Free Range vs. Chicken Run

[Beekissed]

Trust me~ they know the difference. Especially if they have ever free ranged primarily and then were penned. Chickens like their familiar and if the run was their familiar, then they may enjoy that more. If freedom is their security and being able to run when they feel threatened, then free range is their desire. I've seen my free rangers having to put up with being penned and they are like caged tigers just waiting to get a chance to get out.

 

[RHRanch]

Quote:
I agree - once they get to enjoying free ranging, they don't tolerate confinement well. They are creatures of habit. Lucky for me, I have a fenced prop and lots of tree coverage so I never loose adult birds to predation during the day. (Hawks will take little onbes, so they stay in grow out pens until large enough to range with the flock)

 

[flyboy129]

X2 on the dog. My parents free range theirs on 8 acres during the day. Occasionally one doesn't return at night, but they might only loose 1-2 a year at most. They are in the fort at night, and the three dogs get to catch their possums, coons, and other prey.

 

[busyteacher]

We have 8 hens that we keep in our run. The run is approximately 25'x30'. They seem very happy to be out there each day scratching and dust bathing. We did have one little lady that kept getting over then fence, but we clipped her wings and she is perfectly content inside the run now that she has no choice. We are not home during the day so it would not be feasible for ours to free range with no supervision. We live in an area with too many different types of predators.