Free range or large run

[Wee Farmer Sarah]

I agree as well. We all do the best we can for our birds but everyone’s situation varies. I have a large run and also the luxury of time to sit with them while they graze in the grass. Not everyone does. You have to do what you feel is best for you and your birds so they continue to bring you joy. And really, the only dumb question is the one that doesn’t get asked. Best wishes.

 

[cluckmecoop7]

Mine is 120 square feet and I don't free range, they are very happy.

Also, free ranging is dangerous because of predators.

 

[NNYchick]

I think I also depends on the breed. My Silkies are not very active at all they get out most evening and all day on the weekend when I’m home to supervise. They don’t last more than a few weeks in an unsupervised free range situation (I tried twice)I wouldn’t call what they do free ranging as the never leave the 30’ area in the back yard even though I have an acre field in the side yard they stay close to the coop or house, pecking around some but mostly just basking in the sunshine.
In the winter they won’t leave the comfort of there enclosure, on nice days I open up the door but they won’t go out if the white stuff is on the ground, even though they have a shoveled area.
I know they are healthy and seem content and this situation works for us.

 

[m1chelle1]

id agree with the rest, to add my 2c.
It typically depends on factors such as age, location, breeds, are they super active foragers? I have some good foragers and i let mine out of their substantial sized run on occasion, when i am out and about and can monitor them to what id consider to be an adequate capacity. I also keep roosters with my flock and they do a good job of day time lookout, and "should" come in handy in case of a day time predator attack. Not all roos are created equally in that area, unfortunately. But with that said, a lot of us do let our flock out of the run just purely to enrich the chickens' lives. Why i say that is, that for those of us who have large runs, which are very adequate for our chickens, its probably not necessary for us to let them out of the run, but we like to do so because the chickens frankly do enjoy the change of scenery. They enjoy being out of the run and new areas to forage and explore. And maybe there are other nutrients and buggies out there in the other crevices and nooks on the property that they can get to.....

So there it is. Good luck on your decision!

cheers
M

 

[PirateGirl]

They aren't really much safer in the run you describe than they would be free ranging. I don't see where it would be much different to let them out at this point. If your run was predator proof and you are deciding between that and free ranging, it's a different situation, but since your run is minimal they are exposed to all the predators anyway.

Personally I would not leave them unattended all day to free range (or hang out in an area that is not secure). I choose to have a relatively predator proof run for night time and times no one is home (dogs in the house) and then allow them access to a larger area (that is less secure) when the dogs and I are around should the coyotes pay us a visit.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

We are blessed to have 10 acres, about five of it cleared, in a very isolated area, where my chooks can run free part of the day. Our only losses to predators have come when we let them free range all day, so now we just turn them out after about 3 in the afternoon. The rest of the day they have a very large area that used to be a garden, but DH and I are pretty much no good at gardening so now it's their playground, lol.

All that being said, you just have to do what works for you and your flock. We've all probably experimented, taken our losses, tried and failed and tried again till we've found our own formulas for success. So now you get to do that for you and we all wish you all the best!

 

[Chickengene]

I have 11 chickens that are 14 weeks old and have been in a 600 square foot fenced in area since they were 6 weeks old. They go into their coop every night with no problems.

These are our first chickens and I was originally planning on free ranging them but after caring for them for the last 14 weeks I am pretty scared to let them loose.

With 600 square ft to roam, am I gaining anything by letting them free range? We have 3 acres and great neighbors.

Free range occasionally is not that much easier than loosing the occasional bird to predation.
When i am leaving home really early and coming home late I do not freerange my flock. But watching them pace back and forth at the door and calling me is as bad as loosing one to the fox that got mine.
Ok maybe not quite as bad, but really hard to watch.

 

[Shadrach]

I had very much wanted to free range when I first got chickens, but nixed that due to an extremely high predator load. So, we fenced an 80X80 area, covered it with aerial netting and ran electric fencing around it. Even so, we've had losses as wily predators found gaps in the netting, an un-electrified door gap, etc. Everything does like chicken.

In being forced to keep them confined to one yard, I've learned that if you put straw/mulch/autumn leaves in on a regular basis, over the years, it can grow decent forage.

Here is a picture I took last year of part of the yard. This spring, the forage was even more dense an varied. DH even had to get out the weed whacker to clear some open areas. When I first started 6 years ago, the entire thing was bare dirt, not so much as a weed. View attachment 1822475

I meant to post before.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

I'll put my 2 cents worth in....
You've got great advice and thought on this thread.

It will boil down to your ability for loss and honestly, luck.

I live in farm land now surrounded by suburbia. I have a smaller lot (only 1/3 acre) with most of that given over to chickens.

When I first started, I began with feed store chicks, mostly sex links and production birds, which to the most part, are dumber than a fence post when it comes to predators. I am in Oregon, in the forest part, so I have had high loss to hawks. I can't keep a batam free range for more than a DAY! I've even had hawk strikes while I was watching!

One, two, skip a few and I've slowly over the years refined my flock, bought breeder birds or fertile eggs, began breeding my own, carefully selecting for sustainability and smarts. I have a much smarter flock now. I rarely lose any to hawks with my alert roosters and savvy hens.

But then there are the years of the coon. Some years, I nairy seen a one. Others, good grief even if I had fort knox (which I don't...secured but not Fort Knox), the coons will be plentiful and aggressive. I even had one start grocery shopping in the middle of the day.

And they ALWAYS pick your most valuable bird. I lost my Cream Legbars and a Splashed Marans...the foundation of my olive egger program that year.

So we reinforced and followed our local ordinances to rid ourselves of excess coons.

I haven't seen a coon for a couple of years. This year, knock on wood now that I say it, I haven't had one predator loss even free ranging my babes with broodies.

As to supervised watching protecting them, I've watched Cooper's Hawks literally dive bomb, pick up a chick, and fly off right in front of me. Coon grabbed a hen in broad daylight, middle of afternoon, and stood his ground, with me in the yard. Red Tailed hawk hit a foraging bantam Cochin (the breed I call hawk bait) while I was working in the yard. So unless you plan to patrol like a perimeter soldier, with weaponry, supervised human watching can do very little.

You learn to give and take. I let my birds free range as it provides the natural stimulation and health they need. I also try to reinforce my coops (though there are plenty of places a determined predator could get through), and really follow a careful schedule of not letting them out until the middle of the morning (after early hawk runs) and locking them up after dusk.

But still...some years you just lose some, or a lot. However, those that remain, if you breed from them, get very good at avoiding aerial predators. The ground kind simply come in and take when they want. For that, you'll need dog and fencing protection with a bit of luck.

My experiences.
LofMc

 

[Mrs. K]

Amen LofMc Amen, so been there, and it ALWAYS is your favorite, ALWAYS!