Do your free range?

[Sir Birdaholic]

I have always free ranged. Sometimes one or the other of my birds will wander, but they always come back to the fence & act like they don't know how to get back in. Ignored, they finally come back over.

 

[Praxxus]

I have a 5 acre clearing in the center of 80 acres of woods where I have my house, yard, coop etc. I have two males and three females. I raised them with a half dozen bronze brested turkeys. After 6 months I let the free-range. They bonded with the turkeys and chickens and stay in the 5 acre clearing. The one thing I do is keep their waterbowl by the coop along with a bowl that I toss in cracked corn every morning. They eat a bit of corn in the morning and peck grass and bugs the rest of the day. They roost in one of the large oak trees by the house or in the coop. Never had a prblem with them wandering.

 

[countrygirl4513]

I free range both peas and chickens. It has it's hazards though. Even though we have plenty of land for them yesterday became a problem. While leaving to pick up son at school, I looked up and saw both hens in the road!!!!!!!!! And a car was coming!!!!!!!!!! Luckily they were nice enough to slow down and dodge the curious peas. I immediatly had them removed from the road and gave them a good talking to. I'm sure they didn't listen. They are curious as cats and free range gives them the opportunity to explore. Have to weigh the pros and cons. Personally I can't abide to have animals penned but sometimes it is necessary.