Coopless and I let my chickens free range the neighborhood

[Dead Diamonds]

I started an experiment a couple weeks ago. I let my two chickens sleep wherever they want, unprotected. They still go into the coop just to lay eggs in the nesting boxes every morning.

I live near downtown, we have possums here, but no raccoons. There is a large possum that comes through the yard almost every night. The chickens do not like him and are very vocal about it. I find it hard to believe a possum will be a threat to them out in the open, so I have been watching closely - I have to see it to believe it. Here's what happens: the possum is only interested in digging in the yard for ticks. When he gets close to where the chickens are sleeping the chickens start yelling, the possum freezes in his tracks, the chickens relocate, the possum moves away and continues doing his thing. I'm starting to think the only way possums are a threat is if they get into the coop, because then the chickens don't have enough room to evade, or the possum only goes after young slow chicks, I don't know. I'd like to hear from you guys.

I also started letting them free range the neighborhood. I did this because of my instincts. They've completely eaten up every shred of green in my yard. Ever since then, and I know it sounds crazy, but I got the sense they got depressed. So I started letting them roam the neighborhood.

In the beginning I monitored them closely. A medium sized dog in the neighborhood went after them and cornered them against the side of a house and fence. I don't know how they do it, but the dog just cannot get them. It seems like right before the dog gets to one of them, the chickens kick into turbo warp speed mode and fly/run away - man are they fast! The dog has given up going after them and now just lays on the ground watching them. There was a young not quite fully adult stray cat that would go after them, and same thing, just can't catch em! The other adult cats in the neighborhood have zero interest.

Observations: Their combs went from pale/light red to a very dark rosy healthy looking red. Their eggs are darker brown shells. The yolks are a dark rich sunset orange instead of yellow. Their poops are dark green instead of light brown. They are eating way less chicken feed, barely eating any of it.
All of this makes sense after doing some research. From what I've read, chicken feed is really crappy food. It has to be artificially fortified with nutrients.

The neighbors are absolutely in love and adore them.

 

[BlueBaby]

I hope that they don't eat your neighbors garden's, or those neighbor's won't be loving them so much anymore.

 

[keesmom]

I suspect your experiment will be short lived. Just because you haven't seen a raccoon doesn't mean you don't have them. If you are in the US you have likely have coons, foxes coyotes, hawks and dogs just for starters. You were lucky they escaped the dog once. At some point they won't.

Your neighbors may like them less if they get into a garden and tear up all their plants, or leave their calling card all over a walkway or deck.

 

[Shadrach]

What breed/s of chickens do you have?
If you free range your chickens are going to have to deal with predators pretty much anywhere you live.
If your climate doesn't tend to extremes then letting the chickens roost where they please shouldn't be a problem either. With regard to parasites, particularly those that live in coops, you may find your chickens are healthier.
The chickens here have virtually unlimited space but they don't use much more than 4 acres. Having lots of room tends to mean that the 'damage' is spread over a much wider area.
You probably wont get all their eggs and broody hens may disappear.
The above kind of free ranging is normal in many other countries.
I suspect the problem you will have is your human neighbors who may not appreciate chickens in their yards.

 

[N F C]

Since these are your animals, they belong on your property. Letting them roam wherever they wish seems irresponsible to me. All it will take is a stray dog, a car accident or one anonymous phone call to animal control and you'll find yourself without them.

 

[Suzi18]

omg! Are you for real!

 

[HenHouse4Life]

Where are you located? You have much kinder neighbors than I do.... for now. While I can appreciate trying an experiment I would find it difficult to let this be a permanent situation.
Do you own other animals that are community property?
I hope your chickens continue to escape predators but I fear the day will come when their luck, and yours, will run out.
Best wishes.

 

[Shadrach]

I have a feeling that there is likely to be considerable outrage at the OP.
I would like to make a couple of points before this happens.
There is a valid view that these are your animals and your responsibility and should remain on your property.
It would seem reasonable in this case to extend this to all and any animals ‘owned’ by someone.
So, for cat lovers for example one would expect the same considerations to apply. Cats in this respect are quite difficult to keep on a defined plot of ground; they also crap in your garden, yowl and whine outside at night and dig up your carefully arranged flower beds. Of course, the solution is to keep cats in a cat run.
As one might expect, suggest to a cat owner that they keep their cats in a cage and run you’ll get looked at like you’ve lost your mind and told that keeping a cat like that is the very essence of cruelty.
Strange how this doesn’t apply to chickens.
A similar problem arises with dogs. Many people do at least try to keep their dogs contained in their yards in suburban areas. However, what often happens is when these dogs get walked in the ‘countryside’ the owners let their dogs off the lead and the dogs run around enjoying their freedom. The problem is, it’s usually on someone else property. It’s common here to get dogs appear, with the owners oblivious to their dogs behavior.
Tell the dog walkers here that if you see their dog off the lead on the property you’ll shoot it and they’ll consider you a completely unreasonable and horrid person.
I would much rather have my neighbors chickens in my ‘yard’ than I would their cats, or dogs. If I’m lucky they may even lay a few eggs there, they’re unlikely to kill or harass any of the other wildlife apart from bugs and they do in general go to sleep at night rather than bark or yowl outside my window.
So, I won’t be joining the outraged. What I will say given they are ‘your’ chickens and ‘everybody should deal with their chickens in what ever way they please’ as I often read on these forums, then if your neighbors don’t mind the chickens in their yards and you don’t mind the possibility that they may well get predated then I can’t see a problem.

 

[yaldnif]

I used to have neighbors that did that. The chickens would RUN to my garden to eat their fill every morning. Yes it made me mad. Fast forward a couple years ... those neighbors are gone, my garden is fenced and now I have my own chickens that are fenced in lol.

 

[N F C]

"It would seem reasonable in this case to extend this to all and any animals ‘owned’ by someone."

I agree with that statement Shad. If it's my dog, cat, horse, cow, goat, chicken, whatever...the animal belongs on my property. It is not a neighbor's responsibility to protect my animal or their property from my animal.

I'm not outraged at all...I just figured if the OP wants to discuss his experiment, he's open to opinions.