Not to worry about disease! Worry about protecting your chickens from the next stray dog (that would love to play with your birds--and killing them for fun). You are responsible for their safety. My bantams used to free range daytimes, until a 2 stray dogs came to play. Killed a hen that was raising 4 chicks (not injured) and one cockerel. I caught both dogs that were so happy to tell me what they had been doing. Put them in my dog pen, called the DogCatcher. They went to the pound, located their owner--about 4 miles downriver--and she had to pay to get them back. She DID pay for the birds, and DID keep her dogs under control. Everyone is not so lucky. But I could not locate a hen the same variety, to replace dear lost motherhen. Raised the chicks successfully. NEVER, to this day, years later, have I let my birds free range again!!!!!!!!Have 4 well fenced outside green grass runs, with netting over the top. Sometimes, some pens had to wait their turn to be outside. Never let them out in rain or wet grass, so they could not easily scratch out the grass--green all season, and regularly mowed short. They have made their dusting holes along the edges. Never brought wet, muddy feet in to have dirty eggs in the nest boxes or wet bedding in their large inside pens. Inside pens have low windows on the South sides, to let winter sun in, and eves of the houses are wide enough to keep mid-summer sun out. No windows on the North, coldest winter winds are blocked. Took a few years to make things designed for ease in care and happy birds! But DOGS? Rarely come through---but the years have brought MANY predators that were never a threat long ago: raccoons, coyotes, hawks, Bobcats, and Grizzly Bears. Houses now have all wire over windows of the houses, electrified-at night, April through November for the Griz . Keeping up is part of the experience of keeping well loved chickens, and worth it!
I truly wish it were under better circumstances
I think Jed has given you sound advice.
