Free range unattended?

[Miami Leghorn]

Hello all. I have 7 week old chickens that I just started letting free range this weekend. They are doing really well so far but I was wondering if you can leave them unattended while free ranging? My husband and I like to take the UTV out on the trails but not sure if it's ok to leave them out while we're gone? Do people who let their chickens free range run errands and just live life as usual with their chickens loose? Thanks!

We have pens,enclosures,and open spaces on our property for our chickens.We DO free range some of our chickens and provide them with cover by way of low hung tarps between mango trees,and a few 3 ft high wooden structures with roofs that I built for just that,cover. At dusk they all retreat to their coops and we shut them in for the night. The main predators we have in our area are hawks,owls and eagles. We also have feral dogs and coyotes but in our property they will not be able to get in, they would have to go over our walls and fence first,only to meet up with our German Shepherds after that.
So our proactive system is mainly to protect them from predators from the sky.
Check this out.

Go on YouTube and type: "Hawk attacks chicken-Hawk captured"

 

[Artichoke Lover]

It’s a hard decision like many others have said. Personally I would put them up if you aren’t home. The only one I ever lost was snatched without a sound while all of us were home and didn’t free range for most of the winter after that. I’ve finally decided that I would expand my flock and split it into two groups with only 1 free ranging at a time. That way they all get some time outside but my whole flock can’t be wiped out at one time. But it’s also easy for me to replace lost birds. That said any predator found on the property is shot with a few exceptions for birds of prey and the neighbors Great Pyrenees but she’s never threatened the chickens either and I’ve caught her running coyotes off from the coop at night.
I also hate that the local pound charges you to surrender a dog as it makes the stray problem so much worse.

 

[HeathenHavenHomestead]

My chicks are 5-6 weeks old and have been outdoors since 1-2 weeks. We have a chicken wire fenced area of about 100sqft. It’s not “free range” but chicken wire isn’t predator proof either so pretty close to free. We live on 40 densely wooded acres and have seen opossums, raccoons, foxes, hawks, owls, deer, armadillos, mice, etc. We have seen wild dogs but also own 4 large dogs that have gone to war with stray dogs and wild animals on the property (including puppies ) and average one dead wild animal daily most days.
I feel between the smells of dead opossums, dead armadillos, dead moles, dead mice, dog poop and pee it keeps most things away that would creep along the forest floor. My dogs chase down anything they can and have as I’ve said before killed or chased off any wild life wandering onto their line of sight. We’ve easily left for hours at a time and have left for the weekend making sure they are at least locked up at night in their coop but during the day it’s just them and the fresh air with dogs on full alert. I can’t say we won’t lose any in the future but so far we have not.

 

[HeathenHavenHomestead]

I’d also like to add that anytime my dogs bark to alert us of something or we mimic an owl call (including when my 16 month old mimics an owl call) they all go running for shelter. Mine seem more adapted to the wild then a city chicken of the same age.

 

[The Coop-D-etat]

Bottom line is you got to take all these peoples input and gather your own method of rearing chickens. Personally I let mine semi-range. I let them out for a few hours then put them in their run again so I can alternate my dogs. One is absolutely fine and chill with my birds the German Shepard. My other the husky-lab is an absolute negative. I would trust her as far as I can throw her and she is as barrel chested as they come

My birds are 11 weeks as of Monday and I just started letting them range late last week. They love it all though they have it made their coop is built under a large green ash tree for shade and behind them a Grove of 8 apple trees. I'm not worries about them getting into the garden as we have a 10ft tall fence around it (deer) and their coop and run are attached to the garden for a streamline aesthetic. Also have a door for spring and fall for them to rummage around the garden and poop all over it when the harvest season is over. I have been making them follow me around the yard so I can show them "safe" zones like a ENORMOUS Lilac bush that they took fancy of real quick.

To my surprise these guys of mine are extremely alert and cautious, that may or many not be because I have a rooster although yet just a baby. (His puberty crows are just the cutest) but I have found they definitely like to stay under trees and bushes which is good. They are more attentive than I most times I've even seen them all stop what they were doing and looking up at the sky and I was scanning all over. Low and behold I hawk flew over head and they all B-lined it into the coop. Granted I won't fully rely on that aline for safety that's why I make sure I home. We have foxes, racoon, opossum, and field rats. Most of those are night time preds for the majority of times. But at night they are locked up tight. Ain't nothing getting in the besides maybe a mouse or a spider. I put up 40 year concrete siding on the s.o.b that sits on a concrete foundation because these thunder storms that roll through and wind storms could total out a prefab coop or cheaper materials and I simply don't want to or have the time to be doing constant repairs to the coop but that is personal choice ofc and I know there are plenty other very sturdy coops that are more budget friendly absolutely.

I do not let them range when I'm not home I put them in their run when I leave but I purposely made a large run for that reason 12×48 run that is covered and 10ft tall to match the garden.

Maybe some day I'll let them range when I'm gone but no now. But to me it just don't feel right to not see beautiful birds roaming around the yard. It's just so nice lovely lawn ornaments if ya ask me. Bottom line it's up to your day to day life and if it will fit you personally. I know it helps having two dogs running around on five acres one of which will not allow ANY sort of wildlife within our boundaries PERIOD. cats, rabbits, little birds, deer, pheasants, and turkeys have long since left our premises and I'm up at all different hours of the night (gotta love insomnia) and let my terror dog ouyy to go cruise the premises as she joyfully does.

Best of luck to your ladies!
Ry.

 

[HeathenHavenHomestead]

We have pens,enclosures,and open spaces on our property for our chickens.We DO free range some of our chickens and provide them with cover by way of low hung tarps between mango trees,and a few 3 ft high wooden structures with roofs that I built for just that,cover. At dusk they all retreat to their coops and we shut them in for the night. The main predators we have in our area are hawks,owls and eagles. We also have feral dogs and coyotes but in our property they will not be able to get in, they would have to go over our walls and fence first,only to meet up with our German Shepherds after that.
So our proactive system is mainly to protect them from predators from the sky.
Check this out.

Go on YouTube and type: "Hawk attacks chicken-Hawk captured"

My German Sheps are the first to bark and my Pitty mix is the first to kill. I’ve seen her snatch a bird out of the air that was flying. I pray she never tries to snatch a hawk out of the air
She’s even killed a copper head without a single bite on her. I think us rescuing her from a shelter where she spent 6 months of her puppyhood inside a small concrete cage (outdoors at that) she is now soaking up all the free range and using her natural born abilities.

 

[HeathenHavenHomestead]

Oh and congrats on making featured content!

 

[MTR]

Hello all. I have 7 week old chickens that I just started letting free range this weekend. They are doing really well so far but I was wondering if you can leave them unattended while free ranging? My husband and I like to take the UTV out on the trails but not sure if it's ok to leave them out while we're gone? Do people who let their chickens free range run errands and just live life as usual with their chickens loose? Thanks!

I had a hawk kill three of mine one day about that age. The bigger they are the less different kinds of predators will attack. Also I’d watch for when they are all one flock with your big birds. They are more likely targets with no bigger birds close.

 

[PippinTheChicken]

My chickens don't free range unless someone is home. There is that one time I forgot to put them back in before leaving (was only gone for 30mins) and they were fine.

I don't like to leave them free ranging alone

 

[Miami Leghorn]

My German Sheps are the first to bark and my Pitty mix is the first to kill. I’ve seen her snatch a bird out of the air that was flying. I pray she never tries to snatch a hawk out of the air
She’s even killed a copper head without a single bite on her. I think us rescuing her from a shelter where she spent 6 months of her puppyhood inside a small concrete cage (outdoors at that) she is now soaking up all the free range and using her natural born abilities.

Nice.