I have free ranged my 6 girls for 2 1/2 years on our 2.5 acres and never had an issue until last weekend. 4 went missing early but two returns at sunset….the other two did not….I will still continue to free range but mor cautiously during fall and winter.
This is Marty, 1 1/2 years old! She always has a dirty butt🙄. I think she just likes me giving her a bath…..nothing like a little spa treatment 😝. Not an avid egg layer but pretty green/blue eggs when she does lay!
I don’t recommend it for reasons mentioned but it may depend on how long your visit will be. Every weekend my chicks would travel with me to my acreage for a few days and they did fine. But that’s only 1 hour away. I didn’t have anyone to tend to them. But yes, they really do stress about it...