afraid to let chicks free range!!!

[Wildsky]

CRUD - I didn't think of that. but I will probably stay with them, the gate on their run is on the side, and I dont' think they'd find their way back IN without help!

 

[usalbrechts]

I have been sucessfully free ranging mine for a few hours a day during the summer. I agree with Judy though, predators are worse in the winter. I lost my sweet rooster a few weeks ago. I meant to only let them out for an hour and I was not used to how early it gets dark here now (by 5 pm it is dark). Anyway with the help of my 12 yr old girl not counting to make sure everyone was in the coop, Buba got left outside of the run for the night and was gone in the morning. I know he would have been gone if that had happened in the summer too, but I think the early darkness was new to him too and he just decided to roost out in the lawn somewhere. So, since there is no grass anyway, I won't let mine out until I see some green and longer evenings. They pretty much stay in the coop all day anyway.

 

[WoodlandWoman]

I didn't have any problems during the summer, but once the hawk migration season started in the fall, it was so bad around here I had to lock the girls up. I took them for a half hour walk every afternoon, just before they would normally go in for the night. They really looked forward to their walk!

By the time the hawks eased up, we had deep snow cover already. So, they have just been hanging out in the covered portion of their run. I'll be watching things pretty closely in the spring. I suspect we'll be taking walks again, until I think they'll be somewhat safer. I miss the sheep they used to forage with!

Normally my girls stay under cover during the day, but there's not much of that on our property, after the trees and shrubs lose their leaves.

 

[katknapp]

My boys have been watching a hawk that perches right at the end of our property. So for now they will have to be happy in their coop (thanks again purplechicken) and run!

 

[pipermark]

No I think they will wander into the woods.

 

[RoseMarie1]

I worry about letting mine free range as well. My RIR's are a month old today and my black aust. and sex links are 2 weeks old. This is their 3rd night in the big chicken pen. They ran out of room in their brooder boxes so I moved them into the bigger pen. They all sleep together in a little cage I have in there with some wood chips in it. Some actually are using the roost. It's sooo stinking cute with the big ones AND the little ones sitting up there on the roost. Last night it was in the 60's so I went out to check on them and they were all in the box with the wood chips. It's been in the 70's at night time but it just dropped last night and tonight but they're fine.
Anyway I to am really worried about letting them out because we have a couple cats that are really good hunters and catch and eat birds rabbits and everything. Was telling hubby I might have to lock the cats up while the chicks free range. lol

 

[Jsnick]

I am very new to having chickens as well. We just started letting ours out in the evening and watch them so they don't wander to far. I would love to have them out during the day, but we only have a 1/2 acre in the suburbs and I'm afraid they'll wander to the neighbors if I'm not right there. We don't have a fence just hedges. Do you need to always be out when they are out to free range? So far I have been out to watch them in the evening and I bring treats.We have 9 chickens about 4 months old.

 

[LR Gamefarm]

they would probably go off into the woods but would come back to roost at night my chickens that i let free range come back a few hours before it gets dark and eat bugs and stuff in the yard then go get on the roost since you have alot of woods around your house that will give them cover from hawks owls etc and the trees would be a great place for them to get up off the ground from dogs and other predators but one way to tell if they will run from a predator is to walk in to the pen and see what they do put something in there that would resemble a predator m chickens will run from anything that try's to catch them you just got to watch hawks and stuff like that chickens wont spot them until there right on top of them i usually shoot the hawks that will circle around my chickens but if they keep on flying then i leave them alone but keep a close eye on them they like to pick up smaller chickens

 

[Hexe]

L and L RANCH you may want to edit your post. Shooting a hawk is a federal offense as well as against state ordinances. The authorities do not take that lightly.

That being said, we are also concerned about giving the girls free reign of the property. We have hawks all over here as well as coons, coyotes and owls. Twice we have let them out before dusk and they only walked 10 feet from the coop and then went back in. My neighbors have a ton of chickens that free range all over the place and they lose a few here and there so I know it can and will happen. I would just hate for it to be one of our little ones.

 

[Scoopers804]

Oh, I am so relieved to find this post. I am very nervous too about letting my chickens free range! We live in the country on a little over an acre of land. Woods at one end, but the coop is at least 150 feet from there. The chickens have a coop that is attached to a run and then a fenced area that is about 12X12 to play in, so they get plenty of exercise during the day, but part of me wants them to free range a bit on our land during the day too. I have been so nervous about letting them out though, that I've only let them out one or two at a time and only when we can watch them. I never thought to try it towards nightfall. What a great idea!! We do leave the coop door open during the day so they can be in the run and fenced area and they always put themselves to bed at night, so I'm thinking they just might do great if I let them in the yard towards bedtime. Due to being in the country though, there is always the threat of hawks, fox, raccoon, owl and other such predators... My question is though.. how do you keep them on your property? My neighbor used to let his out all the time and even though we have a pretty big field between us, they would come trotting on over to our place as much as they did his. I don't want ours anywhere but on our own ground where we can watch them though. Is that all we can do? Or are there a few tricks I haven't read about yet? Thanks bunches and Happy Tuesday!