Free ranging in predator country

[cam1963]

I'm in the process of building my flock. I have a predator proof coop/run with concrete flooring, but as my flock expands I'm considering free ranging them.
I have raccoon, fox, bobcat, wild hogs, coyotes, and the occasional mountain lion out here, not to mention owls and hawks out here in west Texas. There is plenty of cover with cedar, mesquite, shin oak, live oak, Texas persimmon and other brush. To say the grass is sparse is a bit of an overstatement.
I've looked into electric fencing and guardian animals. Fencing cost is not an issue when compared to purchasing and maintaining a guardian animal in my opinion, but it would be labor intensive due to the brush. I don't think I want a guardian animal in the event I go out of town.
My questions are:
Does anyone here have similar challenges with predators and environment and how you deal with them?
Do you you think my losses will be acceptable if i just let them roam with a flock of 30+ as long as they are locked up nightly? The only predator I occasionally see during the day is gray fox.

 

[Sally PB]

Do you you think my losses will be acceptable

You are the only person who can define what "acceptable" is to you.

I don't have as many predators as you do, but I still do not free range. I have a small flock, so any loss to predators would be unacceptable to me. But that's me.

As people have said on here, if you free range, you will eventually lose birds to predators.

 

[mowin]

Agree with that above statement. Free range is always going to be a crap shoot, but once a greedy predator learns about the buffet, it's going to return...... frequently.

 

[cam1963]

Agree with that above statement. Free range is always going to be a crap shoot, but once a greedy predator learns about the buffet, it's going to return...... frequently.

I know that's the truth! That's when a live camera on the coop and night vision comes in handy.

 

[Cinnamon Roll]

I don’t really have the same predator load that you do but I free range and have lost chickens to predators. We have hawks, owls, snakes, possum, raccoon, foxes, coyotes, and dogs here. We have an electric fence around the chicken area but it’s just 3 strand and it’s mainly to keep the goats out of the chicken food. I know the hawk and snakes have got a few of my chickens but the fence and coop has kept them safe from the rest since they mostly come at night.

If you have roosters to sound the alarm for the hens, you will lose fewer to any daytime predators. Most predators realize they are spotted and give up when the whole flock runs for cover. If your flock has a lot of subflocks it’s best to have 1 rooster for each so you might need more than the 1 roo to 10 hen ratio that’s normally advised.

I let my hens hatch if they want and chicks are always in more danger than a full grown chicken, so it will also depend on the makeup of your flock. The snakes around here love to try for eggs and chicks if they can and have been the biggest problem for my flock.

To me the happiness of a free ranging chicken is worth the risk of losing some.

 

[mowin]

I know that's the truth! That's when a live camera on the coop and night vision comes in handy.

Or a thermal scope on a .204 Ruger.

 

[Shadrach]

My view after is if you, or someone else who is capable isn't outside (mostly) every day with them then with the predator load you've described I wouldn't do it.

People who free range successfully tend to be people who work the land in one form or another and spend their days outside closing the chickens in a secure coop overnight. The chickens learn not to wander far from the humans, their feed stations and best cover.
If you are outside you will get to learn where the chickens go and when they go. It is really important to know where the chickens are You will learn where the predators come from and where their favourite hunting spots are; where the hens go to lay their eggs and where they are building nests.
You need to know all these things and more if you hope to keep enough chickens alive to keep the group stable and correctly populated.

You're going to lose chickens, possibly lots of chickens. You should keep a closed flock so that means you'll need hens to go broody and roosters to fertilize their eggs. The pullets will lay over the winter months and correctly managed you'll have the occasional cockerel to eat.

While most chickens will free range given the opportunity some are more adept at it than others. So picking the right breed for the environment they live in is important.

Hawks have easily been the most difficult predator to deal with ime. A falcon traveling close to 200mph at the end of a dive doesn't give even the fastest hens much time to get under cover. Trees are not good cover for chickens.

 

[centrarchid]

My view after is if you, or someone else who is capable isn't outside (mostly) every day with them then with the predator load you've described I wouldn't do it.

People who free range successfully tend to be people who work the land in one form or another and spend their days outside closing the chickens in a secure coop overnight. The chickens learn not to wander far from the humans, their feed stations and best cover.
If you are outside you will get to learn where the chickens go and when they go. It is really important to know where the chickens are You will learn where the predators come from and where their favourite hunting spots are; where the hens go to lay their eggs and where they are building nests.
You need to know all these things and more if you hope to keep enough chickens alive to keep the group stable and correctly populated.

You're going to lose chickens, possibly lots of chickens. You should keep a closed flock so that means you'll need hens to go broody and roosters to fertilize their eggs. The pullets will lay over the winter months and correctly managed you'll have the occasional cockerel to eat.

While most chickens will free range given the opportunity some are more adept at it than others. So picking the right breed for the environment they live in is important.

Hawks have easily been the most difficult predator to deal with ime. A falcon traveling close to 200mph at the end of a dive doesn't give even the fastest hens much time to get under cover. Trees are not good cover for chickens.

I'm of the sort that is outside a lot and uses a range of approaches to keep predators at bay. This includes a combination of cover, poultry guarding dogs, and fencing. My flock is closed with all replacements bred on farm even though all are free-range for at least part of their lives.

 

[LizzzyJo]

As has been stated, it is truly up to you. I would certainly not free range at night, but you said you’d lock them up.

I am a huge advocate for free ranging - In the same way that I like to buy grass fed beef and have animals outside as much as possible. I free range only during the day and only when someone will be home to occasionally walk outside or the dog is out. This is about every other day for 5 or so hours at the absolute minimum. When my birds are in the (very large) run for a week on end they get angry and pick on each other. They want to be outside on the grass and under their favorite trees. They get more bugs, eat more greenery, their yolks are darker, and their feed costs lower considerably in the summer.

I have lost one bird to a hawk in 5 years of free ranging. I don’t have the mammals you have, but I am in an area with a huge number of eagles, falcons, and hawks.

Long story short - I would try free ranging and see how it goes. If your losses get frequent, stop.

 

[centrarchid]

I'm in the process of building my flock. I have a predator proof coop/run with concrete flooring, but as my flock expands I'm considering free ranging them.
I have raccoon, fox, bobcat, wild hogs, coyotes, and the occasional mountain lion out here, not to mention owls and hawks out here in west Texas. There is plenty of cover with cedar, mesquite, shin oak, live oak, Texas persimmon and other brush. To say the grass is sparse is a bit of an overstatement.
I've looked into electric fencing and guardian animals. Fencing cost is not an issue when compared to purchasing and maintaining a guardian animal in my opinion, but it would be labor intensive due to the brush. I don't think I want a guardian animal in the event I go out of town.
My questions are:
Does anyone here have similar challenges with predators and environment and how you deal with them?
Do you you think my losses will be acceptable if i just let them roam with a flock of 30+ as long as they are locked up nightly? The only predator I occasionally see during the day is gray fox.

I have similar issues although the quality and quantity of forage here is likely a lot better than you have. The better the forage, the less acreage needed. At some point the fencing becomes too expensive.