Free Range or Not? What Does Everyone Prefer?

[fowlsessed]

Yea, a cayote or dog can wipe out even a huge flock in a single visit......

 

[TXchickmum]

-living in a suburban neighborhood, we don't experience too many predators. We do have hawks. That being said, I let my chickens roam the lawn most of the day. (have two roosters that really alert the flock to hawks, and lots of cover/vegetation for secure hiding) I realize this isn't the same thing as "free ranging", but it's the only option. There are runs incorporated into the coops in which they stay if I need to be away for an hour or two.

 

[Attila the Hen]

I have the property fenced and fence off another part for the chickens. It is heavily wooded and they spend a lot of time under the deck where it is safe and cool. I open the whole property in the winter for foraging--I try to grow stuff in te summer. At about 7 pounds for the BOs I don't think a hawk could take them. However, I have 4 small ones that I sit outside with when they are not in a coop. I am hoping they will merge with the BOs soon and they will keep them safe. I don't think I would keep chickens if they had to be in coops. It's not natural and seems unfair. Life is dangerous for us all. I might not make it home tomorrow.

 

[Vicky2479]

Free range as much as possible, I live in the city and have a large run for the hens but I try to let them out into the main yard 4 or 5 times a week if I wasn't able to do this I dont think I would have chickens, like Attila said it isn't fair to keep hens cooped up all the time.

 

[rlc5925]

I let mine out around noon time . At dusk they return to a yard with coop where I secure them for the night.

 

[CAjerseychick]

Modified free range-- which means we are on 2 acres but the chickens "free range" in our fenced off yard behind the house its like 40ftx40ft and also is next to the under the porch area(their coop/run is under the porch- we just leave the run door open so they can get out and about), and the treehouse/tree in back yard.... This keeps them away from the dogs, who roam around this area and keep other predators away...

 

[BlueGlassJar]

Would a livestock *herding* dog help to deter predators, or would it only stress out the chickens?

I hope this isn't off-topic... Those of you who've said you prefer to free-range, would you do it if your property was mostly wooded? Lots of tasty plants and bugs, protection from hawks/eagles, but probably a higher likelihood of meeting four-footed chicken-eaters like coyotes or skunks. Is it feasible to free-range in that situation, or would it be necessary to keep the chickens in a run? Thanks, and I hope this question isn't a derailer.

 

[speckledhen]

Would a livestock *herding* dog help to deter predators, or would it only stress out the chickens?

I hope this isn't off-topic... Those of you who've said you prefer to free-range, would you do it if your property was mostly wooded? Lots of tasty plants and bugs, protection from hawks/eagles, but probably a higher likelihood of meeting four-footed chicken-eaters like coyotes or skunks. Is it feasible to free-range in that situation, or would it be necessary to keep the chickens in a run? Thanks, and I hope this question isn't a derailer.

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:

 

[Loghousemom]

I am new to chicken keeping, but so far have been happy With my choice to let them free range. I do have a fence going up for a penned area for them for when I want to let them out but cannot be home to keep a watchful eye. Most of the time I am home and the chickens wander. We have 15 acres, but I would say they only travel one to do their chicken duties.

I also have 5 dogs. The dogs get let out before the chickens. They make their run around the property after about 30-40 minutes I tie off the one dog who will most definitely hunt and eat the chickens and let them out. We also recently took in a rooster who needed to be re-homed after she turned into a he. (hahaha) he ranges with the ladies all day, and at nightfall guides them back inside. Once they are all safely penned, I let the dogs off their runs for a bit again, then move them over to the chicken yard to be fed and the naughty one who runs off and the one who barks get locked up for the evening.

 

[BlueGlassJar]

Thanks, SpeckledHen and Attila the Hen