Free ranging is so hard!

[gritsar]

If you pay really close attention, you might notice your chickens staying under cover at certain times of day (when hawks are most likely to be feeding). Mine also go into hiding when they hear the crows making a certain fuss (meaning the eagles are around). Chickens may be a few fries short of a happy meal, but they have survivial instincts.

 

[Shannon's Chix]

I'm still in the "hovering mama" mode. My lot is cleared where my girls are so I do worry about the hawks!

Funny thing though, my 4 pullets seem to be hard-wired to be on alert if a hawk is nearby. They'll all stand at attention and be very still...then I'll hear a hawk off in the distance. Or if one flies nearby they run for the run. Smart girls!

It's so sad because I go out there with my arms loaded with treats for them, treats for me and a drink and camp out.

Duh! Think I'll try getting some places for them to hide and MAYBE doing a few potty break trial runs or something...

 

[briana1975]

It has gotten easier. We have a lot of cover for them and 4 turkeys that tell everyone to hide even for airplanes. Which is funny because we are in the flight path of Detroit Metro Airport. But the calling them to treats is great advice. I barely have to call mine now and they all come running due to me always having a little something for them. Now I can't be in the yard without someone underfoot. I also notice my vision impaired silkies stick close to the coop. I think it is all that fluff on their heads.

 

[Kiwi Chicky]

I don't envy you at all!

I'm very glad we don't have the predator problems here, for my chickies the biggest problem is the road and tanker trucks! But they stay away from there.

We have no snakes, no racoons, no foxes and our hawks only eat smaller animals and road kill.

But I still check up on my chickens and do a head count a few times a day

 

[Serrin]

Yes Dixie, it does get easier over time. When our girls were about a month and a half old, we started them out by letting them free range in the fenced in veggie garden. By the time they were big enough to do this, the garden was big enough to handle all of the scratching and dust baths they would take.

DH and I would escort the girls every morning from the coop and run, down to the garden. We'd watch them for about an hour and then leave them to their own devices. Then about two hours later, their tummies as full of garden goodies as they could handle, we'd escort them back to the coop.

Now days, they're out all day every day. We only lock them in for the night time because we do have nocturnal predators around here.

We did have one hawk attack last autumn. Abigail was the victim, but I did manage to rescue her. Amazingly, and very fortunately, she came away from the whole dramatic scene with only a few feathers missing. I, on the other hand, nearly had a heart attack!

There are always going to be risks in free ranging. Being able to accept those risks as the possible price for giving your birds an awesome and natural life is probably the hardest part to come to grips with. But, when you see how much they are enjoying themselves, something in your heart lifts and you get to the point where you're not only comfortable with letting them out, you can't imagine keeping them IN!

So, no, you're not crazy...you just love your babies!

 

[BigSkyChickens]

I started letting my flock of four out in the early evening for some free range time..... I felt like a psycho, hovering over them with the rake, until I read this thread. I make DBF stand guard as well. Our backyard is not totally fenced in, and we have hawks. Wow, did the chooks LOVE IT! I can now see the "reward" side of the risk/reward deal.

Serrin, glad your Abigail was OK - what time of day was your hawk incident? I'm curious if there is time of day that's more hawk-prone than others......