Does anyone else Free Range?

[heartsizedfarm]

Thanks herbsandspices. I love the name Nutmeg for a chicken and glad she survived.

 

[Beekissed]

I free range 365, 24/7, and never close my pop door, nor is my coop predator proof and I don't have a run. I'm surrounded by thousands of acres of woodland and they range in a meadow of 3 acres, no fences. I've been free ranging for many a long year with very minimal losses...3..to predators. I do keep my own predator in the yard and on duty, the crows help us out and I have a .22 by the back door but that's usually just used for stray dogs.

 

[aslbow]

Hi. Yes we free range our chickens, ducks,sheep, turkeys, and donkey. During the summer they,( the chickens), roam all about our 10 and half acres. Including our yards. The ducks also do this. In the winter they range close to the barn and go in and out to scratch around or lay eggs. They have always gone back into the coop and up onto the roost each evening just before twilight. The ducks form a single file and troop back to their coop at the same time and go inside to wait for us to close up the door.

We get about 6 to 9 eggs a day from our 10 hens during the spring thru fall and 3 to 6 eggs in the cold months. Dark yellow, rich yolks and large in size. The ducks lay 1-3 eggs a day except during winter. They are great for cooking or baking as they whip up very smooth and creamy. Our turkeys are young yet but will lay eggs this year.

Our animals never leave the farm and wander off. They all have a flock mentality. Sometimes in the spring we have to watch them to see where they lay some eggs outdoors. or hunt for them. Once we found a spot by accident and it held 12 eggs!. Sneaky little devils.
I don't know what questions you have, if any , we are happy to help!

 

[heartsizedfarm]

Thank you Sydney Acres. That's the sort of basic optimism I need. Would anyone think I'm stupid for saying that there is a lot more to this than practical chicken keeping? You are right. I was very proud of my very old rooster. His name was Monk. I will post photos when I figure out how to do that! As for the new guy, oh vey. A light Sussex rooster who attacks me when I'm refreshing the water. Probably overcompensating. I'll deal.

 

[MsGreenJeans]

My flock has a predator proof barn for the night, and plenty of grain hay in their barn, but we free range them. They have over-growth of blackberries and willow trees as cover, as well as grape vines and roses. As long as we close them in each night (we know we have raccoons and skunks in the neighborhood), and watch after youngsters carefully...we do fine. My mamas are wonderful (something bantam, adopted from the equine rescue) at hatching babies, but lousy at keeping babies safe. Once they're grown, they follow their rooster, and everyone is tucked in well before sunset.

 

[jewelseggs]

I have 30 baby chicks about 4 weeks old after I do get them Totally out of house..when do I start to let them out to free range...?

 

[aslbow]

We wait until the momma hen stops paying attention to the little one and pushes or chases it away. It usually becomes a community project at that time with all of the hens training the chicks to do what is expected and keep them out of trouble. timing varies with the hen and or how many chicks at once, or size of flock.

 

[Beekissed]

Here's an article that may assist you in your efforts to free range..it mentions age: https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/bees-key-points-to-successful-and-safe-free-ranging

 

[IMDeggman]

I have 6 hens and a rooster, who overnight in a 4' x 8'coop, and spend the whole day outside, in an area roughly 2000 square feet, mostly shaded. They do pretty good as far as I can tell, and the egg yield is about 60% a day. They go into the coop around dusk. One time, though, the wind blew the coop door shut, and they roosted on top of a small abandoned doghouse next to the coop until I picked the hens up one by one and put them inside. I was not planning to tangle with Enrique, who went of his own accord as soon as the girls were inside. My only question is whether they have anything left to scratch for on the ground all day (though I give them ample layer feed)- the only vegetation is trees and shrubs; they ate up nearly all the leafy annuals ages ago. There is a layer of dead leaves over most of the area; I just don't know what kind of bug population is there. Predators are not a problem, knock on wood, because we have 2 outside dogs. There is the occasional egg-stealin' rat snake; that's about it.

 

[Alpha Chicken]

I let my band of three hens free range part time. Usually for about 2-3 hours in the evening when I get home from work. They can't wait for yard time!