anyone else NOT letting their chix free range ALL day?

[Blue]

I only let mine out if someone is going to be home, but I hardly ever let them out for the whole day (too many dogs on my road). I usually only let them out for a few hours at a time, usually in the evening.

 

[swimmer]

A couple of hours in the afternoon is all they get. Too many hawks to leave them out all day unsupervised.

 

[tuesdays chicks]

I started letting mine out for a few hours after work then all day when o found they would stay in yard, then the hawk shows up and now they have a larger run

 

[TrystInn]

We let ours free range most of the day, with our dogs there to repel predators - if there's something willing to take on two Basset Hounds it hasn't found our yard. That said, I'm going to pen the Banties this weekend and forbid them unsupervised free ranging. I need more time with them (they are new to our flock) to hand train them and one of our Bassets finds them too amusing. Generally speaking, if he messes with the Standards, they peck him between the eyes and he knocks it off. Not the same with the Banties, so they are going into lockdown to protect them.

 

[3goodeggs]

This post has me thinking. Maybe I could let them out while I spend time with them. They are large birds-orpingtons- but we have so many hawks flying over the coop -all the time. They do it when we are standing right there. Do you think they would try for such a large bird while we are present? Would I have to wait for dusk for them to decide to return to the coop? We are in the process of making a chicken tractor so they can feel the joy of grass under their feet again.
What are your thoughts on this? I'd hate to lose a girl. Are hawks so bold to snatch them when you are there?

 

[Ricky Mac]

Those of you in Northern latitudes-
When you come home from work in the winter and open the coop, are the chickens awake? Do they come out only if you flood the yard with light?
I'm in Seattle and there wont be much daylight left if the evenings when I get home from work.

-Rick

 

[annaraven]

Quote:
I also have an orpington, but also a wellsummer and a sicilian buttercup, which are smaller. I'd love to hear the answer to your question - it would be nice to let the girls freerange without worrying about hawks going after them. I'm just not sure. Is it ever safe? Or are they prey for hawks even when they're full grown?

 

[tammyd57]

Hawks and eagles can and do kill or injure full grown large fowl, even with you standing right next to your chicken.
I cannot free range in this area at all. We have hordes of Red-Tailed Hawks, Golden Eagles and other raptors, plus too many loose dogs to count (even though there are only 6 or 7 houses within 3 miles) AND the chicken hoarder across the street opens her front gate and shoos all eleventymillion of her chickens out to go and eat everyone's lawns and flowers. She doesn't feed them or even provide water, so I'm assuming she probably doesn't vaccinate or treat for parasites. I surely don't want any contact between my girls and her ragamuffins.

 

[dwegg]

I let mine out after work each day at around 4pm till they take themselves off to bed then I shut them in for the night. And they free range all day on the weekends...

 

[bobbi-j]

Mine don't freerange all day, but that's because I only get one egg a day if they get out too early, and I get 3-4 eggs a day if they stay in till noon or later. I live on a farm with lots of ground for them to cover if they choose (although they really don't get too far from the coop/run area) and lots of places to hide eggs. I don't have time to sit out there all day watching to see where they might be hiding their eggs. I haven't had a predator problem *this year*, but have had in the past. My wonderful DH built me a good coop and run this spring to help alleviate that problem.