Don't think I can free range...

[centrarchid]

Or, maybe their experience is why their chickens are all penned up....

Most experienced parties around me also keep their birds penned. They find keeping birds so confined easier but longevity of their birds does not exceed mine and they typically outsource replacements while my flock is closed with birds only going out. Free-ranging consistently is expensive once you get past expenses related to feed.

 

[lm84]

Most of the people around me have just backyard chickens as pets with eggs as a plus, and there are a few small family farms that sell some eggs at the road. I did see some chickens running around loose by a friends house but they did say that the chickens kept disappearing, and new ones would show up in their backyard after a while. Lol, I assume the foxes are getting them.

 

[centrarchid]

Foxes are tough to deal with free-range. I use dogs but they cost a lot more than simply confining a small flock to a really nice covered run. If you already having dogs or a larger flock of fifty birds or more then a dog starts to be more worthwhile.

 

[jedgell]

I have a small flock that is usually in a chicken yard, but I let out in the fenced back yard to free-range. I have a small flock, about 10 hens in general. We are not far out of town, but have hawks and other wild life in the area. I have seen foxes in the area, but never in my yard. All of my losses have been hawks. I have had two hawk attack surviors and three deaths in the last three years. The latest was today when I let the flock out in the fenced yard. The temperature is in the 20s in Michigan this week and just a dusting of snow. I noticed one hen huddling against the house and no others in site. I went to investigate and found one hen killed out in the year. The carcass had the head and neck, and abdomen attacked, just like all of the rest of the kills, but most of the carcass intact. The other 10 hens were hiding by the house. I am so disappointed. This was one of my young barred rock hens that had just started laying. I guess the hawks are hungry this time of year.

 

[Spanishchick]

I'm fairly new to this.. we built a corral to keep them in when I let them free range at first because of my garden. However, yesterday I clipped their wings and my dog saw me do this. A Belgian Malinois who I usually keep behind an electric fence when I'm not around. I do let him around the chickens but only when I'm around. However, yesterday I left for a few hours and told my daughter to make sure the dog has his collar on. When I got home the collar was on but it was not TURNED ON. He broke through a hole we didn't notice in the fencing and he attacked my rooster and both of my chickens got away. (They hid under the porch). Fortunately he only grabbed the rooster and shook a little bit, I got there just after this happened. Picked up the rooster, checked for damage and went looking for my hens. I found one and it took hours to get her out from under the porch. The second one who is much tougher hid so well I didn't find her at all. I brought both the Rooster and the Hen inside for the night and fed them, gave them vitamins, made sure they drank and just let them rest. I also put antibiotic ointment on the little goughes the rooster had under one wing. He recovered very well but they were extremely afraid so they spent the day indoors while I went to get the rest of my new flock today. I kept telling my husband that Hen #2 would show up today or tomorrow but he seemed totally sure she was dead. I didn't find a trace of dead chicken so I knew she was around.
Well we came home and I saw her flash by the corral (I left the door open) and I ran! I grabbed her ....... surely she was FINE and came home. I fed her really well. She wasn't even shaken! She's a bad *** hen lol! She might be one of those future rooster hens hahaha!!
Then we homed the 7 chickens we bought today.

I WILL never free range. I'll let them out in the corral area ONLY when we're around.
EVEN if my dog has his collar (turned on as it should be) and I will never ever depend on my kids to do anything related to the dogs and chickens again.

I feel so fortunate to still have my RIR's especially the Rooster who I thought was a goner when I first saw him he was on the ground. He's only 5 months so he is not big and bad enough to fend off a dog. I regret having clipped his wings. I'll never clip him again. I forgot the purpose of a rooster.
The feeling of seeing one of your birds injured from a totally avoidable incident is traumatic! The guilt is horrible and I hated my dog for something that was normal. He is a dog acting like a dog and I really love him.
Our coup does not have chicken wire btw. We use much tighter wire ...... (used for putting cement on walls).
Our neighbors who use chicken wire have lost their entire flocks this month due to Racoons. All of them. There is one chicken left who they're giving to us. one family had 30 chickens!
Partial ranging is good enough for me.
I hope I have helped.

ps. My husband is a landscaper and brings home bags of fresh grass every day!

 

[centrarchid]

I'm fairly new to this.. we built a corral to keep them in when I let them free range at first because of my garden. However, yesterday I clipped their wings and my dog saw me do this. A Belgian Malinois who I usually keep behind an electric fence when I'm not around. I do let him around the chickens but only when I'm around. However, yesterday I left for a few hours and told my daughter to make sure the dog has his collar on. When I got home the collar was on but it was not TURNED ON. He broke through a hole we didn't notice in the fencing and he attacked my rooster and both of my chickens got away. (They hid under the porch). Fortunately he only grabbed the rooster and shook a little bit, I got there just after this happened. Picked up the rooster, checked for damage and went looking for my hens. I found one and it took hours to get her out from under the porch. The second one who is much tougher hid so well I didn't find her at all. I brought both the Rooster and the Hen inside for the night and fed them, gave them vitamins, made sure they drank and just let them rest. I also put antibiotic ointment on the little goughes the rooster had under one wing. He recovered very well but they were extremely afraid so they spent the day indoors while I went to get the rest of my new flock today. I kept telling my husband that Hen #2 would show up today or tomorrow but he seemed totally sure she was dead. I didn't find a trace of dead chicken so I knew she was around.
Well we came home and I saw her flash by the corral (I left the door open) and I ran! I grabbed her ....... surely she was FINE and came home. I fed her really well. She wasn't even shaken! She's a bad *** hen lol! She might be one of those future rooster hens hahaha!!
Then we homed the 7 chickens we bought today.

I WILL never free range. I'll let them out in the corral area ONLY when we're around.
EVEN if my dog has his collar (turned on as it should be) and I will never ever depend on my kids to do anything related to the dogs and chickens again.

I feel so fortunate to still have my RIR's especially the Rooster who I thought was a goner when I first saw him he was on the ground. He's only 5 months so he is not big and bad enough to fend off a dog. I regret having clipped his wings. I'll never clip him again. I forgot the purpose of a rooster.
The feeling of seeing one of your birds injured from a totally avoidable incident is traumatic! The guilt is horrible and I hated my dog for something that was normal. He is a dog acting like a dog and I really love him.
Our coup does not have chicken wire btw. We use much tighter wire ...... (used for putting cement on walls).
Our neighbors who use chicken wire have lost their entire flocks this month due to Racoons. All of them. There is one chicken left who they're giving to us. one family had 30 chickens!
Partial ranging is good enough for me.
I hope I have helped.

ps. My husband is a landscaper and brings home bags of fresh grass every day!

You will have to learn to relax around your birds, dog and family. Avoid chasing / grabbing birds when dog can see it. Work more on training dog. Turn the guilt button off, keeping chickens free-range or otherwise does provide traumatic expereinces that will be toough if you cannot keep your witts and cool.

 

[Spanishchick]

You will have to learn to relax around your birds, dog and family. Avoid chasing / grabbing birds when dog can see it. Work more on training dog. Turn the guilt button off, keeping chickens free-range or otherwise does provide traumatic expereinces that will be toough if you cannot keep your witts and cool.

So I've read about the longevity of your birds vs penned birds. The corral has probably 300 sq ft of space. What are your thoughts on partial ranging and health etc?

 

[centrarchid]

So I've read about the longevity of your birds vs penned birds. The corral has probably 300 sq ft of space. What are your thoughts on partial ranging and health etc?

Many of my hens are partially free-range during production season. They are penned most of day and free-ranged only for last couple hours of daylight. More work but provides many of free-ranging benefits.

 

[Spanishchick]

I do something similar but they are out all day when I'm home. We've added 7 more chickens. Of all different breeds. I figure I will know which are my favorite in the end!!! Best layers, best brooders, least peckers etc etc etc.