Contained free ranging

[rjohns39]

Oh no! There is a dog next door and some cats - I would feel guilty.

In the "for what its worth" category, my pasture has electric feather netting surrounding it. For the most part, my birds stay inside--but I've got a half dozen or so "infallible" teenagers who insist on free ranging. So they fly out and go where ever they want, which is usually not too far--but you see the point. Electric fence is solid for keeping predators out--but not that great for keeping birds in.

Edited to add: I don't clip wings, hard choice but the one I was most comfortable with.

 

[FlyingNunFarm]

I do "safe ranging". There was a permanent run attached to the coop that was already on the property. It was a 4 1/2 -5 ft welded wire. They could jump it but generally didn't. The ground in there was mostly mud and weeds so I wanted to give them more room and places to scratch and look for bugs. I originally put up a 4 ft landscape fence on some U poles. Again there was an escape from time to time but for the most part they stayed inside. Then I lost one to a hawk. I felt terrible. I had to come up with a way to protect them from above.
I bought 2 car ports. They are a set size metal frame. One is set up in the permanent run area and the other is set up but can be picked up and moved. I used game bird netting over both of them. The movable frame also gets the landscape fencing put around it. Not night time predator proof but stops robin size bird or bigger.
(Can't get a pict to upload. I will try again later)

(Got it)

 

[ehoneybee]

They were free ranging at their old home...also I worry we won't be able to bond with them. I love seeing kids and chickens playing together. I'm sure I'm just being idealistic ;-)

 

[GardenTillers44]

We have a combination of the ideas presented here. We have all large breeds and clipped the wings (agreed that both is best) once when they were about 16 weeks and able to fly over the fence. The feathers have long since grown back and none have attempted an escape since. Some breeds are more prone to being adventurous than others. We also use a 4 ft. poultry mesh perimeter fencing. It is electrified, but you can turn it off whenever you want such as when the kids are in the area. The poultry mesh has saved our chickens from the neighborhood dogs, cats and other predators. They get one harmless shock and usually never come around again (the neighbors will never know...). The fence is also moveable so you can reconfigure the enclosed space to offer fresh grass periodically. I highly recommend some kind of enclosed run in the yard to give the chickens a safe haven from the hawks and owls. It doesn't have to be very large. You would be amazed at how vigilant the chickens are and how quickly they can make cover if it is provided. We have a fairly large set-up but you can scale the idea to whatever fits. Basically coop with covered run and fenced yard.

 

[GardenTillers44]

Forgot to mention, we used 6 ft high dog kennel panels from the local big box farm store and configured our run next to the coop. Easy to set up and take down. We lined it with chicken wire to keep birds and small predators out. We used two panels with doors for access and put a PolyLite roof on it. Maybe not the most inexpensive option, but it was easy for DIY, will last forever and we can move it or reconfigure if needed.

 

[rjohns39]

Nice setup.

 

[Sara Ranch]

My boys free range unless they are with a flock. I don't have any problems with them flying off or running away. That includes the adoptees.

My young ones and my girls are in open fenced pastures. I do rotate pastures. All of them (except for those that came with broken wings) can fly out. I don't try to stop them. When I see them on the fence, I say hi to them.

Those that have left the pasture learn VERY quickly that they are way safer inside the pasture with their roo's than outside in the open with the horny single guys.

I don't have a forbidden area for the animals this year. I might next year. My experience has been if they have the freedom to roam, lots of variety, lots of interesting things, they will leave alone the stuff I want them to leave alone. If they don't, I manually redirect their attn elsewhere.

*****

Ah sugarfritz! Lots of squawking outside, so I went to investigate. One chicken sitting on eggs in the furnace room. Not a biggie. She's being quiet. However, Ms Loudmouth wouldn't be quiet. So I walked around...I got down on my hands and knees...the furnace room was where the great snake event took place. So I am being cautious. Found one egg near the edge of the furnace. Not a biggie, picked it up. Looked further. Dang it - a whole nest of eggs!!!! No hen though.

Came back in for gloves, the phone (to take a picture before I stick my hand in there), and a basket to collect the eggs. No one has been sitting on the nest - don't think they can. Think they were going in there to lay. I saw one go there today...but just thought she was, I dunno what I thought. There was so much else going on at the time that I just noted it and moved on. Gotta grab a dose of courage too. I don't like snakes up close and personal! Nor do I like putting my hand in dark spaces!

 

[ehoneybee]

Forgot to mention, we used 6 ft high dog kennel panels from the local big box farm store and configured our run next to the coop. Easy to set up and take down. We lined it with chicken wire to keep birds and small predators out. We used two panels with doors for access and put a PolyLite roof on it. Maybe not the most inexpensive option, but it was easy for DIY, will last forever and we can move it or reconfigure if needed.
View attachment 1135303

Sweet setup! I wish I had that amt. of space. I feel like I need to keep a good size grassy area for the kids to play ball on. I'm still not sold on where to put my dang garden, either :/

 

[Sara Ranch]

@ehoneybee - move your garden around!

What do you plan to grow?

This year (due to the move) I used 40 gallons tubs for most of my plants. Experimented with a planters and the ground.

Next year, I will be planting where several chicken pastures are currently. I rotate my pastures for the young ones and the layers. The soil around here is poor and will take some time to build it up. But it's doable. Chicken manure helps. Chickens digging up the ground helps.

You can move your kids grassy areas around too. Nothing has to be set in stone, does it?

With rotating stuffs around, the ground should be healthier all the way around. Using barrels/planters/etc keeps things mobile.

I have several kennel's with the panels as well. I keep repurposing them. It was part of a duck clubhouse, it was part of a pasture divider, it was the door run for the chickens, it was the babies safe space for the outside, it's the meet/greet THROUGH the fence for new guys coming in....well worth the expense! (My advice - don't buy the chain link kennels. They are difficult to move. Once put together on level ground, they should stay on level ground. No flexibility with mixing and matching.)

 

[ehoneybee]

@ehoneybee - move your garden around!

What do you plan to grow?

This year (due to the move) I used 40 gallons tubs for most of my plants. Experimented with a planters and the ground.

Next year, I will be planting where several chicken pastures are currently. I rotate my pastures for the young ones and the layers. The soil around here is poor and will take some time to build it up. But it's doable. Chicken manure helps. Chickens digging up the ground helps.

You can move your kids grassy areas around too. Nothing has to be set in stone, does it?

With rotating stuffs around, the ground should be healthier all the way around. Using barrels/planters/etc keeps things mobile.

I have several kennel's with the panels as well. I keep repurposing them. It was part of a duck clubhouse, it was part of a pasture divider, it was the door run for the chickens, it was the babies safe space for the outside, it's the meet/greet THROUGH the fence for new guys coming in....well worth the expense! (My advice - don't buy the chain link kennels. They are difficult to move. Once put together on level ground, they should stay on level ground. No flexibility with mixing and matching.)

Do you mean a big cage that has no bottom? That's what my next idea was because moving stakes and chicken wire around is annoying! In fact I did it today and they all got out! Gotta admit it was nice seeing them out in the yard and they didn't go far. No neighbours' yards . Tonight when I got home, 1 hen was in a tree and the other on the composter The rooster was nice and cozy in the coop with the other hen. Don't know why they didn't all follow him in.