Free range in the backyard

[Whisper]

I let mine out into the yard to hunt for bugs and graze, less now that we have the garden planted. BUT . . . someone let them out this afternoon unattended for an hour, and they managed to dig a 2 foot by 2 foot trench in the lawn to make themselves a suitable dust bathing spot. They're way more destructive than you'd think, for how small they are. Plus they poop on the porch.

I think it might be less of an issue in nice soggy areas of the country that don't have to worry about their precipitation levels, but in the drought-ridden West, we're barely able to get grass to stay alive anyway without drenching it with the hose twice a day. If I didn't pen the chickens, they'd turn the whole thing into a dustbowl within a couple weeks.

 

[tammyd57]

I wouldn't free range every day without at least some supervision. Hawks, Eagles & Raccoons are just some of the daytime risks. Yes, even in the city, they're everywhere. I'm not willing to lose any of my chickens knowing the risks.
It just depends what your comfort level with risk is.