Is it cruel to have chickens if they can't free range?

[Beekissed]

No creature enjoys a cage, I imagine...no matter how roomy.

 

[The Yakima Kid]

They'll be fine and happy. Toss in a few chard or spinach leaves or a radish or two from time to time and they'll be ecstatic.
Chickens are great to have because they are pretty much always content or happy. It is heresy to say this, but I have met birds who lived in hutches the size of rabbit hutches and were taken out for half a day of supervised exercise and were quite content.

A lot of people anthropomorphize animals, and often what the animal would prefer is not at all what a human being would prefer.

 

[6chickens in St. Charles]

Well how'd it go? Did it turn out well for you and your birdies?

 

[Oregon Blues]

I just always figure they are a lot happier if they aren't dead.

 

[NYRIR]

I just always figure they are a lot happier if they aren't dead.

With that said....I have some free-ranged and some will be penned. I am not crazy about the pen idea but it is necessary to keep breeds pure so....that's what I will do while giving them as much space as possible.I also will have the more tolerant breeds confined.
All are locked up at night.

 

[devora]

I wish I understood the "they free range sometimes" bit. My girls get out every day and they are miserable until that happens. If they had to wait days, well, all they would do is whine and then I'd be miserable!! How do ya'll keep 'em quiet?!?

Will a hawk carry away a full grown standard bird? I mean, usually. I assume it has happened, but does it happen on a regular basis? We have hawks and I never give them a thought, so maybe I ought to!

 

[Desirai]

I absolutely can not let them out unattended. My neighbor's dogs will murder them then hawks will take what's left.

They can only free range when I'm available to be there with them.

I'm building a pen as big as I can. The one I'm working on is going to be about 100 sq ft.

 

[cravenchx]

I am terrified to let the chickens out of the run. I have too many rogue dogs
that pass thru, even if I'm home. Baby girl got out the other day and almost
injured herself trying to get back into the run. Which is more cruel?

 

[hennyannie]

I think to put them in the position to be picked off by predators is way more cruel than penning them up. I have some portable fencing I use when I can be around the house all day, but I make sure they are in the run when I cant be.Where I live this is the only way to keep them off the menu.They tend to head back to the run when it gets hot or they have their fill of foraging, so this makes me feel like they are happy there as well.

 

[wvtim]

chickens will get used to whatever situation they find themselves in. My chickens go nuts if they dont get out of the coop at the break of dawn, but that's what they are used to. I have 4 roosters that protect the hens from predators - If a hawk screams or flys by, the boys make a gutteral sound and everyone heads for cover. To me, its worth the risk in order to let my chickens free range. If I had to keep them locked up all the time - I wouldnt have chickens - thats just me.