"Free Range" is short for "Free For All"!!

[rolffamily]

I feel bad, but I have called it quits with the free range option. We have 17 acres but the 7 chickens choose to tear apart the gardens in the one acre house area. I just planted my veggie garden and refuse to have that gone too. And I have a 2 year old grandson who gets full of poop when he's over, which means I get full of poop too. (Grandparents will understand). They have a nice run, so I shouldn't feel too guilty, but I still do. My hat is off to those of you who can tolerate it.

 

[uncle rico]

I free range my birds. We do have a garden but its fenced off so no problem there. They do occasionally get in the landscaping but I just nabbed them with a squirt gun or the hose when they did that, now they stay away. As for chicken poop in the yard, use a power blower periodically when it's dry out, then the poop just blows away. Free ranging is not as hard as it seems but I realize that it doesn't work for everybody

 

[vstoltzfus]

Perhaps you can let them out to free range later in the evening? I let mine out about 7:00, so they only have about 1 1/2 - 2 hours to free range. They can't go too far or cause too much danger in that little time.

 

[Oregon Blues]

Mine "free range" inside my orchard, which is securely fenced. It keeps them out of the yard and it keeps the coyotes off their necks.

 

[tuckertori]

This makes me nervous! I have 3 pullets on about 1/4 of an acre. So far, they haven't done any damage. I have a large perennial garden but they were all above 6 inches when the birds got out for the first time. My hope is that they have enough to nibble that they won't damage any one plant too much. I do have my vegetable garden fenced off. We are building a new deck that will include gates to keep the girls off the deck area...and their poo! So far, so good and I sure hope our luck continues. My 2 1/2 year old nephew loves to "work" in the yard collecting worms for the girls.

 

[NYRIR]

I have to hose the yard every other day or so..( I have 44 or so free-range chickens and 2 free-range geese now....it has not ruined the grass and all flower beds are fenced off., but we all have crocs for the backyard. It is a bit of a nuisance but I choose to tolerate it.I also do not have any small kids though....that would make it tough! I have a friend who only lets his chickens out for an hour and a half before dusk because of the damage they can do.I think if you give them treats in the run and limited time out...they''l be happy and so will you