WHY WE CAN'T FREE RANGE, pic

[naillikwj82]

If one of our birds gets out of the pen this is the result!

 

[Habibs Hens]

oh thats so sad

sorry for your loss


please dont take this the wrong way but what a picture it capures the moment really well

 

[centrarchid]

Plant some darn cover out there! Chickens are not open grassland critters. A bald eagle will be about the easiest raptor to thwart using some cover. Breed choice also may need to be revisited if free ranged.

 

[Mskayladog]

Sorry for your loss.
But what a beautiful picture of our great nations Eagle.

 

[cutipatooti]

I plan to free range and have BE,s and hawks. It's kind of why I go so many chick's. I figured if I get 30 I will end up with 15 by winter. I hope that's not the case but the chickens are for tick control with the benefit of eggs. Sorry for the loss

 

[CarolJ]

There are bald eagles that have a nest about a half mile from our house. We don't let our chickens out to free range unless we can stay out with them. However, hawks have been a bigger issue for us than the bald eagles. I think the eagles stays by a nearby lake and don't venture our way very often.

 

[Gersbud]

I have a bald eagle that live around me too, I caught him trying to take my goose decoy in my front yard, but he doesn't seem to bother my girls. But I only let them free range when after all the trees get their leaves to provide more cover for them if he is out

 

[Beekissed]

I've free ranged with hawks, osprey, owls and bald eagles aplenty all around me....they are often drawn to the dead chickens in the litter the local farmers would put on their hay fields and I had hay fields on all four sides of me. It was nothing for me to see bald eagles eating those chickens in the fields next to my house. The osprey pair would land in my apple orchard and scream their fool heads off...they are the loudest birds ever!

In six years I lost one pullet to an owl and that was because she refused to roost in the coop at night.

Buster is right...need some cover~ and need some good dogs. Makes a world of difference.

That pic is very beautiful and I could almost see myself thrilling to that sight even if it were one of my birds lying there...such a raw, natural thing to see!

 

[naillikwj82]

Planting cover is not an option. Ten inches of rain a year, and 10 - 20 mph winds most days. Raising trees or shrubs need constant attention for many, many years. The tractor type pens work just fine, and get moved regularly. It is just the errant bird that jumps out during feeding or watering, most all are re-caught. Eagles are just one of many. Two years back it was a pair of Great Horned owls, last year it was Rikki Racoon. The list of raptors is long, but they are just looking and picking of voles, and mice. I accept that if you have chickens, you will also have predators. Just like peanut butter and jam.

 

[ange92040]

Wow sorry for the loss but what a great picture!