Almost Free Range

Mar 23, 2019
39
32
59
Eastern Missouri
I am about to let my 13 hens wander my garden. The garden is not blooming now but there are greens to peck at. It is approximately 50 feet by 50 feet. The coop and run are inside the garden. There is an electric fence on the perimeter and a chicken wire fence on the inside. The chickens shouldn’t be able to get to the electric fence. Should I do anything before I let them out?
 
Yes, you could do supervise free range, that's what I usually do. You can let the chickens out to free change but keep on eye on them too
 
There is an electric fence on the perimeter and a chicken wire fence on the inside. The chickens shouldn’t be able to get to the electric fence. Should I do anything before I let them out?
How high is the chicken wire fence? They may be able and want to get over it.

You can start them free ranging for the first time late in the day,
30-60 minutes before they normally go to roost.
They won't go too far at first and you'll see that they get back to the coop to roost.
Subsequent days let them out a bit earlier, and so on and so on.


Do you have any advice on hawks? I know we have a lot in the area.
Cross your fingers.
 
Best way to tell about the fence is to watch them. If there's lot's to do for the chickens in the garden I don't think they'd be looking to get out. A photo would be fun to see. And what @aart said about the hawks. I'm lucky to have a pair of nesting ravens nearby and they bomb-dive any hawk that I've ever seen soaring overhead. Mine free range from sunup to sundown, with access to 7 acres but they only use less than 2. We have a 4 foot fence which discourages predators, but anything that was determined could get over or under it. The chickens have so much space they don't try.
 

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