Free ranging pros and cons?

[GrammiChelle]

This is my first flock and I was so proud because I hasn't lost any to ill health except for one chick the very first week. Over the summer, I started letting them free range in the backyard, gradually letting them out longer and longer as things were going well. But it all changed yesterday and my babies are mad at me, but they are back in the run, except for when I can go out and watch them a while right before bedtime.

I lost three yesterday, my biggest Langshan rooster, a beautiful black boy, a Blue Langsgan hen and a RIR hen. They just disappeared. Not really sure if it was neighbors dogs. I can't imagine it was a wild predator because they were right beside the house. But the neighbors are pretty good at keeping their dogs penned up, and I didn't see it happen, so I just don't know.

I was having a bit of an overcrowding problem, because I really hadn't expected to keep them all alive. I mean, I expected greater losses earlier because of my inexperience, but I hadn't lost many, so my hen house was a bit full, but they were managing. They are 20 weeks old now. I'm really upset about the rooster. He was a pretty good specimen of his breed considering he was a hatchery chick from TSC. I was hoping to use him for breeding. He was very big and beautiful. I have a blue rooster, but he's not as big or well formed, although I love him and he's very sweet.
They are just chickens, but I still feel awful about losing three of them. It's my job to keep them safe and I failed them. Live and learn, I guess.

 

[ShockValue]

I love free ranging, but the only cons I've found so far (covered previously, but my own experience):

They seem to know that the grass is greener in the neighbors yard. We have 2 acres to roam, but they seem to take the shortest path off our property. I put up a temporary chicken wire barrier in the mean time. Luckily I have great neighbors and they say they don't mind. But I'm paying them off in eggs anyway to keep the relationship good.

I have 5 laying hens. I've been getting fewer eggs than anticipated the last week or so. I locked them in the coop today, and not surprisingly, I got all the eggs I was anticipating. I'm sure there are eggs in the bushes someplace!

 

[Phoenixxx]

This is my first flock and I was so proud because I hasn't lost any to ill health except for one chick the very first week. Over the summer, I started letting them free range in the backyard, gradually letting them out longer and longer as things were going well. But it all changed yesterday and my babies are mad at me, but they are back in the run, except for when I can go out and watch them a while right before bedtime.

I lost three yesterday, my biggest Langshan rooster, a beautiful black boy, a Blue Langsgan hen and a RIR hen. They just disappeared. Not really sure if it was neighbors dogs. I can't imagine it was a wild predator because they were right beside the house. But the neighbors are pretty good at keeping their dogs penned up, and I didn't see it happen, so I just don't know.

I was having a bit of an overcrowding problem, because I really hadn't expected to keep them all alive. I mean, I expected greater losses earlier because of my inexperience, but I hadn't lost many, so my hen house was a bit full, but they were managing. They are 20 weeks old now. I'm really upset about the rooster. He was a pretty good specimen of his breed considering he was a hatchery chick from TSC. I was hoping to use him for breeding. He was very big and beautiful. I have a blue rooster, but he's not as big or well formed, although I love him and he's very sweet.
They are just chickens, but I still feel awful about losing three of them. It's my job to keep them safe and I failed them. Live and learn, I guess.

In my 2+ years experience, they don't just wander off never to return. If I'm short at evening's head-count and lock-up, I'll often find the missing one(s) roosting in nearby trees, on the coop roof, in my garage or on my husband's motorcycle. I've only ever had 2 that just "vanished", about 8 weeks old. I do have a few foxes that have been around this year, but they normally leave evidence behind. However, with the little ones, I found nothing in my yard or either of the adjoining neighbours' yards. Chickens are pretty good about going home at night, even though they may choose someplace outside the coop to sleep. Something sneaky had to have snatched them. And the sneaky somethings always snatch our faves, must be the Murphy's law of chicken-keeping!

 

[Phoenixxx]

I love free ranging, but the only cons I've found so far (covered previously, but my own experience):

They seem to know that the grass is greener in the neighbors yard. We have 2 acres to roam, but they seem to take the shortest path off our property.  I put up a temporary chicken wire barrier in the mean time.   Luckily I have great neighbors and they say they don't mind.  But I'm paying them off in eggs anyway to keep the relationship good.

I have 5 laying hens.   I've been getting fewer eggs than anticipated the last week or so.    I locked them in the coop today, and not surprisingly, I got all the eggs I was anticipating.    I'm sure there are eggs in the bushes someplace!

Mine, too! My adults are boundary-trained in the meantime but my youngsters just HAVE to be over at the neighbour's! Hopefully they'll be trained soon, too; running outside every 15 minutes and chasing them back gets exhausting after a while!

 

[centrarchid]

Look at the microhabitats the birds gravitate towards. You will see a pattern.


With juveniles going separately, that is often a function of their need to avoid adults.


Consider allowing some areas to grow in into dense grasses / forbs.

 

[SixChickFlock]

Gardening fun with a free range flock...

I planted a bunch of native-ish plants today. Bolstering the late summer colors in the garden. Every time I took a shovel full of soil out of the weedy bed, Astrid was right there to check it for worms or whatever she was looking for! She's not afraid of the shovel, so I have to be careful. When I replace the soil to bed in the plants, Astrid is right there to level it off! She was actually sort of a help... And someone to talk to!!!

All the girls got extra worms as I separated the weeds from the soil in the wheelbarrow,

And they LOVE wandering through the grasses and forbs in my little prairie plots.

 

[SmColorInDaPan]

They are just chickens, but I still feel awful about losing three of them. It's my job to keep them safe and I failed them. Live and learn, I guess.

Grammi, Hawks, possums, foxes and in more Urban areas, NEiGHBORS.. Stuff happens.
I live on 20 acres out in the sticks, sleep like a dead body and 2 bricks so crowing Roos barely bothers me BUT….Did you check with your ngbrs on the Roos BEFORE you got them? There are folks who could of decided on having Pets, eggs since you were doing so well, trying to sleep in…& as another said, they could be roosting in a nbrs tree?! Folks are the only ones *stranger* than animals & OH, BOY!

Don't take it so hard, hon, Poop happens. I left my untrained dog in the house with 6 new chicks. COULDN'T blv i could be so stupid. He paid for it in stink later, but It took me forever to forgive myself for THAT one.

 

[SmColorInDaPan]

Oh, i forgot to add…I've been out and about these days, the cool is getting here so needing to clean/store things up. The chickens have been following me. Kind of fun although I think after so many times finding bugs floating in troughs, they 'expect' something when Ol Ma is scooting around the place. Moved a log yesterday to find all sorts of worms, OH, BOY that kept them busy for long after I got the log thrown out of the way! Yeah, I don't think i COULD have chickens locked up in a coop, TOO MUCH WORK to take all the leftovers from making salads to a coop! Throw it off the porch, it disappears!!!

 

[lazy gardener]

I've had to keep my flock penned up lately due to seeding a new lawn. What a nuisance that is! So much easier to let them have the run of the yard. And I also like to fling my supper left overs off the end of the deck. Best garbage disposal ever!!

 

[GrammiChelle]

Grammi, Hawks, possums, foxes and in more Urban areas, NEiGHBORS.. Stuff happens.
        I live on 20 acres out in the sticks, sleep like a dead body and 2 bricks so crowing Roos barely bothers me BUT….Did you check with your ngbrs on the Roos BEFORE you got them? There are folks who could of decided on having Pets, eggs since you were doing so well, trying to sleep in…& as another said, they could be roosting in a nbrs tree?!   Folks are the only ones *stranger* than animals & OH, BOY!     
Don't take it so hard, hon, Poop happens. I left my untrained dog in the house with 6 new chicks. COULDN'T blv i could be so stupid. He paid for it in stink later, but It took me forever to forgive myself for THAT one.

Well, the good news is one of them returned. My little red hen, Polly Ester, showed up yesterday after three days of being gone. She just walked into the yard and joined the flock like nothing ever happened. I tried interrogating her about the other two missing chickens, but short of water boarding her, I don't think she will talk. Lol
So now there are two theories.
1 something got the other two and Polly Ester ran away and hid, or got lost, and just now made it home.
2 the other two are nesting somewhere and Polly just got tired of being with them.

In answer to SmColorInDaPan, I live on 5 acres and there were already chickens, American Game Fowl, on the property when we moved in. We rent this place and the homeowners abandoned these chickens, a rooster and three hens, who have created 11 more this spring and summer. I throw feed out for them and make sure they have access to water with ACV. They like to go into the coop when my chickens are out. I have 6 RIR pullets and right now, for sure, 4 Langshans, 1 young cockerel and 3pullets. They are 20 weeks old. This is a farm community and all the neighbors have livestock, mostly goats and horses. No one complains about my rooster because he doesn't crow yet, but the Game rooster starts about 4:30 am. Thankfully, he is back by the pasture and doesn't usually wake me up. Even if he does, I enjoy hearing him. My neighbors houses are far enough away, they wouldn't hear it loudly enough to wake them up, besides, I don't complain about their barking dogs, all 5 of them. Lol

I'm inclined to hope because I've looked and looked and haven't found a bunch of feathers anywhere that makes me think that I have found a kill spot. On one side of our property, there is very thick brush and mesquite trees. So it's possible they are hiding in there somewhere. I can't go in there, it's probably full of snakes and scorpions. But for now, I'm hopeful that my two Langshans have gone off and the hen has gone broody and Billy won't leave her. I don't think the Langshan hen laid any eggs yet. Possibly, the red hen laid the egg, and the Langshan went broody on it?? To my knowledge, none of my girls have laid yet. And it seems strange that they would wander off for that reason instead of go in the coop, especially to go someplace they've never gone before. Up til last Thursday, my chickens stayed between the house and the coop all day. But I have found evidence of chicken scratching and at keast one footprint to prove they've been over near that brush.
It's a real mystery where's Sherlock when you need him??????
lol but I am hoping for the other two to appear at some point. I'm not sure if an egg laid by one of mine would be fertile anyway. It's possible the game rooster got to them, although I've never seen him try, and my chickens always run him off if he comes near. I don't know if my two boys are mature enough to fertilize eggs? They are Langsgans, which I'm told mature slower, only 20 weeks old, and they don't crow yet, just honk a little now and then. I've not seen any mounting, but I've seen what I thought might be an attempt, but only once. Of course, I don't watch them 24/7. So who knows?
It's really a mystery and I'm hoping for a happy ending at some point. I will keep trying to find them!