My chicken house and tractors at night are out of the perimeters of my dog. I have him with my goats, since they are at risk in their night time fenced in area.. During the day the goats are out browsing with the chickens and guineas. He has total access to all during the day. My chickens are all closed in at night. Nothing can reach in to them - have 1/4" wire fencing on all enclosures. My husband makes all the houses and enclosures to my specifications.
How did you introduce your chickens to the ducks and bunnies? did everything go smoothly for them to live together like this?I free range my chickens, have since I first started this endeavor 2 years ago. I have a 60 sf coop, with a 300 sf run, completely fenced in with a netting over top of the tree in the middle of the run. They have plenty of space, but after just a month or so, there was absolutely no greenery in the run. So I started letting them out a few hours a day, usually supervised. I have a half-acre backyard that is fully fenced in with 3.5' picket fencing. It doesn't keep the smaller chickens in, or the bigger ones who fly over, but mostly it does the job.
At first, I had several dogs, a few of which weren't properly trained. This didn't work out well. The untrained dogs chased the chickens around. So we got rid of the untrained dogs (foster dogs that were adopted out). Now the trained dogs get along splendidly with the chickens, and even do a great job in watching out for them with other animals. Mostly they're great protection just by being there. I also have a pellet gun, .22 and shotgun near the back door in case I see a gutsy raccoon climbing the perimeter fence, or a vulture circling a bit too long.
Anytime I add new hens to the flock, I keep everyone locked in the coop for a few days. Then I let them out into the run for a few days. This gets the hens used to laying in the coop. I also usually don't let them out in the mornings until 9am or so, most of them have already laid by that time. Every once in a while, I'll find a chicken has laid on the ground somewhere, at which point I keep them cooped up for a few days to remind them of where they should lay. It works!
As for the new rangers, I'm working on 2 right now who don't want to come in when called. I don't wait for dusk to get them back in, for several reasons but mainly because I've forgotten too many times to go out and close the door when it's dark. I've never had an attack if I've forgotten, but I don't want to take that chance. So I go out about 4pm every afternoon and call the chickens in with the old "chick chick" yell and shaking some scratch in a cup. Those 2 holdouts are now learning that if they come in when called, they get a treat. If they don't come when called, they get corralled into the coop with water from the hose (I'm too old to chase chickens around the yard!). They're getting it, now they come right when called and eat out of my hand.
Pros: Awesome to watch
They have more freedom
Better quality protein and vitamins
Cuts down on feed cost
Cuts down on clean-up time in the coop
Less bugs in the yard (I can't really testify to this, but I do see them eating them)
I feel like my entire backyard is utilized, especially the places I don't spend a lot of time
Cons: Stepping in chicken poop in the yard
All of my plants have bald spots
Have to make sure the gate to the garden is closed every day, otherwise we have no fresh veggies
Our rooster thinks he's above my 2 year old son in the pecking order, so I'm teaching my kid rooster self-defense
Dust baths created under a lot of my ornamental grasses
Less lizards in the yard, so potentially more flying bugs
They try to eat butterflies, but rarely do they actually catch them
I really enjoy free ranging the chickens and ducks that we have. I also have 2 New Zealand rabbits in the coop who are free in the coop and run when the door's shut. When the chickens are free ranging, the bunnies are locked in their cage. They are also getting used to going to their cage when I come out in the mornings. I tell you, it's really cool to see rabbits, ducks and chickens getting along so well together in the run.
I have half an acre fenced in for my dogs and chickens - a 3.5' fence surrounds the entire backyard, but they all seem to still get out when they want to. The chickens don't wander far, but it's called "free ranging" cause they have a choice of where they want to go. I've heard of some free ranging for several hundred yards. But they will always come back to the coop at night, or for water, food, shelter, treats, etc.
What I've always done is just taken an hour in the morning and an hour at night to free-range and watch over them, before putting them back in their pen. This way, they get their fresh air and grass and bugs, but I don't risk any danger of a predator getting them or losing them
