Does anyone else Free Range?

[SmColorInDaPan]

Ebony was in the yard this morning....walked over and went thru the gate when I opened it. Hubby said he heard a fox barking in the night!

I've heard coyotes yipping for the last 2 nights. SE of the cabin, in this Narrow valley. They may have something dead they are sharing, howling over….
My girls roost in a tree close to the house. The dogs were REAL excited Sat Night, so let the bigger, wiser one, out. Could hear the coyotes further away…Maybe they took off when caught our scent? Saw a PAIR of hawks circling, as I was leaving, last week. Yet, when i got back, everyone was accounted for!
I AM NOT for coops since critters have gotten into them, over the years, time and time again. Build a fence, a snake makes it in, Dig a gully, a coon tears through fencing, roofing, leave the ceiling open, and Owl comes by…. The image of a farmer grabbing his shotgun/rifle, on his way out of bed, is TOO engrained into my head. THAT & maybe I'm too lazy to get the girls trained to the hen house……LOL
Re: your ? Where I wander, my chickens follow and then seem to know it's okay to go there? Even if it's down to our private road 500ft below the house! They may not get there while I AM THERE, but they seem to know, "Mom's there, must be okay. Wonder what bugs are there…" I worry for them but plenty of trees for cover.. And they loose interest in the further areas as time passes, I'm not down in that area….
Ebony is an Adorable Name…Going back to 80's music, do you have an Ivory also? LOL

 

[vpatt]

 I've heard coyotes yipping for the last 2 nights. SE of the cabin, in this Narrow valley. They may have something dead they are sharing, howling over….
     My girls roost in a tree close to the house. The dogs were REAL excited Sat Night, so let the bigger, wiser one, out. Could hear the coyotes further away…Maybe they took off when caught our scent?  Saw a PAIR of hawks circling, as I was leaving, last week. Yet, when i got back, everyone was accounted for!  
  I AM NOT for coops since critters have gotten into them, over the years, time and time again. Build a fence, a snake makes it in, Dig a gully, a coon tears through fencing, roofing, leave the ceiling open, and Owl comes by…. The image of a farmer grabbing his shotgun/rifle, on his way out of bed, is TOO engrained into my head. THAT & maybe I'm too lazy to get the girls trained to the hen house……LOL
       Re: your ?   Where I wander, my chickens follow and then seem to know it's okay to go there? Even if it's down to our private road 500ft below the house! They may not get there while I AM THERE, but they seem to know, "Mom's there, must be okay. Wonder what bugs are there…"   I worry for them but plenty of trees for cover.. And they loose interest in the further areas as time passes, I'm not down in that area….
      Ebony is an Adorable Name…Going back to 80's music, do you have an Ivory also? LOL
              

Lol....no Ivory, but now I will be keeping that name in the back of my mind.

Ebony has now been sleeping up under the front porch every night and seems very happy. She is about six feet off the ground. All the others go into the coop and seem happy there. They are then free all day. I got the first five chickens on Sept. 5 or 6. So far they are sticking close to home. I go out 5 or 6 times a day to check on them and give a few treats once or twice a day.....maybe I am giving them too much food as they also get layer feed morning and evening....but the treats are small amounts.

 

[whittychick]

[qote name="whittychick" url="/t/861132/does-anyone-else-free-range/260#post_14239771"]
Went missing? I let my girls out for a few hours each day. They stay in the yard and close together

No, I'm sorry...I got two new ones yesterday. I should have made that clear.[/quote]Oh good! Glad you didn't have any missing girls.

 

[fawkestheman]

I am afraid of that...and this evening my little black pullet is missing.

glad she isn't missing, thats the worst feeling ever!

 

[whittychick]

Started letting my girls out again for a few hours each afternoon. I worry about the coyotes and Hawks but it feels good letting them free range again!! I don't leave them alone, just do yard work and things!

 

[Heather7]

I can't keep my girls from crossing the road. Want to know why chickens cross the road? To get the yum yums that fall out of farmer's trucks when they go by.

It's a semi busy road and peoe speed. So I am not sure what to do

 

[Beer can]

I free range mine during the day and hope they go in at night, most of them do, but I have a arogant Brown Leghorn and a Eegr bantam that like to roost in the trees. I lost a few to coons or ? A few yrs ago I forgot to close the door to their coop and noticed well after dark. Their was a pair of eyes in there! A huge opossum bit a bullet and I scared the crap

out of my kids the next morning with its frozen carcass when they went outside for the bus, didn't get the Dad of the year award that year! Threw the carcass in the feild next to us and my oldest daughter got some good pics of a bald eagle munching on it! We live miles from any water where eagles would be. Must be they have a wide range.

 

[whittychick]

I can't keep my girls from crossing the road. Want to know why chickens cross the road? To get the yum yums that fall out of farmer's trucks when they go by.

It's a semi busy road and peoe speed. So I am not sure what to do

Oh that's a bummer! Is it a busy street? I would mane start your own pile of left overs out back to keep them there!! Not sure if that would help or work!! A fence!

 

[SmColorInDaPan]

I don't know, I think they are like Dogs, if given enough time, (SOME Doofus doesn't aim,

swerve right toward them) i think they will get out of the way. I have lots of people paranoid about my dogs getting out of the way when they drive up my driveway. Yet, when I bolted up my snow covered driveway, 1/2 ton pickup with close to a ton of water in the bed, The Dogs NEVER GOT HIT. *(NO WAY, WAS I GOING TO STOP, Slide back down..) I've noted such when the horses, cats come towards them, they get out of the way… FYI
Good luck!

 

[fawkestheman]

I usually only let my girls out if I'm home and able to watch them, otherwise I'm afraid they'll get taken, especially after i lost one to a hawk and almost lost them all to coyote. As for them going in the road, i guess you'll just need to keep a close eye on them. (Or get a chicken invisible fence!)