define "Free Range"

[big greg barker]

Thanks, all. The reason I asked is because someone asked DSO today if our chickens are free range. She didn't know quite how to answer, but said they have a good run, and are free to come and go from the coop as they please. Of course, they usually hang out in the coop because they're fat lazy biddies!! They have a fairly decent sized run, but have to be in there because of the hawks that live on the river here. There is also a law here that says fowl has to be penned. It doesn't say how big the pen can be. When the snow goes, I will be expanding to accomodate the 40 or so more chickens we will be getting...........

 

[HorseFeathers]

Letting them roam, with or without supervision, during the day.

 

[bulldog-girl]

Mine get let out in the am. On weekends it is a little later if I sleep later and boy do they let me hear about it. They are all waiting at the door to be let out and not happy if they have to wait too long. They have a pen but right now I have 10 3-4 month old chicks seperated there. The others are spoiled and get to go wherever they want. They are usually close to the coop anyway and barn. They have several acres behind the coop that is just open but they don't go there too much. I think they like the shelter of the trees and barn. I don't see hawks but I am sure there are some.

I am not home during the day m-f but they are so used to going out I don't have the heart to lock them up. They always put themselved to bed at night and I go down after work and then when it is dark to count and make sure everyone is tucked in.

 

[Wifezilla]

How my ducks "free range"....

• Start b*tching at 7:00am to be let out of their night pen and in to the back yard
• Follow me around b*tching because I am not filling their pool fast enough
• Follow me to the patio door and b*tch because I haven't brought out their greens yet
• Chase the cats until they hide under the wheel burrow
• Nibble on grass shoots and bugs
• Go for a swim in the pool
• Chase the starlings out of the yard
• Harass the squirrels
• Beg at the patio door for some cat food
• Chase the cats again, etc.....

 

[picklespickles]

mine are not locked up. they have spaces to sleep, official places, but they generally choose the trees or piles of sticks unless it rains or hails. snow doesn't seem to change thier decisions, oddly. this means eggs will not always be exactly where i expect, but i sort of like the looking around the yard and i usually figure out where their places are.

 

[Skip]

My definition of free range is doing all I can to give my chickens all the space they could ever want inside an electric fence.

I know that's not free range, but I can't free range where I am! Too many coyotes!

*wishes for coyotes to go away*

 

[Clay In Iowa]

Why define it????

Free to Range.. nuf said.

Mine will be pastured in tractors till about 3 every day when they will be set loose to free range till dusk. They will need to be watched when ever they are out as there are a TON of predators in my area. If I free ranged them all day with out supervision. I'd lose 3 or 4 a day till they were gone, no doubt.

 

[speckledhen]

Mine used to freerange almost every day, all day on my wooded property of over 5 acres. I did perimeter fence just over 2 acres of it to prevent roaming dogs from just being able to run across and grab birds. There was a pen attached to the front of the coop, but we fenced an area much larger behind the coop and tore the smaller one down, giving them each about 52 sf per bird inside the new pen. That encompassed alot of their normal free-range area. I will let them out of the pen to roam again when I do not have grass seed down.

I consider them now a part-time freeranging flock.