Free ranging pros and cons?

[Mrs. K]

Some dogs will, some won't.

As for predators, you can add a mature rooster..... he needs to be nearly a year old to be effective, if you have enough space and birds, two or more roosters. This will reduce your losses, but not eliminate them.

The only way to truly prevent predators is a all enclosed over the top coup/run.

MrsK

 

[Mountain Peeps]

Yes, it really depends on the dog. Try not to to use hunting/bird dogs. Check out the link attached.

Like Mrs. K said, the only way to insure that your flock stays safe, is to inclose it. Roosters will defend the flock with their lives but that will mean that you will go through a lot of roosters.

http://www.fresh-eggs-daily.com/2012/11/basic-chicken-etiquette-for-family-dog.html

 

[centrarchid]

Thank you, everyone! It would seem that predators losses is the biggest concern when free ranging? What do you all do to protect your flocks? 

centrarchid, can you tell me a bit more about the dogs protecting chickens? I thought dogs would eat the chickens, not protect them? 

First use perimeter fencing to keep dogs of other people out. More than one dog needed as their behavior changes when in groups, especially with challenges like coyotes. Dogs require a bit (lot) of training to simply leave birds alone but that is doable. Dog breed is not the most important factor but that can influence challenges you will experience. Dog needs to be at least 50% bigger than animal threat it will address. It is best to train up one dog at a time and for me proper activities around birds not realized until dogs 18 to 24 months of age. Get second dog after first trained up. Simply having a dog that does not kill birds does not mean you have protection. Dogs must be willing and able to respond to threats and ideally use birds as alarm system. That requires time and sometimes dogs initially causing the problem at first. Best dogs for me kill a bird or two before they settle into role. My dogs now settled into role still eat dead chickens but that is not a major problem.

You have a lot of considerations. Start with pup or adult. Breed to deal with climate as it is not always about cold. Will dog be multipurpose or guard animal only. Us barnyards used go the multipurpose barnyard dog but current fad is single use of much larger breeds originally developed for guarding large herds of mobile sheep / goats.



Protecting can also come from using your head when free-ranging birds. DO not free-range when forage quality is low and predator risk high (winter with heavy snow culture in particular).

 

[centrarchid]

Yes, it really depends on the dog. Try not to to use hunting/bird dogs. Check out the link attached. 

Like Mrs. K said, the only way to insure that your flock stays safe, is to inclose it. Roosters will defend the flock with their lives but that will mean that you will go through a lot of roosters. 

http://www.fresh-eggs-daily.com/2012/11/basic-chicken-etiquette-for-family-dog.html

I use birds dogs and have used hounds in past. If you know what you are doing they can be very effective.

 

[bobbi-j]

As you have read, the pros and cons vary, mostly depending upon where a person lives, and flock management. My birds free range and yes, we have had some predator losses. That's the about the only con I can think of. I did go for about 4 years without a predator loss, but our dog died last June and we lost several in one afternoon to what I believe was coyotes in July. BTW, that dog was a lab - great hunter, but knew that the chickens were for him to protect, not retrieve. We have a new dog now - basically a mutt - that will hopefully be just as good as the last one. The pros do include lower feed costs in the summer, and (in my opinion, anyway) better eggs. My chickens wander around and eat grass and bugs and who knows what else. I don't think that free range birds have more probability of disease or parasites. At least mine haven't had much issue with that. However, I did have some mites in my flock this spring before they were let back out to free range. We do give them the option in the winter of free ranging, but they don't much like the snow, so unless the driveway is cleared past the coop, they stay in. I don't live near a highway, and we have a long driveway so traffic isn't a threat. The coops are not near the house, so poop on the lawn, porch and sidewalk isn't a problem, either.

 

[centrarchid]

Disease management for me is a greater concern for confined birds. This is based on birds of similar genetic backgrounds in same location. Free-range birds get exposure to possibly more parasites and pathogens but exposure it is less intense and birds less stressed which also impacts how such plays on health of birds. I also effort to keep ground below carrying capacity which helps greatly but requires more ground..

 

[TREX]

" Perimeter fencing is also very helpful in keeping dogs not friendly to chickens off your flock. Having a couple chicken friendly dogs on your side of fence can help keep wildlife from going after your birds."


This is true. A good chicken friendly "flock" dog will keep most of the problem predators away.My sweet girl Lola (an American bulldog) watches over my flock when they free range in the morning. She scared off a hungry red fox a few weeks ago.

 

[Studio2770]

Thank you, everyone! It would seem that predators losses is the biggest concern when free ranging? What do you all do to protect your flocks?

centrarchid, can you tell me a bit more about the dogs protecting chickens? I thought dogs would eat the chickens, not protect them?

Basically what Mountain Peeps said. Also, if you free range, you don't need a big coop. Less free range time=bigger coop. I live in a neighborhood with a 3/4 acre lot. Our chickens haven't been in danger, we've had them for a year. One day a hawk strafed 2 hens but that was it. One hen got over the fence and the neighbor's dog "played" with it. She survived just fine. I have a six foot tall fence. I haven't seen any forced entry into the coop either. It heavily depends on location. I have 2 labs and a pekingese. One lab doesn't bother the chickens. The other two need leashes. Though, the pekingese got out one day and just sat and watched the chickens.

 

[wickedhens]

I honesty think it depends on your area, everything does like chicken this is true and there are definite dangers out there for them. I myself live in a rural part of wv my girls are free range, I have 2 roosters who do a great job of watching the girls during the day and I have a large honeysuckle bush that has a thorn bush growing with it, I always know when a Hawkins nearby because I hear the alarm from my roo's and the. I see them in the bush. I stay at home so I can check on mine every so often. Of to mention our neighbor across the way has a huge flock of guineas who like me better and they are great guard dogs. We also have an attached run that I put the babies in when they hatch and if we go on vacation. We live on 2 acres and haven't had any issues I've been keeping for 2 years we have feral dogs and cats in the area and since near the woods many other critters. I really think it's the guineas that do the trick for us. It's really something that you will have to go on with instinct I say free range but I know not everyone can do it!

 

[TherryChicken]

I do not free range due to predators. I want my chickens happy, but not killed or eaten. So I am making there coop much larger and give them gras, watermellon, all that good stuff in hopes it makes them happy.