As long as nothing chases them to far off or eats them they will want to roost in the same place every night or close to it, but this is after they get a little older. because you have to be careful of snakes
2007-03-27 04:11:59
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answer #5
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answered by ravenhk 4
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There were so many woodworking plans with this collection and you will not believe this but there are over thousands plans in the one package deal. Go here https://tr.im/pXoV0
This is really something to find that many all together. For someone like me who is just really starting to get involved with woodworking this was like letting me loose in a candy store and telling me I could have anything I wanted. That was my dream when I was a kid.
2016-02-07 13:30:41
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answer #6
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answered by Anonymous
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You can place the the roost / nest boxes on 4ft tall posts, that will keep the rats and foxes away.
If you want to know more olease contact me
2007-03-24 12:11:26
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answer #7
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answered by Anonymous
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just to let you know if you let them roam they will most likely catch worms i found out threw some pet places the hard way they said letting them eat bugs gives them the worm parrasites good luck.
2007-03-25 08:40:16
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answer #8
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answered by Rhonda W 1
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