Coopless and I let my chickens free range the neighborhood

[Brahmachicken240]

It is illegal to allow your pets /livestock to trespass onto a neighbors property without their permission, at least where i am.
If you are not being a responsible owner and allow them to do so you are putting yourself and the animal at risk of getting into serious trouble!

 

[Fishkeeper]

If chicken feed made your chickens unhealthy, how do so many other people have healthy chickens that primarily or entirely eat chicken feed?
Artificially created additives to things are chemically identical to the natural substances, but are made artificially because it's easier for that usage than to extract them. Just because a number of ingredients have been mixed and processed doesn't mean those ingredients are no longer food. If you're feeding them a good-quality chicken feed, they should be healthy eating it.
They had health problems probably because their old coop was moldy. Did you see any fungus in it when you took it down?

 

[Dead Diamonds]

(I live in a a city that actively promotes backyard chickens.) ....and where would that be?

https://www.wideopenpets.com/austin-texas-will-pay-you-to-raise-backyard-chickens/

Also here's some other things to compare to:
https://www.mlive.com/news/detroit/index.ssf/2016/10/wild_chickens_in_detroits_4th.html

https://www.ktvb.com/video/entertai...ve-vests-become-local-celebrities/600-8384058

http://www.fox10phoenix.com/news/arizona-news/phoenix-neighborhood-home-to-wild-chickens-peacocks

 

[Dead Diamonds]

If chicken feed made your chickens unhealthy, how do so many other people have healthy chickens that primarily or entirely eat chicken feed?

They were already healthy. The vet said so. However, they are now even more healthy. It is obvious from the changes in their eggs and comb color.

 

[Dead Diamonds]

So there are two dogs. A black lab and a pitbull. Both of them would chase and corner the chickens, and then that's it. They seem to not know what to do once they corner them. They try to play with them and get bored and then ignore them. This is what their owners told me and then tried to demonstrate to me just now. The lab is now used to them and so the demonstration was a flop. The pitbull was more excited about just being out. The neighbors love the chickens and have been watching to make sure their dogs don't hurt them but so far they said they are good dogs and will not kill them.

 

[centrarchid]

When it comes to nutritional quality of free-range forages, as a society, we have fallen into the idiot basket. If the birds can get to enough quality forage, then their nutritional status is difficult to even match when even using the best mix of feeds. That said, most properly selected chicken feeds are suitable for keeping chicken in good health assuming the feed storage is done properly and feed has not exceeded the shelf-life.

Based on OP's first post of area around coop in another thread, quality or quantity of eats available through foraging not good. Coop setup also one my birds would abandon in short order.

I think the OP is on a fishing trip and has a stringer full.

 

[Njroosters]

Awesome idea. Good luck..

 

[aart]

Wonders what chickens can forage on in the middle of a city?

 

[centrarchid]

Wonders what chickens can forage on in the middle of a city?

Some areas I have seen have surprisingly high forage abundance interspersed among buildings and patches of concrete. A given city / urban setting can very greatly from another. I have also seen the chickens roaming streets. It is done, but community needs to be accepting of it.

 

[Kris5902]

It is illegal to allow your pets /livestock to trespass onto a neighbors property without their permission, at least where i am.
If you are not being a responsible owner and allow them to do so you are putting yourself and the animal at risk of getting into serious trouble!

Pets yes, livestock... it varies. From what I’ve heard on here it varies state to state and county to county even sometimes. Most major cities have leash laws, ordinances against livestock within city limits and such.

I live in a a city that actively promotes backyard chickens. Not sure of everyone's experience, but it is common to see chickens in the ghetto/low income urban areas. At least, the last three cities I lived in were like that. I actually got the idea of owning chickens when I saw two different people in two different areas in my city post pictures on facebook of chickens crossing their neighborhood street.

Most of our low income areas or areas with a high homeless population are chicken free, but do have feral dog populations. The people living in them would probably be better off if they had chickens instead! Here in most urban and suburban areas livestock animals are frowned upon. It’s great that Austin is so progressive in this area (another good point in the I want to move South argument I have with my husband every now and then!), as I know many people have trouble obtaining the permissions for backyard flocks.

I have spoken to every neighbor that they have ventured to, everyone loves them and does not want them to stop visiting them. My neighbors do not have front yard gardens that the chickens can get to. this. There are articles out there that have a different opinion than what is status quo on this forum, and that is what I am basing some of my decisions on.

I'm in the process of building a new coop.

I do not believe their improvement in health has anything to do with my coop. I think it has everything to do with no longer relying 99% on eating artificially fortified ("organic") chicken feed and no longer confined to a yard that no longer has grass to eat.

If you’ve got such a good relationship with your neighbors then maybe what you’re doing is ok, in your particular instance and location, but I still don’t think that it’s a good general husbandry practice for most urban/suburban areas. I had that kind of relationship with 90% of my city neighbors as well, it’s fast becoming a rare thing nowadays!

I’m glad you’re building a new/improved coop for them, and I do think extra night protection is a good idea, even if you’re free ranging. Maybe consider completely changing the location of it in your yard to help entice them into a safer roosting area with no negative associations from the coop they don’t like? “Hey! Ruby... look at this nice clean and dry coop over here, so much better than the last one we were in, let’s sleep in here so those possums stop waking us up in the middle of the night.” Idea

Yes, I also think decent forage and free ranging is probably better than just formulated feeds alone. Whatever works for you, your chickens and your neighbors! If you’ve sorted it out and spoken with everyone then you’re on a good track. Remember to be very open to their feedback and concerns so you don’t end up in a hostile situation!