Free ranging pros and cons?

[Beekissed]

My 3 Silkie flock is down to 2 after a fox carried off one of my hens today in the middle of the afternoon. These are my first chickens, and I started letting them free range this winter when they would huddle miserably at the gate of their pen. I just started really enjoying the chickens over the past week or so as I started to teach them to come when called by throwing some feed. Now I don't know what to do. The chickens are so much happier free ranging, but I fear that I will just be serving them up to the fox if I let them free range. Is there a particular season that the fox will be so brazen or will this be a permanent problem now that they have discovered the chickens? The chickens were definitely in a danger area: away from the house and near the treeline. We live in a rural area in southern New Hampshire. My husband just happened to look out the window as the fox grabbed the chicken. I now have a roo and a hen. I don't expect to ever have a large flock, not that that necessarily makes it easier to lose a bird. I guess I'm wondering what other's experiences have been in similar situations. Is it really just let them live happily until something eats them as they free range or are there some guidelines for keeping them safer as they free range? Any chance that they will stay closer to the house now that a fox has taken one? I'm thinking of getting them a tractor to keep them safe, but I know that they won't be as happy and I won't enjoy them as much. Not sure that there is a right answer but thought I'd ask anyway. Thanks.

Here's a guide to help you free range more effectively..... https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/bees-key-points-to-successful-and-safe-free-ranging

 

[Phoenixxx]

My 3 Silkie flock is down to 2 after a fox carried off one of my hens today in the middle of the afternoon. These are my first chickens, and I started letting them free range this winter when they would huddle miserably at the gate of their pen. I just started really enjoying the chickens over the past week or so as I started to teach them to come  when called by throwing some feed. Now I don't know what to do. The chickens are so much happier free ranging, but I fear that I will just be serving them up to the fox if I let them free range. Is there a particular season that the fox will be so brazen or will this be a permanent problem now that they have discovered the chickens? The chickens were definitely in a danger area: away from the house and near the treeline. We live in a rural area in southern New Hampshire. My husband just happened to look out the window as the fox grabbed the chicken. I now have a roo and a hen. I don't expect to ever have a large flock, not that that necessarily makes it easier to lose a bird. I guess I'm wondering what other's experiences have been in similar situations. Is it really just let them live happily until something eats them as they free range or are there some guidelines for keeping them safer as they free range? Any chance that they will stay closer to the house now that a fox has taken one? I'm thinking of getting them a tractor to keep them safe, but I know that they won't be as happy and I won't enjoy them as much. Not sure that there is a right answer but thought I'd ask anyway. Thanks.

The fox will be back. I had a couple that used to come by during the day. One of my roosters sounded the alarm while I was out in the yard and I saw a silver fox about 50' down the back lane. The upside with the fox is they typically only ever take one (whereas other predators will sit there and eat until they're full, or just kill as many as they can) the downside to silkies is they cannot fly as an escape option. Until the fox moves on, you will have to babysit their free-ranging. You may be able to discourage the fox by making his visits frightening or miserable by scaring him off with frozen paintballs or pepper spray, but once it leaves the territory another may move in. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but this has been my experience with foxes I should add that my foxes typically visited in late spring throughout summer. The birds they did manage to get were being used to feed mama's new pups.

 

[snhchick]

Here's a guide to help you free range more effectively..... https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/bees-key-points-to-successful-and-safe-free-ranging

Thanks for all of your suggestions. The guide was helpful, but makes me think my Silkies are destined to be penned for life. I think that I already know the answer to this, but here goes. Is there any advantage (for the Silkies) to add a different breed to the flock or will the Silkies just always end up as the "limping Zebras" of the group? I saw an ad on CraigsList for Lemon Cuckoo Orpingtons, which are really beautiful and would lay full sized eggs, which would make my husband happy. So:

#1: Will the Silkies be safer free ranging with these or some other breed of chicken?
#2: Will these two breeds get along?
#3: If I get a full sized roo as part of the new group, is it likely to be better than the Silkie at protecting the flock and is he likely to go after the Silkie roo?

Thanks!

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

The Fox won't care what breed they are, there's a reason they are called Wiley, they will take all they can, it doesn't sound like you have safe free ranging I wouldn't do it unless you are willing to accept loses or willing to go after the predators. I might look into something like the electric poultry netting for controlled time out of their run, or other type of fencing to slow down attacks, like welded wire.

Sometimes when the silkies are first other breeds brought in later may leave them alone if they are chicks when added, I wouldn't add any older birds because as you said silkies will always be weaker. They should be kept separate or with other bantam of similar temperament.

 

[lilapot]

Some pros are:
Happier chickens
Chickens eat less food
Endless entertainment
They eat some pest insects
It reduces the chance of obesity(more exercise)

Some cons are:
Predators(my main reason)
Poop is everywhere-- this gets especially annoying of you have backyard chickens
They will usually devour your garden

Our chickens are free range until nobody's home.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

We use a cheap two foot tall green welded wire fence around our gardens, the chickens don't go over it.

 

[snhchick]

We use a cheap two foot tall green welded wire fence around our gardens, the chickens don't go over it.

Is this to protect the chickens or the garden? I have a fenced yard that I'd like to adapt for a daytime run, but I'm not sure that I can make it safe. The existing fence is about 3 feet tall and currently has openings that the chickens and small predators can get through. If I run welded wire around it, would this be a fairly safe alternative run? It is attached to the house, so I don't think it is a high hawk threat.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

It's to keep the chickens out. Most of my birds won't go over any wire fence, though occasionally one could. We have the three foot tall stuff around our goats field and the chickens don't go over that either. A wooden or metal fence, where there's something to roost on top, now that they will go six feet up sometimes to get over or on top of. I personally would use that fence to free range in a controlled way.

 

[Beekissed]

Thanks for all of your suggestions. The guide was helpful, but makes me think my Silkies are destined to be penned for life. I think that I already know the answer to this, but here goes. Is there any advantage (for the Silkies) to add a different breed to the flock or will the Silkies just always end up as the "limping Zebras" of the group? I saw an ad on CraigsList for Lemon Cuckoo Orpingtons, which are really beautiful and would lay full sized eggs, which would make my husband happy. So:

#1: Will the Silkies be safer free ranging with these or some other breed of chicken? I doubt silkies will be safe ranging unsupervised, no matter what breed you put with them.
#2: Will these two breeds get along? A lot of folks have silkies in flocks with other LF breeds...I'm not sure if this presents problems or if they generally get along. The better question is what are your goals for the silkies? Is there any reason you couldn't get rid of them and replace them with a breed that is more likely to suit your goals of free ranging a flock?
#3: If I get a full sized roo as part of the new group, is it likely to be better than the Silkie at protecting the flock and is he likely to go after the Silkie roo? Yes and yes.

Thanks!

 

[snhchick]

The Silkies are pets,so I would like to keep them. I have a fenced yard that is bordered on one side by my house and the other by my dog run. Will the smell of the dog yard keep predators from coming in on that side? Just wondering if I could get away with chicken wire on that stretch of fence to save a bit of money. My thought was to run welded wire along the rest of the fence and add some hiding places, since the yard is just open grass. They stay in a very sturdy coop surrounded by a hardware cloth reinforced run at night.

I see mixed reviews on Orpingtons with regard to their ability to "safely" free range. I was thinking about getting 2-3 of them to free range, with the Silkies in the "protected free range" yard. Thoughts?