Can I truly free range my chickens????

[spud1035]

Yes you can, like the others have said, you might a an occasional loss. I've been letting out my bantam's for about three years with no losses and only have lost one adult to a hawk in the same time. My bantam rooster seems to have a good eye for hawks and I hope to have him around a long time. I don't let out my big girls all day, usually just in the evening cause they are a pain for the flower beds and garden. I don't have geese but I heard that a goose will deter hawks if ya keep em with em. Possums can be trapped out with a conibear trap and coons can be thinned with live traps. Stray dogs are best taken care by permanent silence removal of your choice. Movable pens have worked for me, no losses from any predators with em.

 

[gritsar]

My chickens free range all day with lots of trees and brush for cover and a watchful rooster. They are locked in a coop at night because a predator proof coop is the only safe place for them to be at night.

 

[Three Cedars Silkies]

Yep...ours have free ranged in a 1/4 acre yard for 2 years. Yes, we have lost a couple to probably hawks...none recently thank goodness. Our biggest problem was predators getting into the coop at night and a well placed hotwire STOPPED all loss from that. It looks a bit like Ft. Knox but that ok with me. Nothing gets into those coops anymore.

I do think they need a place to hide during the day...shrubs, , barn, outbuilding...anything where they can run when "daddy roo" screams and says to run for the hills.

 

[vstoltzfus]

I used to free range mine on our 3 acres, but they started wandering into the neighbors' backyard. So now they only free range for short periods. I wish I could let them out longer because I like the idea of them eating all the greens they want. But it is more important that I am a good neighbor.

 

[emrys]

I let the chickens have the fenced back yard for several hours every day, but they also have a pen so I can keep the chickens seperated from the dogs. Welsh Terrorists and chickens don't mix. I've spent more time pooper scooping after the chickens in the last 4 months that I have the dogs. If you don't want to be tracking chicken poopies everywhere keep them penned or get a pooper scooper!!!!!!

 

[kennedyscochins]

Quote:
So, the roosters will alarm of danger? That explains why my cochins run in the garage when the rooster crows consistently! I have seen them all be free ranging in the yard and all of a sudden they all run into the garage. I guess the boys are taking care of the girls!

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
So, the roosters will alarm of danger? That explains why my cochins run in the garage when the rooster crows consistently! I have seen them all be free ranging in the yard and all of a sudden they all run into the garage. I guess the boys are taking care of the girls!

They not only will alarm, they have a different alarm for the different types of predators - aerial or ground. They also have an "all clear" noise that they make; letting the hens know it's safe to come out again.

 

[Tala]

Quote:
So, the roosters will alarm of danger? That explains why my cochins run in the garage when the rooster crows consistently! I have seen them all be free ranging in the yard and all of a sudden they all run into the garage. I guess the boys are taking care of the girls!

Yup. They stay alert at night and make it then too. It's much louder than the hens squalking so I know from the house if something is messing with them. I appreciate my rooster guarding the flock, even if he is a ... "rooster" every now and then.

Mine are enclosed in my backyard approx 1/4 acre with 5ft fence. I had to clip the wings but they mostly stay in the fence now. They go to coop at night on their own and I lock them in.
The neighbor's dogs on both sides are only "mildly curious" they are indoors most of the time anyway and have not tried to get in the fence. We have an occasional loose dog come by, but so far none has even tried to get the birds.
We have raccoons at night so that is when I worry.