Free-range or run?

[Ms~Silkie~Girl]

i think you might save money in the long run if you build a run, because you will definetly lose some of your birds

~Trista~

 

[speckledhen]

Free-range or run

Definitely both. There will be times when you want to leave your property and put them away, but not necessarily inside the coop.​

 

[CMV]

Quote:
Electric fencing is unlikely to do any damage to any of your children should they touch it. They will quickly learn not to. I have a 4 y.o. who has never touched the fence. She sees how much I hate it when I get (accidentally) zapped leaning over the fence. She won't try it.

 

[Debi214]

Yeah- you have to have an enclosed run unless you don't care if the occasional hawk or dog type creature grabs one or two. I only let my brat-birds

run around when I can stay outside with them.

 

[yotetrapper]

If you're worried about loss, youd best pen them up. My neighbor down a ways (couple miles lol) free ranges and he'll have 40-60 chickens, 2 years later he will be down to 5-6 hardy souls. He goes through 20-30 a year to predators.