Can I leave the chickens outside alone during the day?

[D'Angelo N Va.]

My vote is NO....I have done it in the past and come home to happy chicks, and then other times I have come home to slaughtered chicks, grown or not grown. chickens can't always make it to a safe place quick enough to avoid predators.

 

[azygous]

As others have stated, it's your choice. However, be aware that most predators are savvy as to your human presence, knowing when you're around and when you're away. More bad stuff is therefore more likely to happen when you're away.

I live in about as wild an environment as it comes, surrounded by mountain lion, bobcat, raccoon, skunk, rattle snake, bear, badger, weasel, well, you name it, I'm probably surrounded by it. I'm here all the time, rarely leaving except to go down the mountain for provisions, so when a varmint comes around, I'm here to fight it off, and I've literally done that. One time a bear was intent on finding a way into the chicken pen and I couldn't chase it away, so I grabbed a big rock and went up to it and dropped it onto its back. Okay, I kind of lost my head, but it did run off then. Other times I've shot rubber shotgun loads at retreating bear ass, which is the preferred method, safer and more effective.

My friend, who has some of the chickens I've raised, lives seven miles and two canyons away from me, and works every day in town. Over the years, she's lost several chickens to bobcats and bears while she's been gone and her chickens are out free-ranging. She loves her chickens as much as she would human babies, but she has "confinement issues". She just can't bring herself to pen them up while she's gone. So she's resigned to severe emotional distress from time to time when she loses one to a wild animal.

I, myself, have no problem locking my flock in their heavily secured and electrified pen when I leave, even going out of sight of the house, especially when the bears are awake and wandering around. I couldn't live with the anguish of losing one to a violent death.

So you decide if you're up to chancing it or not.

 

[Imp]

I agree with all the previous posts.

It truly depends on you and your tolerance to risk.
I let mine out in the morning, so they free range in my backyard all day often into the evening without supervision. The only predator loss I ever had was before I started letting them out unsupervised. 6 years ago, during the day, while I was supervising. I'm in the burbs with lots of cover in my yard.

Imp

 

[MimiChick]

As others have said, you have to assess the risks in your area and your comfort level with them. I was letting my 4 girls out during the day when I am here until recently. The other day we had a predator attack (fox I think) who made away with one hen and damaged another. The hurt girl is now recovering nicely, but it was her best friend that was taken and she still seems pretty sad about it. Even predators who usually stalk at night will come out during the middle of the day for an easy meal. Now my girls stay in a secured yard. I may start letting them out again, but only if I'm staying outside with them. As long as you know the risks and are ready for possible consequences, it's up to you. Good luck.

 

[lemurchaser]

I'm in the suburbs and have a 6 foot fence around my yard. My girls free range all day and I long ago decided that I'd rather they have a shorter free range life, than keeping them cooped all day. i've had the same group for 3 years now and only one loss to predatation (my foster dog). I have a lot of cover, not a lot of wildlife, and large chickens. The neighborhood cats don't bother them at all. I'm sure raccoons are around, but they aren't a major problem here. The girls are locked up at night in a concrete floored, fully covered, coop and run.

If you want to keep your chickens guaranteed safe, then I wouldn't leave them loose.

 

[mnmoliv2]

Depends on your area, fence height, and if you have a rooster or not. I have portion of my yard accessible to my 8 chickens during the whole day, and they come back to their coop at night. Personally, I've never had any problems with critters, but I do live in the suburbs (we have around 1/2 an acre of yard space), and although my neighbor has a cat, it never bothers my chickens. The space accessible to them is also very bushy with lots of trees so they are very hidden from hawks. Therefore, I let my 4 week old chicks out in my yard as well, but I do lock them up if no one is home.