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#1 11/03/2008 8:04 pm
- awsomechickdude
- New Egg
- Registered: 11/03/2008
- Posts: 7
do chickens need to be free range
I don't think that I have the space for free ranging chickens. I was wondering if they needed to be free ranging.
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#2 11/03/2008 8:07 pm
- Mojo Chick'n
- Empress of Chickenville
- From: Republic of Chickenville
- Registered: 03/08/2008
- Posts: 5706
Re: do chickens need to be free range
awsomechickdude wrote:
I don't think that I have the space for free ranging chickens. I was wondering if they needed to be free ranging.
They don't need to free range. I have some who free range, and some who stay in a coop with a run.
They will LOVE to free range, but if space or safety is a problem, then it is better to keep them in the pen.
Meriah
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#3 11/03/2008 8:08 pm
- bubbazmommy
- Chillin' With My Peeps
- From: Albany, ME
- Registered: 10/08/2008
- Posts: 403
Re: do chickens need to be free range
It is not neccessary to free range. You would want to supplement their diet from what I understand. You can always give them grass/weed clippings, fresh veggies, treats, etc. It is nice if you can do it b/c they love it, but it just isn't possible in some situations. Have you considered a chicken tractor??
Mom to James (8), Elizabeth (3), Haley (1), 3 yo white boxer named Candy, Fuzzybutt the cat, and 12 standard hens and 1 standard roo. We also have 2 bantam hens and a bantam roo. Wife of Chris, who just shakes his head when I talk about all the chicks I want, and my official coop mover and whizzbang builder.
Newest addition....Peter the rabbit.
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#4 11/03/2008 8:42 pm
- Omran
- True BYC Addict
- From: Bagdad KY
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Re: do chickens need to be free range
it is always better to free range the chickens for at leat one hour every day, it is not necessary, butdo it if you can, je happier the chicken and relaxed je better egg production yu get.
Thanks God for everything I have and I don't have, thanks God for the Health and happiness and the great Beleave in him and trusting him. Rich is not how much I have,but how much I can give, and how many real friends I can keep.Every day is a good day so long I can breath.
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#5 11/03/2008 10:13 pm
- hennypenny9
- Overrun With Chickens
- From: Bellingham, Washington
- Registered: 10/06/2008
- Posts: 533
Re: do chickens need to be free range
I'm in the same situation as you. My property is less than 1/4 acre. Like everyone else said, they don't NEED to free range, but they love it. Anyway, my solution will be to only get a few chickens, and the largest possible enclosure. A movable enclosure might be ideal.
One spoiled tabby, and no chickens... YET.
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#6 11/03/2008 10:18 pm
Re: do chickens need to be free range
need? no, want? not really
I tryed free range the first bunch they choose to be porch chickens not leaving till roost time.
they all have a very large run and guess where they stay, inside the coop! couch potatoes
Last edited by jnjross (11/03/2008 10:20 pm)
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#7 11/05/2008 10:16 am
- Clay In Iowa
- Overrun With Chickens
- From: Near Wilton Iowa
- Registered: 10/09/2008
- Posts: 651
Re: do chickens need to be free range
Some don't mind confinement others prefer free range.
Nothing needs to free range but in humans we called confined individuals prisoners.
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#8 11/05/2008 11:08 am
- dftkarin
- Chillin' With My Peeps
- Registered: 06/27/2008
- Posts: 308
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Re: do chickens need to be free range
It might depend on the breed too - I have old timey breeds (barred rocks, wyandotte) that are good at foraging for their own food and they certainly seem to enjoy time spent exploring and pecking at the ground and yard. I've read that there are breeds that have the ability to fend for themselves bred out of them - so might they not know what to do with themselves if allowed to free range?
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#9 11/05/2008 1:25 pm
- patandchickens
- Flock Mistress
- From: Ontario, Canada
- Registered: 04/20/2007
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Re: do chickens need to be free range
Clay In Iowa wrote:
Some don't mind confinement others prefer free range.
Nothing needs to free range but in humans we called confined individuals prisoners.
Whereas in contrast, I call my confined chickens "alive", which is sort of shorthand for "the ones that do NOT immediately get eaten by the vast number of predators we have around here" 
Everybody's situation is different. There are plenty of happy-seeming chickens in the world in generously-sized coops and runs, when free ranging is for one reason or another not a good option.
Pat
my Big Ol' Ventilation Page is at http://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=1642-VENTILATION
and Big Ol' Mud Page (fixing muddy runs): http://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=1642-fix-a-muddy-run
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#10 11/05/2008 3:01 pm
- ametauss
- Overrun With Chickens
- From: Shepherdsville, KY
- Registered: 08/20/2008
- Posts: 671
Re: do chickens need to be free range
It also depends on your definition of "Free Range"....
I have 5 acres and I limit the chickens to the area around the barn; about 1/4 acre..... I call that free range.... It keeps them safe (sometimes) from the neighbors dog and gives them the ability to go where they like.... Next year I'm planning on expanding the area a bit since we will have baby goats and will need to separate the buck(s) from the does.... the chickens go where the goats go....
Mom to a herd of animals both in the barn and in the house.... 1 DH, 1 DD, 1 DS, 5 dogs, 7 cats, 6 pygmy goats, chickens, Pekins, Scovies, and guineas... What else does one need... oh ya soapping
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