Free Range or Not? What Does Everyone Prefer?

[fishmilk]

I free range all my birds. I have a dozen geese, which live in the open and have a swimming pool, along with 2 ducks. My meat turkeys have their own pen, and come out only after they eat all their crumbles. My chickens bring themselves in at night and are locked in. After they are let out in the morning, they roam my 10 acres with the rest of the birds. Only problem I have is ocassional ranom egg laying in odd areas. I keep predators out with a great Pyrenese. Like most i believe it is good for their diet,and well being.

 

[anniegirl1962]

I have a nice size pen with shade and I free range. In the am I turn them out weather permitted and they make a b-line for the horse barn and make their rounds through grandma's gardens and woods, shes our neighbor. This allows me to gather the eggs, I got 4 today , they just started laying. yeah!
I leave the coop door open while they are out eating bugs so it airs out well and keeps it cool during the hot summer days.
I worry about this fall when it gets dark earlier and the food supply for the pretators is dwindling...I may reduce their free range time then.
Or perhaps get a dog that can guard them?

I love my chickens. They are so cool!

 

[Melabella]

If you looked at my post, I live in the Blue Ridge mountains and do free range. Mine have pens, plus I free range on a rotating basis (more than one flock, each with its own rooster), however, there is a livestock fence around 2 of our 5 1/2 acres-in that boundary is where they range when out of their pens.

The bantams usually do not free range, however, for obvious reasons, though one of them was raised with the main flock and she grew up ranging with them. Now, she lives with chickens her own size in her old age.

Herding dogs sometimes can be okay, but they herd, not guard, generally. Depends on the dog's prey drive and on their training, not on the breed, per se. I don't have a dog for mine and can't afford to get one so I depend on my roosters, pretty much.

This is part of our property around two of the coops, so you can see how wooded we are:



Toward the 3rd coop:


The beauty of the English Shepherd.....herds AND guards! What you teach him is yours, he will GUARD with intensity. I thought my year old intact male was a Mama's boy until two weeks ago, when after coming home late, and bringing my old horses in for the night, I heard the coyotes after a kill giving their celebratory group yell. I thought it was my neighbors laughing on their deck as they had family in town until I saw Jack take off from my side. I looked up just quickly enough to see what I thought was a german shepherd, but upon seeing my neighbors house dark, I realized it was coyotes, and one or perhaps more were on the edge of our property. I heard a growling scuffle, and ran towards them, scared to death Jack would be toast, but he ran that sucker off our property, and waited right at the property line. I have a new found respect for him now!

 

[aoxa]

I free range 100% of the time for the majority of the flock. There or not. I have good cover (woods) for aerial predators and an LGD for ground predators. Haven't lost a bird yet.

I have plenty of roosters that signal warnings. I believe this helps. Most predators that are issues around here are nocturnal. My barn is fully secure and my LGD barks every hour on the hour to deter any predators with her scary bark

Different strokes for different folks!

I don't disagree with pens. I just prefer free ranging for my own birds. I see how content they are, and how delicious those eggs taste!

 

[chickens4jojo]

I prefer to free-range my pretty birds. But after so many predator attacks~~from...let see: a Coyote, Neighbor's loose Dogs (owned by neighbors who would kill anything that would try to hurt THEIR own pets!), Raccons, Hawks, an Owl, and a Big Snake. So, I learned the very hard way that my birds cannot generally do that most of the time. BUt they are so pretty out on the lawn that I wish I could.

 

[emach0301]

I have tried the "guard dog" idea, and it hasnt really worked for me. I depend on my roosters as well, I will also leave a few windows cracked to where I can hear my birds and pay attention to what they are saying. I also live way back in the sticks as well, and we have every kind of animal you can think of that will try to eat chickens... I have had to move my coop closer to my house because of the animals would come out of the woods at night and have a feast.

 

[Melabella]

Here is some information about what I think is the best dog you can own for any livestock. Look into this breed, they are not Border collies, as some people think.. They are English Shepherds, and I can't say enough about how wonderful they are. They herd loose eyed, not predetorially. My chickens all ready are calm around them. They also are wonderful guardians. Thought you would like to read about them. Kimball's Jet Peaslee- The handsome sire of my dog Jackson


Jackson- 1 yr, 2 months

My chicks first little outing yesterday while I cleaned their brooder pen. Jackson watched the entire time, and when one flew out of my daughter's hand, he quickly assesed the situation, and blocked the little chickita from leaving the horse stall she ran into right next to the pen. English Shepherds are AMAZING at protecting, watching and herding anything that you hold near and dear to you. Jack will chase off wild rabbits, but doesn't touch our 3 pet rabbits. He guardes his property and runs off anything that does't belong on it. I have no experience training herding dogs, but in the two short weeks since the chicks have arrived, he has added them to his list of things to be mindful over. I love this breed because they are calm, and not frenetic about herding, not overly so. They rise to the occasion of their work request. they are the preferred dog of dairy and beef cattle farmers, as they do not herd preditorially, rather they do so upright, loose eyed. Jack is slow maturing, still looks like a gangly youngster, but in the short few months since he has turned a year, I truly see his ablilities, and instincts are spot on. He is amazing going out on rides with me as well, he remains intact, and does not wander, I can't say enough about this breed. THey are not AKC registered, and the breeders want it that way, they are true working dogs, and their breeders are fiercly dedicated to perserving the integrity of their breed.

www.englishshepherd.org

www.farmcollie.com

Check them out!

MB

 

[willowbranchfarm]

Free range even though I'm in the city I still free range because its so good for my chickens and they love it.

 

[emach0301]

I also believe having a large animal around your chickens, such as a dog/ cat, will also teach them that its okay to let their guard down around ANY animal, therefore theyll get eaten quicker... Mine are so friendly that they would walk up to a coyote if the chance came up.

 

[aoxa]

Here is some information about what I think is the best dog you can own for any livestock. Look into this breed, they are not Border collies, as some people think.. They are English Shepherds, and I can't say enough about how wonderful they are. They herd loose eyed, not predetorially. My chickens all ready are calm around them. They also are wonderful guardians. Thought you would like to read about them. Kimball's Jet Peaslee- The handsome sire of my dog Jackson Jackson- 1 yr, 2 months My chicks first little outing yesterday while I cleaned their brooder pen. Jackson watched the entire time, and when one flew out of my daughter's hand, he quickly assesed the situation, and blocked the little chickita from leaving the horse stall she ran into right next to the pen. English Shepherds are AMAZING at protecting, watching and herding anything that you hold near and dear to you. Jack will chase off wild rabbits, but doesn't touch our 3 pet rabbits. He guardes his property and runs off anything that does't belong on it. I have no experience training herding dogs, but in the two short weeks since the chicks have arrived, he has added them to his list of things to be mindful over. I love this breed because they are calm, and not frenetic about herding, not overly so. They rise to the occasion of their work request. they are the preferred dog of dairy and beef cattle farmers, as they do not herd preditorially, rather they do so upright, loose eyed. Jack is slow maturing, still looks like a gangly youngster, but in the short few months since he has turned a year, I truly see his ablilities, and instincts are spot on. He is amazing going out on rides with me as well, he remains intact, and does not wander, I can't say enough about this breed. THey are not AKC registered, and the breeders want it that way, they are true working dogs, and their breeders are fiercly dedicated to perserving the integrity of their breed. www.englishshepherd.org www.farmcollie.com Check them out! MB

Beautiful dog! I use a Maremma x Great Pyreneese mix

She is only 6 months old, and very calm around the birds. I just know that at this age, anything can happen. Chickens are so easily injured. Here she is a couple of days ago after warning us about a stray dog, therefore saving any losses. I threatened the neighbour who had not went after her lose dog. I said I am not responsible if my dog kills her dog. It is my property, and if her dog is on my property - it's fair game.