Free ranging - how far do they roam?

[Bramblesflock]

I'm brand new to chickens. I'm already loving them to bits, I'm on day 5.

I have 3 hybrids (Rangers) who have settled in amazingly well, they're very friendly and obligingly took themselves to bed the first night and produced eggs the first morning! I swear I think I heard one of them purr yesterday?!

I have them inside an Omlet Cube Mk1 with 4m run at the moment just while they learn this is 'home'. The breeder recommended I do this for a week.

I have an electric fence fully surrounding the Cube coop & 4m run, so they will have a total of approx. 130sqm insude the electric fence area to roam, a mix of soil and grass, and I've got a sand bath for them.

I'm lucky that my garden is 2 acres, I'd like them to free roam outside the electric fence area when I'm in the garden but my land isn't fenced at all, how far do chickens roam? Will they stay quite nearby?

Thank you in advance!

Ours are free range on a 1000 acre farm but they don’t go much further than about 30 metres from the coop - there’s a lot to peck at tho in that space so they’re quite content!

Just do not forget to shut them up at night as they will get taken by a fox!!

It varies. I have a few bantams that free range (the others are all in runs) and they stick to the half acre poultry area. They could go much further.
My parents used to let their chickens free range and they covered their 2 acres and both the neighbours fields either side and a neighbours garden. Unfortunately a couple were lost to day time fox raids. They also trashed the garden.

One of mine pops to the pub down the next street given half a chance...

Mine have complete freedom (bird flu rules allowing) when introducing new birds I always give it 2 weeks confined so they know home but then let them go. Most within half an acre or closer the odd few are a law unto themselves. Foxes are a risk but the freedom is worth it imo.

Ahh wow, 1000 acres, that must be amazing! That would be ideal if they did stay nearby-ish.

@Newfluff I was thinking 1 week in the 4m run, then 1 more week in the bigger electric fence area, before trying free range?

@HScully sounds like my sort of chicken!

@Whyohwhyohwhy123 blimey, how many chickens did they have to ruin 2 acres?

@Matilda1981 absolutely, I've been shutting and locking the door on the Cube at night to ensure they're safe and sound. I know we have foxes around so I need to ve vigilant!

They didn’t ruin the whole 2 acres just the garden and the neighbours.

They scratch plants out, gravel out from the edge of the house and poo everywhere and have dust baths in plant pots once they’ve removed the plants. Which isn’t an issue as long as they’re not in the garden.

I understand! Luckily there's no garden here as such, nothing planted or anything like that so hopefully the damage would be limited.

It wouldn't be the end if the world if they stayed in the electric fence area as it's lots of space but thought it would be good for them to roam free a few times a week during summer.

My flock would cross the field to wait outside the kitchen and watch us through the French windows! They were maybe an acre away (we are on 8 acres).

Don’t let them out at the moment May & June are the worst months for fox attacks during the day. I was up at 6am scaring the fox off this morning.

Ah i didn't know they, thank you!