Free ranging your chickens

 So many people this year have decided to start raising chickens.  They give you a bounty of eggs, which of course taste a million times better than store bought.  Plus you have the added benefit of one less thing to leave the house for.  

You bring the chickens home from the store, but what should you do with them?  Where do you put them once they are old enough to be out in the yard?

Of course they are going to need a little home to come to for safety and warmth at night.  They need a place to lay their eggs.  They also need a run so they can come out in the day.  Putting a fence around a small area next to their home is a great solution.  You can keep an eye on them.  Your assured that they will lay their eggs in a spot where you can find them, and for the most part, they are safe.  But after a while, and it will happen fast, the grass will all disappear.  They eat everything. Now, it's not as fun for them.  If it rains, it starts to become miserable.  Who wants to spend their day walking around in the mud?

Let them out!  During the day, they can get the sun that they desperately need.  Running through the yard and spreading their wings gives them a wonderful chance for exercise.  And when this happens, your chickens will be happy.  Don't worry.  Your chickens will come back to lay their eggs in the nesting boxes, and they will come home to sleep in the house you built.  Just make sure there is plenty of food and water near their house, so they always associate this area with home.  

When the chickens have a chance to run around, they can scratch around for delicious bugs to eat as well as the grass.  This will cut down on food costs.  They will also have a chance to take dirt naps.  They make a hole, climb in and shake that dirt right into their feathers.  This isn't just for fun, although I do think it's the best part of their day.  The dirt helps to control any lice or mites that they might get, as well as minimize the oils in their feathers.  

You see, their are so many benefits to letting the girls out, but here's another one:  it's so much fun to sit and watch them play.  It's better than television.