How to "Free Range" Chickens in an Enclosed Run

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We all know the benefits of free ranging chickens- higher egg nutrition, better chicken health, and lower feed costs just to name a few. However, there are also many reasons that people choose NOT to free range their chickens- protection from predators, city by-laws, or just trying to contain the mess or keep them out of the gardens. Is there a way to have the best of both worlds? Can you "free range" chickens in an enclosed run?

While this solution technically would not be considered free ranging, it does allow chickens to have access to dirt (where they can dig and dust bathe) as well as a limited, but constant supply of fresh greens to peck at. As you can see, this was a store bought coop and run (seen all the way on the back side. And built on to it is a large run. Normally just a few chickens would peck all of the grass from this run completely bare within days, not allowing any greens to grow back. 

In order to keep the greens growing, simply set up base of 2x4's around the bottom edge and lengthwise every few feet inside and put a layer of small square chicken wire across the entire bottom. I suggest a 1/4” or 1/2” hardware cloth. This allows the grass to grow up through the holes to be eaten by the chickens without pecking it bare. 

The poop falls through the grate to fertilize the grass, and rain also falls through to naturally water it. Make sure to leave the floor of part of the coop ungrated so that the chickens can also have an area to dig in the dirt and dust bathe.

Voila! Happy, healthy chickens in an enclosed coop with plenty of access to natural greens!

 
 

Egg Hunting: How to Tell the Age of an Egg

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Every now and then our free range chickens will decide to lay eggs in places other than their nesting boxes, and the only way to find their new nest is to either have a full-blown egg hunt or to do a little spying on the hens. 

Recently our egg production has taken a drop since the days are getting shorter, one of our hens is broody, and a few others are molting. But when I only gathered one egg over three days with three hen still laying, I had a feeling that the ladies had new hiding place. My egg hunt turned up empty, but the spying did the trick when a hen emerged from the garden singing the egg song. Sure enough, deep in the bushes, I found the mother load!

Not only a few, but nine eggs all in a neat little pile!


I was glad to have the eggs, but now on to the real problem. How long had the eggs been there? Were these laid over the last few days or had it been building up over weeks? Fortunately there is a neat little trick to figure out the general age of the eggs and if they are still good.

The Water Test
This is a pretty simple test. Simply submerge the egg in about 6 inches of water in a clear container.
1 week old or less- the egg will lay on the bottom on its side
2 weeks old- the egg will lay on the bottom with the fat end beginning to stick up
3 weeks old- the egg will rest on the bottom standing with the fat end up
4 weeks old- the egg will float on the top of the water


Thankfully for us, it turned out that all of our eggs were less than a week old. Any egg that floats is a bad egg and definitely should not be eaten, but beyond that eating the eggs is up to your own judgment. Personally, one week outside is enough for me. Anything beyond that goes to the compost, but I know plenty of other people who will eat any egg that isn't floating.


If your hens are being mischievous, I hope you have a successful egg hunt!