Free rage vs preditors

[SMB4647]

Anyone who free ranges risks losing a bird to predators - but predators get into coops and runs too, so you could say it is a risk you take however you keep chickens. You have to decide where you feel comfortable with the line between their safety and their freedom to roam. They will get better at predator awareness with time and experience, especially if you have a roo and they are heritage breeds.

PS hello @SMB4647! welcome to BYC

Thanks Perris! I will let them roam supervised for a while and let them develop that awareness.

 

[cmom]

I agree with the other posters. Free range at your own risk. Sooner or later your flock will be discovered and you will loose birds to predators. Years ago I free ranged but not anymore. My birds all have very large pens and seem happy. I have had no complaints. Now I have electric wire around my coops and pens, concrete under the gates and netting covering all of the pens all because of losses in the past. If you decide to free range do it with the risk that you will loose birds to predators eventually. There may be some exceptions but very few. I lost a chick when a hawk swooped into a small uncovered pens. One of the birds was in the blueberry patch. I was in the patch and she followed me in and a hawk killed her not 10 feet away from me. A few months ago my favorite bird was killed by a fox while I was distracted. It happens. Good luck and have fun with your flock.

Since you are worried about them getting bored, you can put something in their pen for pecking at like a flock block since pecking it their most favorite thing to do. I also made a chicken ladder for the birds to climb on.