Free range unattended?

[Tashua]

We started supervised free ranging with a smaller
Sized temporary pen made out of plastic caution fencing when the girls were about 6 weeks old.
They are going to be a year in august ( time flys !!!! )
Now they free range only when we are here to hang out with them in the evenings , put them away otherwise .
We live in very rural area & see hawks,owls ,fox coyotes & more .........regularly on the 5 acres

 

[BigBlueHen53]

I have friends who let their chickens free range across sidewalks in the front yard where there are no fences and lots of cars and they do just fine but they have a rooster

have a rooster incase of a hawk or coyote and you will be just fine

A hawk or coyote can take a rooster as easily as a hen.

 

[morsekathan]

We let them out when we aren't there during the day. If we go away for the whole day or overnight, they go into their run which is very large and also covered and a neighbor comes to collects eggs, feed and check on them. (We have an automated door, so locking them into the coop at night or letting them out in the morning is not necessary.) We've have lost a lot to predators and daytime attacks - hence the covered run, but the girls love to free range so much that it just seems mean to keep them in. For a while I didn't have hens because we lost so many and I hate keeping them locked up. But then I decided that since they aren't worried about being eaten and the quality of their life is so much happier when they are outside, that I would take the risk of losing some. So far, not that many! And they are so happy and healthy. But I get why people don't want to take the risk. It's a personal decision and I don't ask the neighbors to let them out while we're gone. It would be too much to expect of them to deal with carnage if predators did take a hen.

 

[Bryce Thomas]

FYI having a rooster can defending from a fox but at most thats about it

have TONS of places to hide, like under pieces of wood, maybe under the house foundation or under the coop or basically anywhere. Even a hollowed out tree trunk on the ground can help

but you HAVE to make sure every hide has 2 exits, if a coyote or fox gets in there all your chickens are going to be KFC because your chickens cant run away. Always consider putting down mountain lion urine to deter coyotes and foxes, you can consider putting up great horned owl statues as owls and hawks and eagles are all predators and prey of each other

 

[Gammas Bearded Babies]

I had mine free ranging (as far as they were brave enough to go) when they were 5.5 weeks old.

Mine are 4-5 weeks...3 silkies 1 polish. I began letting them hang out in playpen in backyard last week because they were getting too big for the brooder and pickin on each other. They have been doing well. But for most part they are in the coop/run during day

 

[Rusty Hills Farm]

FWIW:

I raised 6 RIRs to 12 weeks before I let them free range. They loved it! They had a whole 2 acres to range with lots of tree cover. I decided to run quick to the store at the end of the road for a Slurpy. Gone not even 10 minutes. Came back to 6 dead, mangled, bloody bodies. Never did find out what killed them.

Just 10 lousy minutes.

 

[agold23]

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 leave my flock of 6 out free range although the youngest are 13/14 weeks. We live surrounded by forest and swamp land so we have a plethora of coyotes, fishers, foxes, birds of prey and we even saw a black bear run across the road in front of our place once. That being said, we do have a 70lbs irish wolfhound mix who patrols the area, keeping most predators away. For your situation, I’d maybe keep them outside when you’re outside and inside the run/coop when you’re unable to watch them or wait until they’ve grown bigger before you let them out all the time!

 

[Miami Leghorn]

Mine are 4-5 weeks...3 silkies 1 polish. I began letting them hang out in playpen in backyard last week because they were getting too big for the brooder and pickin on each other. They have been doing well. But for most part they are in the coop/run during day

Hate to be negative but we have a small flock of silkies and I got to tell you these poor things are as dumb as rocks. They're six months old and still haven't learn how to walk up the coop.Our Silkie rooster's two years old and he just stands there at the entrance of the coop waiting for them to follow him and they just can't get it. They stay together in a tight group and just sit on the floor and wait for someone to pick them up and put them in the coop.

 

[Kellyjenny]

I was free-ranging all the time and very cautious. Until one morning I woke up whent in my coop looked out the window and saw this.once it new where the food was it was there waiting ever morning.

 

[LavenderMotherHen]

We let them out when we aren't there during the day. If we go away for the whole day or overnight, they go into their run which is very large and also covered and a neighbor comes to collects eggs, feed and check on them. (We have an automated door, so locking them into the coop at night or letting them out in the morning is not necessary.) We've have lost a lot to predators and daytime attacks - hence the covered run, but the girls love to free range so much that it just seems mean to keep them in. For a while I didn't have hens because we lost so many and I hate keeping them locked up. But then I decided that since they aren't worried about being eaten and the quality of their life is so much happier when they are outside, that I would take the risk of losing some. So far, not that many! And they are so happy and healthy. But I get why people don't want to take the risk. It's a personal decision and I don't ask the neighbors to let them out while we're gone. It would be too much to expect of them to deal with carnage if predators did take a hen.

Same- it may be different because we live in town and they get our fenced backyard to roam in. I’ve only lost birds when they left the backyard and the neighbors dog got them. I’ve since fixed all the holes, and get after the kids to keep the gate shut. I also keep them in a coop/run that’s big enough that should I need to keep them in- I can. I don’t let them out until afternoon usually. We live on 1/3 acre.