I used to never let my hens out, thinking it was safer to keep them penned up all day. But lately, I've noticed more folks in my neighborhood just open the coops in the morning. I chatted with someone down the street who said her birds are calmer and lay better with some room to roam. So I started letting mine out for a few hours, and now I get it. They seem so much more content, and I feel like a better chicken owner.