Free range without a roo?

[EricMd01]

Hello everyone. I have 7 7 week old chicks. Theyre all hens as far as I can tell. I was wanting to start letting them out in the evenings to get them used to free ranging. I was wondering if free ranging is ok without a roo.

 

[cafarmgirl]

Free ranging with or without a rooster is always a risk. Whether or not you are ok with that risk and with the knowledge that at some point you are going to loose birds, maybe multiple birds, to predators, is what you need to base your decision on. At that young age, if they don't have any older birds to learn from, they are pretty vulnerable to predators. Well chickens of any age are but especially chicks. Having an adult rooster can help but he can't prevent attacks if a predator decides it is going to take a meal.

I let youngsters out to "free range" in a fenced pasture with the older birds once they are 10 - 12 weeks old and almost the same size as the mature birds. The fence has deterred roaming dogs and other predators so that I have not lost a bird to a predator in many years. When I was totally free ranging my flock was decimated by coyotes and roaming dogs were always a big threat. It's easier to absorb losses if you have a big flock, with just a few birds it's easy to loose all your birds very quickly.

 

[bobbi-j]

Free ranging with a rooster is also a risk. They can keep an eye out for predators, they can give a warning call, but MOST roosters are not going to be able to fend off a predator like a fox, coon, coyote, or stray dog. My rooster was killed in the line of duty last summer along with several hens. The hens and one immature roo (son of the one killed) continued to free range throughout the summer. Often, if there is no rooster, a dominant hen will take on the "guard duty" that a rooster will do. If you are comfortable with the thought that you will - at some point in your chicken keeping - lose birds to a predator, then yes - it is OK to free range without (or with) a rooster.

 

[EricMd01]

Thanks! I think I'm going to try it. I know I'll lose birds at some point so Thats not a big concern.

 

[EricMd01]

Here are my chicks. Ive had them for 6 weeks so they may be a lil more young than 7 weeks.

 

[centrarchid]

In my setup the biggest taker of young chickens like you have are Coopers Hawks. Other critters already noted are hard for rooster to deal with but for me, roosters shut Coopers hawks down so long as young birds and rooster stay together. Rooster must be adult and not something silly like bantam, silkie or polish. The rooster must be fast and be able to distract and sometimes even drive hawk off. I have never had hawk actually go after rooster, hawk always seems dead set on chicks / juveniles.

Other predators need bigger measures or short / supervised free-range time.

 

[superdeluxe]

Hello everyone. I have 7 7 week old chicks. Theyre all hens as far as I can tell. I was wanting to start letting them out in the evenings to get them used to free ranging. I was wondering if free ranging is ok without a roo.

We didn't let ours out until they were about 12 weeks. We have a bunch of cover/shrubs that the girls run when threatened. Which happened once. We have a ton of crows and they go crazy when hawks around and the girls make a run for it. We've never seen any raccoons or anything, a couple of times a cat chased a hen or two, but cats are not really a match for a full grown hen

 

[EricMd01]

Here are a couple pics of the girls. They get big so fast.

 

[bustedchicks]

Havent had any problems with free ranging mine. They have high perch es too so they were safe even with the door open all night. Hopefully I wont have to roll that dice again. One comical cat chase and if actually caight I would probably be proud for her.
The big concern is the hawks but between me and the 3 neighbors with chicken there is too much to choose from