Free ranging in predator country

[NaperLix]

I would never consider hens “ disposable”,and hold great disdain for individuals who do.These pitiful creatures ,should not care for innocent animals.
Concrete is terrible for their feet,guess that’s an afterthought as well…

 

[Geena]

no one dog can win a 20 vs 1 fight

Right, or even 5 to 1, unless it was perhaps foxes or raccoons. No way a single GP is taking on a pack of wolves, very doubtful it would even be able win a 1 on 1 fight with a wolf. They are nice dogs and very good at warding off predators, but they aren't especially strong or athletic.

 

[netmar]

not to step on anyone's toes but This dog took out 8 of 11 coyotes and survived
https://nypost.com/2022/12/04/georg...kills-8-coyotes-after-pack-attacks-his-sheep/

 

[Geena]

not to step on anyone's toes but This dog took out 8 of 11 coyotes and survived
https://nypost.com/2022/12/04/georg...kills-8-coyotes-after-pack-attacks-his-sheep/

Good dog! But coyotes are usually half to one quarter the size of a wolf.

ETA - and I hate to be cynical (but I often am anyway) you are only hearing the owner's account of what happened, who incidentally is trying to raise money to pay the vet bills.

 

[Yvette In California]

I would love to free range my girls. In fact, we originally intended to, with supervision. We live in a suburb here in Southern California. Our back yard is fully fenced in. We do get racoons, possums, skunks, cats, occasionally coyote. BUT we have a healthy amount of hawks and to my surprise, Peregrine Falcons. No sooner had we installed the coop and then limited run, we saw the hawks and falcon perching in our yard and eyeing the girls. Like, "oh look, why is my buffet line obstructed?"

As so many have said, it's up to you of course.

For us, we added a walk in run. I have been intending to install chicken tunnels/chunnels to enhance their daily activities. But with the birds of prey (despite us having many trees, too!!!!) as a regular part of our neighborhood's ecosystem, free ranging will not be an option.

 

[Djeje]

I only free range my girls when one of us -including the dog- is out there with them..pretty much daily..

We have weasels fox coyote owls hawks..the girls have a nice outdoor run attached to their indoor but when I am outside working I let them out and they usually hang out pretty close by.. they even come into the barn with me when I am taking care of the horses..a big help

If I sense the merest threat..(neighbor dogs..girls on alert..etc I immediately call out "Treat treat" and they come running straight into their run..

Call me paranoid but there you have it..

 

[ChicFil- A]

You are the only person who can define what "acceptable" is to you.

I don't have as many predators as you do, but I still do not free range. I have a small flock, so any loss to predators would be unacceptable to me. But that's me.

As people have said on here, if you free range, you will eventually lose birds to predators.

I choose not to free range because my flock is small and I would be guilt ridden There are days I will let the chickens free in the back yard but I stay near by….I lost a hen last year and it was so quick she just disappeared never to be seen again, I still feel bad… I let my guard down and opened the run so they could forage and when I went to put them away one was missing we searched the property no feathers
or any evidence… just gone. It’s quite an investment in food and effort to loose a hen.

 

[texsuze]

Here in Cen. TX the predators are similar to yours. I try to plan for safety and to reduce predator access to my flock. Having said that, my girls have unrestricted daytime access to my large barn, pasture with mature trees, a dense cenizo (sage) hedge, and various manmade "stuff" to duck underneath. All this in addition to two fully-enclosed runs and two small coops. I secure them inside their run/coop each and every night.

My barn pasture and barnyard (+/- 4 acres) are fenced with 5' no-climb horse fence with electric tape running along the top and electric wire running close to the bottom of the fence. This was built years ago for horses. I've installed lots of field fence 'aprons' along the bottom outside edge of nearly the entire pasture complex, mostly when I discover armadillo holes under the fence. I believe the fencing has helped deter most all land predators. For predators on the wing I can only use/provide trees and shrubs and structures for my hens to hide under.

Despite your brushy environment, if fencing is a possibility, and if you can undertake some selective brush clearing along a proposed fence line, I would recommend that as a first line of defense, along with the added hot wire or tape. IMHO a fence doesn't wander, bark incessantly, need to eat or require veterinary care.

 

[sarahconnor]

I'm in the process of building my flock. I have a predator proof coop/run with concrete flooring, but as my flock expands I'm considering free ranging them.
I have raccoon, fox, bobcat, wild hogs, coyotes, and the occasional mountain lion out here, not to mention owls and hawks out here in west Texas. There is plenty of cover with cedar, mesquite, shin oak, live oak, Texas persimmon and other brush. To say the grass is sparse is a bit of an overstatement.
I've looked into electric fencing and guardian animals. Fencing cost is not an issue when compared to purchasing and maintaining a guardian animal in my opinion, but it would be labor intensive due to the brush. I don't think I want a guardian animal in the event I go out of town.
My questions are:
Does anyone here have similar challenges with predators and environment and how you deal with them?
Do you you think my losses will be acceptable if i just let them roam with a flock of 30+ as long as they are locked up nightly? The only predator I occasionally see during the day is gray fox.

I'm in the process of building my flock. I have a predator proof coop/run with concrete flooring, but as my flock expands I'm considering free ranging them.
I have raccoon, fox, bobcat, wild hogs, coyotes, and the occasional mountain lion out here, not to mention owls and hawks out here in west Texas. There is plenty of cover with cedar, mesquite, shin oak, live oak, Texas persimmon and other brush. To say the grass is sparse is a bit of an overstatement.
I've looked into electric fencing and guardian animals. Fencing cost is not an issue when compared to purchasing and maintaining a guardian animal in my opinion, but it would be labor intensive due to the brush. I don't think I want a guardian animal in the event I go out of town.
My questions are:
Does anyone here have similar challenges with predators and environment and how you deal with them?
Do you you think my losses will be acceptable if i just let them roam with a flock of 30+ as long as they are locked up nightly? The only predator I occasionally see during the day is gray fox.

My birds LOVE free ranging. Our losses got high as I believe a coyote was grabbing them during the day. We stopped for a good while but now range them outside for a few hours per day (1-4:30pm) and I trained them to come to me to go back in their secure run and house a good hour before sunset. I keep windows open so I can listen and in winter I let them out less. Egg quality is much better when they range. My goose is a good lookout and gets very loud if any problems occur. She also yells at the Roos when they fight each over the girls.
I have 3 roosters and 15 hens.
We have coyotes, eagles, hawks, raccoons, and foxes. Foxes and hawks are the worst. Raccoons are bad at night but our hen house is strong. No way are they getting in.
Ranging is important for me as my goose needs grass. When I stopped ranging them she missed a laying cycle.
Good luck.

 

[Ponyiqandhens2]

Everywhere is predator country. Mine are not disposable,have names, come when called.

We have fox,bobcats,possums,raccoons, coyotes&coydogs,dumped dogs 2 types of hawks, pegrine falcons, multiple owls, cats, dogs, snakes and humans

I free range, catahoulahound is with themmuch of the day..he was a feral hog hunter,known here as a hog dog. My kennel for my rott/something giant is 12 feet from my back porch ..back porch has roosting bars,perchs ,coop and 3 other more secure lock up points..

We have multiple spayed/neuteredbarn cats..


We have lots of preplanned hides,banana trees,bamboo, pallet hides,concrete hides, all through thepasture

We have security lights that pop on to cat size movement..

And a really great rooster..have 3 roosters, but theyounger two are learning and get better day by day..



Will i lose one yes.. have i,once to ablue heron my rooster kind of warned but he wasnt sure.. they rarely take chickens it was during alternating freeze/flood for 10 days.. and we have lots of egrets and cow birds that have similar body type and hang out in ditches..iwasnt aware they would, had to call my wildlife& fisheries neighbor..and it was a 9 week old pullet..

Said was likely struggling to find food and they are opportunistic but it would behighly unusual for itto come back..

In a year..i lost one other pullet but she wasin the small coop with me at the door when aneighbors dog got offleash ran through me and cornered her in the coop..and killed her theminute he grabbed her,snapping her neck.. all the others were able to flee or already out..ran by those..not akiller they havechickensnow just not trained,it was anew pup..

When we hit drought weather i put water on edge of the property.. so they dont come to thehorsetroughs..we have feeding stations forferalcats towards outsideof thepropwrty. One of my horses has killed2 coyotes over the years..

I have cows,sheep horses all around me, two neighbors have 2 lgds with flock/herds as well as both have a donkey as well..

My girls are aerial predator savvy.. by mid afternoon
When we see the most they are sleeping in the dense brush/thickets


I see people lose whole flocks in "predator proof runs and coops, so for me free ranging is what feels safe and right...there are lots of backyard flocks and huge gamebird flocks around me..many of the gamebird flocks the hens free range.. most of the back yard flocksfree range..i think location matters south louisiana