Free Range or Not? What Does Everyone Prefer?

[red hen in the rain]

My 17 birds free range around my rural property during the day. 2 roos and an LGD, plus I am outside most of the time working on stuff, a stay-at-homesteader. We have every predator that the Oregon woods can hold, but since we're way out in the woods, the wild critters pretty much do their things undistrurbed. Why crash a guarded chicken coop when there are fawns about. I have a coop and yard. Coop gets locked at night, yard is covered. I put them in the yard when I go to town. I also have low-key blinky lights and Spanish talk radio going near the coop. My Airstream home is 30 feet from the coop. No losses yet, but no one is immune. Free-ranging takes some thought and supervision, but it is so worth it for the birds. Mine are very healthy and seem quite happy too. If I could not free-range, I'd have a moveable day-run. M worst predator fear is loose dogs, tho they are VERy rare out here. The mountain lions eat them.

 

[aoxa]

My 17 birds free range around my rural property during the day. 2 roos and an LGD, plus I am outside most of the time working on stuff, a stay-at-homesteader. We have every predator that the Oregon woods can hold, but since we're way out in the woods, the wild critters pretty much  do their things undistrurbed. Why crash a guarded chicken coop when there are fawns about. I have a coop and yard. Coop gets locked at night, yard is covered. I put them in the yard when I go to town. I also have low-key blinky lights and Spanish talk radio going near the coop. My Airstream home is 30 feet from the coop. No losses yet, but no one is immune. Free-ranging takes some thought and supervision, but it is so worth it for the birds. Mine are very healthy and seem quite happy too. If I could not free-range, I'd have a moveable day-run. M worst predator fear is loose dogs, tho they are VERy rare out here. The mountain lions eat them.

Oh how I wish I could be a stay-at-homesteader

My dream...

Love your avatar Very cute EE!

 

[janinepeters]

plus I am outside most of the time working on stuff, a stay-at-homesteader.

Why crash a guarded chicken coop when there are fawns about. I have a coop and yard.

Yes, I think people out and about doing yard/garden/farm work is a huge deterrence. My little flock is fenced in to a 1/3 acre area, but the fence is not predator proof. It's more to keep the chickens in, so they won't wander into the woods or into a dog's mouth. It would be easy for aerial thieves to swoop in, or land predators to jump the fence, but with us always going out there, predators rarely approach. Plus, the birds have great cover in the form of small trees and shrubs in the middle of their yard, but no plants around the perimeter of the fence, so we and the chickens see any predator that dares approach. It works really well, and we've had no losses since putting up the fence.

 

[Yukonchick]

Yeah, we live up here in the Yukon and we've got wolverine, wolves bears and a pile of different birds of prey which would take all my birds given the chance. so I've got a covered run about 30 ft long. They've cleaned out all the greenery now but i throw in lots of grass and lettuce daily amongst other greenery i find in the bottom of my fridge. I set the dogs loose on one bear that was clawing at my meat birds one day. Posted a pic of the bugger up in the tree.

 

[MrsHeeg]

I think everyone should do what is best for their situation. Pens aren't for some people and free-ranging isn't for others. As with caring from anything from goldfish to children, there's no "right" and "wrong" way. As long as you have happy, healthy chickens, do what's best for you and don't let anyone else shame or guilt you into thinking you're doing it wrong.

 

[Yukonchick]

For sure. My meat birds are all gone to the deep freezer now so the 11 layers and 2 roosters have the whole 8 by 10 coop and the 30 ft run all to themselves now and I think they're happy.

 

[Mohawk Chickens]

I am lucky to live in a suburban/rural area. It is a small community and in this community there are 3-4 (including me) chicken owners. I have a large property by community standards and I let my flock roam the property. They are smart little beings. Three visited the neighbor one day and were herded back home. They don't venture there anymore. I also have 2 large /mini stand (by forest standards) of trees: The large is on the side of the house and the mini is in the front beside the driveway. We also have two cats who were told not to bother the chickens and they don't; the same with our pit bull and am. bulldog puppy. Again, I am lucky to have animals who see each other co-habitating with the humans not in competition with. Every day there is between two and four chickens who escape the pen and free range my yard, front porch and back patio. We have even taken to leaving them out of pen when we leave the house, they come running when they recognize our vehicles pull in the driveway! The also come to when called and when I 'forget' at night they will all be in the pen by dark. BTW. I am the only one in the community who lets her chickens out of the pen.

 

[LoveChickens123]

I prefer free range but that is me the only thing i don't like is they go off in the woods

 

[Yukonchick]

LOL, ya i know, i would freak if mine got out of their run. We've got every predator you can think of up here and they're not afraid to come onto the property when our dogs are in the house. My husband has a cowbell hanging around the horse's neck for noise, LOL!

 

[lgelwell]

My biggest predator would be unhappy neighbors

My girls stay in their 10 x10 pen and get to wander around in the yard in the evenings when I'm doing chores. Maybe they will get to stay out more when our yard is fenced in, but until then were stuck. I'd love to let them free range, its just not possible in the snooty suburbs.