For those who free range

[ehoneybee]

How do you keep your chickens from being snatched by predators? By free range I don't mean in a covered run. We're just having the worst time with hawks that we can't let them out unless we're with them 100%.

 

[sourland]

The reality is that if you free range you eventually lose birds. Brush/hiding places can help reduce losses from hawks, and some roosters are effective against raptors.

 

[featherhead007]

Keep them secure in an enclosed run/coop or you WILL only be feeding those hawks!

 

[Cyprus]

I don't know what kind of hawks you have, but we have a TON of cooper's hawks here. They are constantly circling my coops, but we still free range. We have a lot of cover on our property and around our coops. My birds tend to spend most of their free-ranging time under cover.
As for other predators, I've only ever had a problem once with a feral cat (which we killed) and once with my dog (who was on leash at the time, but not being supervised well enough by the walker).

I'd also like to mention that I never lost any birds to predators while free-ranging when I had 5 roosters.

 

[Chickygirl63]

We have lots of areas trees ,brush, carports. They are usually close to one of these areas.. The last two times a bird died was by the neighbors dogs and some one speeding by on our Dead end road...

 

[ehoneybee]

I don't know what kind of hawks you have, but we have a TON of cooper's hawks here. They are constantly circling my coops, but we still free range. We have a lot of cover on our property and around our coops. My birds tend to spend most of their free-ranging time under cover.
As for other predators, I've only ever had a problem once with a feral cat (which we killed) and once with my dog (who was on leash at the time, but not being supervised well enough by the walker).

I'd also like to mention that I never lost any birds to predators while free-ranging when I had 5 roosters.

Yes, Coopers hawks and they are relentless and vicious. We have plenty of spots for the hens to hide; shed (one was killed in it), brush, pine trees. It just doesn't seem to matter. One even got into the run (wr now know they can squeeze into small soqves and there were some openings in the wire. They free ranged for 5 months (since October) and then the hawks came.

 

[TheWickedChicken]

I'd also like to mention that I never lost any birds to predators while free-ranging when I had 5 roosters.

That’s probably the best way to keep free ranging hens safe. It’s a roosters job to protect his girls even if it means his death. I can’t wait to get out of the city where I can have roosters.

 

[Erinne]

My ladies free range on 50 acres of mostly woods. I have found that the "easter eggers" are the best for survival in that area. They are attentive, observant, camophlaged nicely and very very very smart. I actually have not had a problem til this year when our flock was reduced to 7........... 4 out of the 7 are our now "elderly easter eggers" ..... Our new flock now has several cockerals.........

 

[bellaisa]

I believe my dogs help keep the predators away. We free range all weekend long and every night. We do not leave them out when we are not home; but we don't stay outside with them. The dogs are always out when they are out. We have 12 hens no roos. I know at sometime we may have a loss but I believe it is worth free ranging. The girls are healthy and happy.

 

[microchick]

About the only way you are going to be able to protect your flock if you free range is to ride herd on them like you have been doing.

We have a lot of big red tailed and red shouldered hawks here along with fox and coyotes. My flock is penned and the run is covered but I can still catch the occasional hawk circling the run or roosting in a nearby tree just watching.

Right now, they are nesting and hatching chicks so they are always on the lookout for an easy way to feed constantly hungry babies.

Same with Fox. Last year we had a female take up residence under a neighbor's cabin and raise a family of kits that she fed by decimating the local poultry flocks. My chicken compound is pretty much Fort Knox, kennel panel chain link with hot wire around the parameter so I didn't loose any birds (did have fox tracks around the run but one touch of the nose to the hot wire I'm sure dissuaded them from persisting) while our neighbors lost their whole flock to the predator. The owner of the cabin told us that when he checked under the cabin, the fox was gone but there were piles of chicken bones everywhere.

Security is what is all about. If you can stand guard over your flock while they free range, you will decrease your chances of loss but I don't think anything is 100%. Plus, even if you stand guard with a shotgun or .22 as protection, your hands are pretty much tied because the birds of prey are protected as endangered species.

It's easier to protect chickens from 4 legged predators than 2 legged ones.