Free range or enclosed run?

[Henrik Petersson]

My chickens do pretty much everything that a free range chicken does. They scratch in the dirt and eat bugs, peck at greens, and dust bathe and sun bathe, perch on things. They do this all day. They are not bored, they are busy little birds.

You have greens left in the run after having had chickens for more than a few months?

 

[townchicks]

You have greens left in the run after having had chickens for more than a few months?

LOL. No. I give them greens, sometimes grass, or romaine lettuce, chard, things like that. I also sometimes sprout seeds for them.

 

[Henrik Petersson]

LOL. No. I give them greens, sometimes grass, or romaine lettuce, chard, things like that. I also sometimes sprout seeds for them.

Still, it seems like quite a feat to keep them occupied all day. My experience with chickens is that they crave novelty. Never mind that the soil in the run is perfectly scratchable - they have to go somewhere else and scratch in new soil.

 

[townchicks]

Still, it seems like quite a feat to keep them occupied all day.

Not really. A bucketful of new leaves keeps them going for days. There are only 3 of them in a 120 sqft enclosed run, that is also opens to a "yard" that is covered in bird netting, that is approximately 180 sqft. They don't seem bored or unhappy, nor do they sit by the fence looking longingly at the other side. This keeps them safe from hawks (and my dog) and out of my garden, and poop off the patio. I am not anti free range, but that is not an option for me, for one, because I live in the suburbs, but mostly because I have zero tolerance for losses from predation. If you want to free range, you have to accept that there will be risk of losses. I have a hard time feeling sympathy for those that free range and then cry because a wild animal took advantage of a free buffet. Clearly, if you have a large flock, free range is probably better for the chickens emotionally. But I know for a fact, because I see it in my girls, that chickens don't need to be free ranged to be happy, if they have enough room and are provided for their needs in the run.

 

[centrarchid]

I was wondering your opinions on letting your chickens be free ranged or keeping them in an enclosed run.

I’ve heard that free ranged keeps them quieter because they have more to do but also that an enclosed run makes them quieter because they feel safer. Is one better than the other?
Any advise would be greatly appreciated

I do both simultaneously as have multiple flocks. Hence no voting above. In terms of social strife that leads to noise, the birds enclosed in runs large pens with exposure to sun and ground, the confined birds tend to be noisier with some of that because they are greedy and want eats. That said, it is easier for me to put space between self and the noise makers. The free-range birds are quieter not as ramped up about me when it comes to food.

 

[Dona Worry]

Still, it seems like quite a feat to keep them occupied all day. My experience with chickens is that they crave novelty. Never mind that the soil in the run is perfectly scratchable - they have to go somewhere else and scratch in new soil.

An un-opened watermelon or squash is hours of entertainment alone, and I have the two giant dust bathes set up (each comfortably holds 4 hens), which is a couple of more hours of busy work. Add in searching for the scattered scratch grains and napping, and they are more than happy throughout the day. . . Which, in winter, is pretty short anyways.

 

[No More Empty Nest]

The question on whether a chicken is happy or not is never going to be answered to everyone's satisfaction. Is a cat that sits by a window and looks longingly out at the world happy? Is a dog sitting on the couch with his head on the top looking outside happy? At that moment, probably not. But would you say your cat or dog is unhappy in general? I doubt it.
The OP's question was whether one way was noisier than the other. Debating whether free ranging or runs produces happy chickens or which is better, whatever better means, is only going to cause people entrenched in one concept or the other to become angry, which we seem to be getting close to.
As far as noise, it, again, depends on your circumstances. A chicken or rooster roaming into my yard will certainly be noisier to me than one in a neighbor's run. I live in the city so can only comment on my personal circumstances. I wouldn't dream of commenting or putting someone down without having lived in their shoes and experiencing their situation.

 

[centrarchid]

The question on whether a chicken is happy or not is never going to be answered to everyone's satisfaction. Is a cat that sits by a window and looks longingly out at the world happy? Is a dog sitting on the couch with his head on the top looking outside happy? At that moment, probably not. But would you say your cat or dog is unhappy in general? I doubt it.
The OP's question was whether one way was noisier than the other. Debating whether free ranging or runs produces happy chickens or which is better, whatever better means, is only going to cause people entrenched in one concept or the other to become angry, which we seem to be getting close to.
As far as noise, it, again, depends on your circumstances. A chicken or rooster roaming into my yard will certainly be noisier to me than one in a neighbor's run. I live in the city so can only comment on my personal circumstances. I wouldn't dream of commenting or putting someone down without having lived in their shoes and experiencing their situation.

I am an example of entrenched.

 

[Blooie]

Still, it seems like quite a feat to keep them occupied all day. My experience with chickens is that they crave novelty. Never mind that the soil in the run is perfectly scratchable - they have to go somewhere else and scratch in new soil.

Respectfully, you seem to have some special, rare insight into the chicken mind than do most of us. Been a lot of talk about their feelings and their cravings and behaviors. The question was do we free range or confine. It was an opinion poll, and as such there were no “wrong answers”. Some of us do one, some do the other, and some of us do both, depending on our individual situations and personal comfort zone.

Yet phrases like “no-brainer” and “question that person’s sanity” keep finding their way into your responses, along with a tone that varies from over critical to downright condescending. Thinly veiled insults to our intelligence aren’t flying well with me. The OP asked for what we do and why, and we gave the most complete answers, depending on our methods.

I don’t have to keep my chickens occupied all day. I don’t have to respond to what they demand unless their food or water is empty. I have never had them standing in a group in the run clamoring to be let out, nor heard a loud racket coming from them until the outside door is opened. And when it is opened, some go out, some stay in, they switch off, or they go in and out during the day. For long periods when I have to chose confinement, such as when we are out of town or I’m having a bad day medically, they are content with the boredom busters I provide. Bad weather means nothing here - if I’m physically able, the people door is left open when I do chores regardless of weather and they can go out or not, it’s up to them.

There are a few of us on this thread who have somewhat unorthodox chicken husbandry methods. I am one of them. It’s not a deliberate attempt to shock others when I speak of those methods. It’s just how I choose to raise them. My chicks are not raised indoors with a heat lamp for weeks on end, they are raised outdoors in a pen in the run among the adults using a heating pad. They are off all heat at 3 weeks old and fully integrated with the flock by 4 weeks and the brooder pen is completely removed.

I don’t tell people they HAVE to do it this way - I don’t have that right. But I do let them know the when, what, whys, and hows of this method, stressing that I know it’s not for everyone and that that’s just fine! I am raising chickens, not lap dogs, divas, or spoiled pets who make demands of me that I’m obligated to meet. I don’t question their sanity or tell them that doing it my way is a no brainer. It works super well for me, I’m always glad to share the method, and if someone asks for more information I am happy to provide it. What they choose to do with the answers to their questions is entirely - and I mean entirely - up to them. with no insults from me.

All that said, this thread seems to have devolved in a “my way or the highway” direction. So I’ve said my piece, and I’m stopping. The OP never intended to open a can of worms with a simple opinion poll, and I’ve fed into it long enough. I know where the “unwatch” button is and before I get my patties smacked I’m going to exercise that option. Everyone have a good day.

 

[centrarchid]

Still, it seems like quite a feat to keep them occupied all day. My experience with chickens is that they crave novelty. Never mind that the soil in the run is perfectly scratchable - they have to go somewhere else and scratch in new soil.

What is said here not incorrect. It is easy to see birds adjust their behavior when novel / new stimuli are presented. The same concept is employed by keepers of game fowl where birds are moved between pens just to provide more stimulus to engage in activity.