Free Ranging Concerns

[bbouch111]

Hi, I'm new both to this site and to owning chickens. I currently have 8 Barred Rock chickens about 10 weeks old and have them free ranging in my backyard while I'm home and outside with them.

My question and concern is whether or not I can leave them to free roam while I go off to work? My yard is totally fenced in with 6' high fences and has an abnormal amount of tree cover (whole yard is shade almost all day).

I've never seen any coyotes or foxes in my yard but that doesn't mean I don't have them.

Does anyone let their chickens free range unsupervised and not have any issues with predators?

 

[sumi]

Welcome to BYC! I let my flocks free range over the years and though I have lost some to predators, they were mostly fine. Your fence should be a good deterrent for predators and provide some safety for your birds, but even fences like that won't keep determined creatures out, unfortunately.

I'd suggest letting them free range while you are home at first, so you can supervise and see how things go, before letting them out while you are gone. If only for peace of mind.

 

[Glitterchicks]

Hi, I'm new both to this site and to owning chickens. I currently have 8 Barred Rock chickens about 10 weeks old and have them free ranging in my backyard while I'm home and outside with them.

My question and concern is whether or not I can leave them to free roam while I go off to work? My yard is totally fenced in with 6' high fences and has an abnormal amount of tree cover (whole yard is shade almost all day).

I've never seen any coyotes or foxes in my yard but that doesn't mean I don't have them.

Does anyone let their chickens free range unsupervised and not have any issues with predators?

I leave my 10-13 week chickens free range all day, even when I'm not home. They do great! I checked on them often the first few days, then only left for 2 hours at a time, but by day 4 or 5 they've been on their own all day. At the end of the day, they head into the coop by themselves so I just lock it up before I head to bed and let them out in threw morning!

I have a 6ft tall vinyl fence and I know fox and coyotes are nearby but they can't/ don't jump the fence. I worry about the hawks, but we're around so much farm land that I think our backyard isn't worth the trouble. I could be VERY wrong in my assumption, but we have had no problems in the 8 weeks spent outside.

 

[Folly's place]

Welcome! My flock is out there most days without supervision, and generally it's fine. BUT over time, you will have losses to predators, unless they are locked in Ft. Knox 24/7. It's a trade-off we make, and then have to live with. Everybody loves chicken!!!
Raptors tend to get one bird, usually a small or young individual, who's not careful or unlucky. The rest of the birds learn about raptors and are more cautious, and it's best to lock them in for ten to twenty days afterwards, until that hawk gives up and moves on.
Raccoons, opossums, and skunks hunt best at night, so that good coop helps a lot. A family of raccoons could take out birds during the day in your fenced yard, but hopefully not.
Foxes will show up during the day, and might kill everyone. I lost ten nice hens once to a fox, a very bad story.
Dogs are also bad, if they can get in, as are weasels. A motivated animal could dig under that fence in a short time!
Sorry to be so negative, but free ranging is good for the birds, except for those terrible days when it's not.
Mary

 

[bbouch111]

Thanks for all the quick replies! It seems to be that the predator threat is just something that you have to learn to live with lol. Getting my chicks in their coop is a hassle some nights but I've noticed with a light they go in on their own for the most part.

They just seem much happier when they're allowed more room. Have to weigh risk vs. reward I guess!

 

[CannedMonster]

We’ve been blessed so far with very little predator presence in our area.
My birds free range every day, all day.
Whether we’re home or not.
There’s a lot of wild prey animals (dove, quail, squirrels,etc) so I think there’s plenty for predators to eat without sampling chicken lol.
I know that doesn’t mean it’ll never happen.
If you’re worried about them going over your fence (some birds can do a 6’ fence) just clip one wing on each.

 

[RWise]

If one free ranges, there will be losses from time to time. I free range and have many predators, most keep their distance from me. I do loose a bird now and then, mostly to the neighbors cat/dogs, not the wild critters.

 

[Th55]

Im new here and to chickens but recently got some and learned a lot in a hurry.
When I got mine they were mature and educated somewhat to predators, they had been allowed out of the coop to forage in the afternoons but not totally free ranging unsupervised. They were really cramped up on a small location with too many others birds but they acclimated well here and look healthier now than when I got them.

At 10 weeks I’d watch them pretty close for another month or two unless you have an alpha rooster in the bunch that has really taken up the watchdog task. I’m not sure how an alpha hen in an all girl group would compare to the rooster as leader. Maybe someone will comment on that.

I initially got 1 roo with 3 hens and its entertaining to watch him take care of the group, not much gets past him without him saying something.

 

[Flockandfowl46]

I'm a firm believer in free range it's just a chance you take although now I keep an eye on the rabbit and squirrel population which seems to help and in the fall and winter months I tend to let them out later and put them up earlier because of general predator activity unfortunately you learn the hard way sometimes...the first year I lost 63 chickens and in the last 4 years I've only lost 1 through trial and error and adjustments

 

[Th55]

Wow there's no way I could learn or improve ANYTHInG that fast, that's awsome improvement.

You wouldn't happen to do taxes on the side would you?