Do you free range your chickens?

[Aunt Angus]

So I’ve been terrified to let my girls free range for many reasons. One I’m worried they won’t come back (silly I know). Two I’m worried about predators. We live on about 25 acres so lots of possibilities. We have had issues with our neighbors young dogs jumping the fence so they are my main concern besides cats. Most other predators come out at night. Thoughts? Am I nuts? My family thinks I’m over thinking it. PSA they have a big outdoor area and we have 20 chickens.

I've already responded, but seeing this pic at the top of the BYC page reminded me to say that you have a really beautiful flock.

 

[NevadaEmma]

I free range my chickens and geese. Yes, it takes a toll on my flower gardens. Yes they poop on my decks, driveway, carport, just about everywhere! It is a tradeoff. I personally do not like to fence animals in, but we are lucky that we have conscientious neighbors who also have chickens and other animals. They do have dogs, but usually train them not to take the chickens, but it does happen. Dogs will do that, and yes they do it for fun. Yes, we do have coyotes that wander through. Yes we do have avian predators. And yes I have lost a few birds, primarily to the hawks.

We have lots of natural hiding places and I provide lots of other hiding places that the chickens can run to (old chairs, tables, lean-to plywood). I keep a rooster or two to warn me of anything they or the geese cannot deter. The rooster will fight to the death to protect his hens.

I have always run a temporary chicken wire fencing for the vegetable garden to keep all sorts of critters out. I have run temporary chicken wire fencing to keep the chickens out of flower beds, but the chickens tend to get stuck in the beds and require assistance to be removed. They geese usually just nibble on whatever grows through the chicken wire. If they get stuck they just step on the chicken wire and walk over.

We enjoy seeing our geese and chickens wander about during the day. I think they benefit from the bugs, fresh grass, and wandering about exploring. I do have to wash down my decks and carport frequently, mostly from the geese. But they are a part of our lives that we take great enjoyment from.

 

[NorthwoodsChick]

The thing you need to decide is how much risk of loss are you willing to accept. If the answer is no-way-can-I-tolerate-a-single-loss-to-any-predator, then confine them 24/7 in a Fort Knox run with electric fence around coop/run. etc.
I free range from mid morning until dusk even when I am not home. My predator load is heavy with coyote, bobcat, eagles, fox, bear, little fury carnivores and the occ moose (now in rut). I have about 5000 sq ft electric fenced that enclosed the coop and run to keep the big predators and that darn moose away (fence repaired x2 so far), but chickens duck under and fly over the fence to go where they please.
I also have dogs that keep good patrol, as well as my cockerel. Between them they keep the flock safe as they can be, but I accept the risk of loss all the same.
Edit to add: I have 60 ac of mixed wooded and wetland forrest so not concerned about neighboring dogs.

 

[lsfarnsworth]

I have been letting my chickens and ducks free range for the last 10 years. They have over an acre to roam which is fenced in. I have my gardens fenced off from them. They are in the yard with a cat and now 2 dogs (1 just passed in September, Blue Tick Beagle, she helped herd the chickens if they did not follow or walk the right direction to the barn). I never lost a chicken to a predator until this year. Everyone stays in the barn if there is snow/ice on the ground or really cold temperatures. Each winter they get new straw and a heat lamp.
The one thing that is rough with free range is if you do not see eggs in the barn you go on an egg hunt...sometimes everyday. Gets old but the Grandkids love it Of course there is a lot of power washing going on as well!!

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Haha! Barking at falling walnuts! That’s hilarious! I had a sheltie growing up.

Intruder alerts, you know!

 

[TXKukupantsKoop]

I live on an acre. I did take the plunge and let my girls out only if I was supervising. One day I was putting them up and saw a hawk fly low overhead. That was the end of that until we could figure out a solution. We put up some cheap bamboo fencing and attached it to the run with bird netting over it. Works great. I still stay out with them because they love me (lol). It's set up so that when I open the gate to the run they can't escape to the rest of the property but feel like they're real "free ranging" chickens. We're expanding the actual run over the next month or so to give them more room.

It's amazing how sad they seem when they can't go outside and forage. They have a giant run already but they are so spoiled. ❤

 

[EIEIO Funny Farm]

So I’ve been terrified to let my girls free range for many reasons. One I’m worried they won’t come back (silly I know). Two I’m worried about predators. We live on about 25 acres so lots of possibilities. We have had issues with our neighbors young dogs jumping the fence so they are my main concern besides cats. Most other predators come out at night. Thoughts? Am I nuts? My family thinks I’m over thinking it. PSA they have a big outdoor area and we have 20 chickens.

Mine are in a very large pen to keep them safe. I have daytime predators - hawks and foxes and of course night predators. I had a hawk go after my flock two different times, but they got away. I have a friend that lost 30 chickens to 3 neighborhood dogs and my close neighbor keeps losing hens and a rooster to predators, so I’m very protective.
They do get to free range in my garden area if I’m outside - most days about an hour or so.

I have friends with the mind set - losing a few chickens here and there is just part of owning them and free ranging.

 

[Thefallenfeather]

I live on like a quarter of an acres in and when i first let my (13) ducks and chooks out I had a small dodge fance set up around the entrance for them to wander out I was also getting 1 of my chooks out to wander with me then 2 and 3 chooks witch worked well. I slowly expanded the dodge fence until I had the ducks and chooks free ranging. I when I was younger we had a problem with all the pigging dogs in the area cause they killed a few of our birds. Now we have a problem with the cats in the area. Predatory birds and a problem although the ducks were swooped once now when ever there's a bird in the sky everyone looks up at it and my Welsh harliquin male calls his girls under a car or tree to be safe (it was one of his girls that got swooped).

But it all depends what your area is like if you think it to dangerous to let them out it's probley best you don't. It took 4 to 6 months for me to allow the ducks to free range.

And ducks and chooks hiding eggs is a problem cause it can attract snakes witch have killed about 5 or 6 birds of our birds.

Hope this helps it just my personal experience with this type of stuff.

 

[OChickenD]

So I’ve been terrified to let my girls free range for many reasons. One I’m worried they won’t come back (silly I know). Two I’m worried about predators. We live on about 25 acres so lots of possibilities. We have had issues with our neighbors young dogs jumping the fence so they are my main concern besides cats. Most other predators come out at night. Thoughts? Am I nuts? My family thinks I’m over thinking it. PSA they have a big outdoor area and we have 20 chickens.
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You're not nuts. I lost 5 in one day to a fox. The fox is gone now and I let them roam because they are miserable being kept in the yard. I'd rather they live happy and free, with the possibility of death, than live like prisoners. When they get broody, let nature take it's course. I have 17 chicks that will replace the ones I've lost and the cycle will continue. Just don't let them out early and keep an eye on them in the evening. Train them to come to your call. And my sherriff said if dogs come on your land to kill your livestock, you can shoot them. Just mention that to the neighborhood gossip and they'll keep their dogs away.

 

[Wee Farmer Sarah]

I do supervised “free ranging” with my chickens. It used to be an hour or more in my backyard until I adopted my first rescue dog. He decided that chicken poop was a delicacy so my flock has their own fenced in yard around their coop and run. I let them out in the morning while I’m cleaning the coop and feeding and watering then call them back into confinement in their really large run. I let them out again in the afternoon for about an hour, weather permitting. We have the full range of predators here and I don’t want to lose any of my girls to them. My neighbor who let’s her chickens out then ignores them has lost all of her chickens except for the rooster. She keeps replacing them and they keep getting eaten. What’s really sad about this is the predators know where to come for a free chicken dinner.