Free ranging chickens! Q and A ( my experience)

[Carters Chick House]

Yes.
What is your experience with keeping free range chickens?
Years, location/climate, etc?

I'm headed toward 2nd year with chickens. All free range from 7 a.m. till dark. They seem to hang out in the bushes,run,and under our deck. I'm in west Tennessee so winters are not super harsh. My original flock has the big Brahma,Cochin,Orps,and a bantam .(10 hens,2 roos). They are a year old. I'm adding 3 more Orps and 3 Jersey Giants this spring. Also had two Cochin chicks hatch (using bantam hen). So..Will have 20 chickens in total. I have had no problems with free range so far. Guess Ive been lucky. This area has hawks,crows,fox,and other dangerous critters. I also have a dog that hangs out with these chickens sometimes so that may help keep them safe.

 

[5Australorpasaures]

If I couldn't free range I wouldn't have chickens. They are more content when they are scratching along rhe woodline with plenty of cover. When we're home sun up to sun down and never had to train to go to roost. One attack from a Coopers Hawk that was a miss but kept the birds squawking for over a hour. RIRs and Barred Rocks were pretty sharp. Now have Blk Aus and understand they are pretty aloof to predation. Have to see.

 

[SmColorInDaPan]

If I couldn't free range I wouldn't have chickens. They are more content when they are scratching along rhe woodline with plenty of cover. When we're home sun up to sun down and never had to train to go to roost. One attack from a Coopers Hawk that was a miss but kept the birds squawking for over a hour. RIRs and Barred Rocks were pretty sharp. Now have Blk Aus and understand they are pretty aloof to predation. Have to see.

My sentiments Exactly! Started with chickens when had a horrid year of grasshoppers, 12y, ago? Lost 10 to, I think, coyotes, 2y ago? Dogs, Roosters, and the girls warning me have kept it down to about 12, total. Have a small TSC coop cause family said I 'needed' one. Reasonable for maybe 3 chickens, , we KNOW what the feed stores sell for coops... Keep the chicks in it till they integrate in with 8 hens, 2 roosters. 10 chicks this year. Got a variety pack so lil bummed 2 chicks are Polish but I DID order a variety pack. Have coop open just enough they can get in/out, hens cannot get in, raise havoc. Years ago, had one leghorn sit in Pine tree for 4 days, wind, snow, about 0, she made it, came down when it passed..They do a WONDERFUL job

 

[The head hen]

I am going to jump in here on the free ranging. We free range our chickens in central Indiana every day. The time of day they are let out varies from day to day. They return to their coop on their own at dusk (untrained, they do it for protection).

We had not lost a chicken in a year, and suddenly, 6 months after the death of our oldest lab, it seemed like our yard became a predator smorgasbord! We suddenly had foxes inside our fence (5' high), and hawks were lurking everywhere. We tried everything to protect the hens, but alas we ended up losing 6 in a matter of a couple of months. We hung predator tape from trees and fences, and this seemed to help initially.

We then got 2 - 4 month old great Pyrenees/boarder collie mix pups, and within a matter of 3 months had them trained to leave the chickens alone and they both watch over the flock and patrol the yard.

The presence of dogs and dog scent seems to be the best predator deterrent.

 

[SmColorInDaPan]

Asked a neighbor to lock in the chicks last night while I was away. They Missed one. 2 months old, found a spot on B porch, with the hens, Not terrorized. From what I could see. In the coop now.. On Another note; People tell me Free range eggs are a LOT better in taste....

 

[Carters Chick House]

I am going to jump in here on the free ranging. We free range our chickens in central Indiana every day. The time of day they are let out varies from day to day. They return to their coop on their own at dusk (untrained, they do it for protection).

We had not lost a chicken in a year, and suddenly, 6 months after the death of our oldest lab, it seemed like our yard became a predator smorgasbord! We suddenly had foxes inside our fence (5' high), and hawks were lurking everywhere. We tried everything to protect the hens, but alas we ended up losing 6 in a matter of a couple of months. We hung predator tape from trees and fences, and this seemed to help initially.

We then got 2 - 4 month old great Pyrenees/boarder collie mix pups, and within a matter of 3 months had them trained to leave the chickens alone and they both watch over the flock and patrol the yard.

The presence of dogs and dog scent seems to be the best predator deterrent.

I have to agree with you. My chickens also free range everyday. Sun up to sun down, rain or not we give them the choice. We placed benches around and bushes to hide under. We have a Newfoundland that sits out with them sometimes and she does what yours does. Love a good dog.

 

[The head hen]

I have to agree with you. My chickens also free range everyday. Sun up to sun down, rain or not we give them the choice. We placed benches around and bushes to hide under. We have a Newfoundland that sits out with them sometimes and she does what yours does. Love a good dog.

Great idea with benches! We have quite the canopy in our back yard, preventing g them from being see from above, at least from April to late October/early November.

 

[Hedgeland Farms]

How do you handle the poop load in your yard or on your porch
What abt flower gardens??
Or veggie gardens??
What abt the any planted fields that surround??

This is some of the stuff I considered when I decided NOT to free range.
My dogs don't even poop in my yard...let alone the chickens

 

[The head hen]

How do you handle the poop load in your yard or on your porch
What abt flower gardens??
Or veggie gardens??
What abt the any planted fields that surround??

This is some of the stuff I considered when I decided NOT to free range.
My dogs don't even poop in my yard...let alone the chickens

Great questions...they do poop, everywhere. But mostly in the yard and woods. We are on over an acre of wooded ravine very small grassy backyard. I hose it off the walkways and porch (that we don't use). Garden is fenced off so the chickens don't go in there. I try to plant stuff they don't like...

I look at the poop as organic fertilizer for the yard. In fact, I use coop bedding for fertilizer when I plant. But, I only have 13 chickens. We had 20, and that proved yo be too many. The sweet spot for us is 12-ish

 

[Hedgeland Farms]

Great questions...they do poop, everywhere. But mostly in the yard and woods. We are on over an acre of wooded ravine very small grassy backyard. I hose it off the walkways and porch (that we don't use). Garden is fenced off so the chickens don't go in there. I try to plant stuff they don't like...

I look at the poop as organic fertilizer for the yard. In fact, I use coop bedding for fertilizer when I plant. But, I only have 13 chickens. We had 20, and that proved yo be too many. The sweet spot for us is 12-ish

I worry the poop will kill the grass (we are just over an acre as well) but their poop is hot and kills quickly.

My garden is fenced but those chickens are sneaky lol.

And yes...I imagine the number has something to do with it.


We don't free range simply for the fields that surround us...don't want any angry farmers.