Chickens should not be kept in a pen. They should “Free Range” over the yard. That way they can get all the bugs and grass they want and need. Ours have 3 acres+ to go over. Lay large brown eggs that have a very dark yolk, almost orange in color. Fryers should be raised the same way, search “Pastured Poultry”, best chicken you will ever eat. Time to go feed.
I have to keep my chickens in a pen. It’s roomy and they seem to love it. We have way too many raccoons, many of which I’ve seen in the daytime, as well as foxes and other predators.
Mine should start laying in September. Can’t wait!!
We don’t have chickens, but if we did, we’d have to keep them in a pen, even though we have a fenced yard. We have birds of prey (bald eagles, osprey, hawks) even though we live in a well populated city, but we are close to a nature refuge. Then there are the racoons. Our yard is fenced, but racoons and opossum get in the yard, I guess they travel from tree to tree...I’ve seen opossum come into the yard on the wires running to the house, just like a squirrel does. They tell me we have a coyote problem, and cats are being killed regularly, but I don’t think a coyote could find it’s way into our backyard, however we did have a 5 foot alligator in our backyard once, LOL. Although we had forgotten to close the gate that time and that’s how he wandered in.
We’ve thought about building a chicken pen, and keeping chickens, but I think they would drive our Weims crazy.
And that's not even mentioning the 'possums, raccoons, and snakes that live out there -- all of which love chicken/eggs.
When I do get around to raising backyard fowl, I intend to construct a roomy and portable wire mesh chicken run for them. No need to tempt little talons!
The yoke color of a ‘real’ egg makes the store bought eggs look anemic.