Dangers of free ranging?

[charlotte-and-the-bees]

We bought a house right before getting chickens and the yard is a little untamed. Still manageable, just a fair amount of weeds. It’s fully fenced but some plants creeping through. Yesterday we believe one of our pullets ate some of a mushroom. She was disoriented and tired, but she’s fine today thank god. I scoured the property for mushrooms but couldn’t find any more than what I took from her. We also have these spotted millipedes that supposedly secrete cyanide (how fun). I never let them out without me outside, but how worried should I be overall of them getting things they shouldn’t?

 

[azygous]

Well, yes, there are hazards associated with free ranging, but you need to consider the odds when you decide to risk letting your chickens out of the run. There are poisonous plants, poisonous insects, and of course predators that can swoop in and grab a chicken even though you are standing right beside that chicken.

It's happened to me a couple of times that a hawk made an attack dive at a chicken right at my feet, and a friend who had chickens but no run had a bobcat race in to snatch a chicken that was right by her feet.

Just recently, two of my young chicks were poisoned by a buck moth caterpillar that was likely dropped by a wild bird when it stung its mouth. My chicks each took a stab at it, got stung and it developed into a systemic poisoning even applying immediately a poison antidote didn't help.

If I add up all the mishaps during free ranging I've experienced over the thirteen years of keeping chickens, they add up to less than the fingers on one hand. Those are the odds you must calculate, then make your decision.

We accept risks when we drive, when we fly, when we buy and eat meat. We calculate the odds. We accept the risks. Same with free ranging your chickens.

 

[centrarchid]

MIne have all sorts of nasty eats. They learn quickly which are nasty tasting and toxic. They they stop eating them.