Free ranging pros and cons?

[Beekissed]

I've never had any BOs forage and free range with good success....maybe folks who have them in a small area like yours would think they do fine. I don't think the smell of your penned dog will discourage a fox...they are pretty smart and crafty animals. My neighbor had hunting dogs chained all around~and I do mean all around, as in a circle~ his chicken run and rabbit hutches and the foxes cleaned him out in short order.

Since they are pets, you might consider expanding their run and creating a habitat more suitable for chicken life....give them a composting deep litter in which to forage for bugs, place some grow frames so they can forage for greens in that manner, give them some stumps, rocks and such in their area on which to climb, roost, etc. You'll have the best of both worlds then, with the chickens loving their confinement more than they do now and they'll be safely inside of a fence...well...as safe as they can be in a fence with nowhere to run to when a predator gets in there. But...that's the life with chickens, they are on everyone's menu.

Here's a pic of grow frames....




Deep litter is easy to place.....just gather leaves, lawn debris, grass clippings, twigs, woody weed stems, a little straw and hay, bark, wood chips, etc. into the run about 10-12 in. deep and just keep adding to that as it composts down. You'll need something on the sides of the run to contain the litter and let it build deep. That will have the added benefit of keeping your chickens healthier, giving them something to do, keeping the smell and flies down in their run and providing them extra proteins while also giving you some compost for your garden if you garden.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

My BO do just fine with free ranging. A few years ago when a young coyote started taking my birds, he got away with 9 chickens and one muscovy drake before my husband finally got a shot at him. None of the birds he got were BO's. I have polish that free range too and are really good at it, I did trim some crests but it was so they could see the rooster coming. I do have multiple roosters with the flock and there's always at least one with any group of hens that go out farther. Roosters can make free ranging safer because they are always looking around for trouble.

 

[snhchick]

I've never had any BOs forage and free range with good success....maybe folks who have them in a small area like yours would think they do fine. I don't think the smell of your penned dog will discourage a fox...they are pretty smart and crafty animals. My neighbor had hunting dogs chained all around~and I do mean all around, as in a circle~ his chicken run and rabbit hutches and the foxes cleaned him out in short order.

Since they are pets, you might consider expanding their run and creating a habitat more suitable for chicken life....give them a composting deep litter in which to forage for bugs, place some grow frames so they can forage for greens in that manner, give them some stumps, rocks and such in their area on which to climb, roost, etc. You'll have the best of both worlds then, with the chickens loving their confinement more than they do now and they'll be safely inside of a fence...well...as safe as they can be in a fence with nowhere to run to when a predator gets in there. But...that's the life with chickens, they are on everyone's menu.

Here's a pic of grow frames....




Deep litter is easy to place.....just gather leaves, lawn debris, grass clippings, twigs, woody weed stems, a little straw and hay, bark, wood chips, etc. into the run about 10-12 in. deep and just keep adding to that as it composts down. You'll need something on the sides of the run to contain the litter and let it build deep. That will have the added benefit of keeping your chickens healthier, giving them something to do, keeping the smell and flies down in their run and providing them extra proteins while also giving you some compost for your garden if you garden.

I do have deep litter in the coop and am working on it in the run. I have a couple more dog kennel panels that I can use to expand the run a bit. I've never seen the grow frames before. Do they have hardware cloth on top? Is this to keep the chickens from stripping the greens to nothing? Thanks.

 

[aart]

The grazing frames are pretty cool...they allow them to nibble the growing tips of plant but not scratch the roots out of the ground.

Those pictured above are from here http://www.thegardencoop.com/blog/2012/02/07/grazing-frames-backyard-chickens/

Below are some I made, I highly recommend covering the edges of the HC or fencing.
1/2" hardware cloth for grass-like leaved plants(sod and grains)
1 x 2" fencing for larger leaved plants.
When fresh planting seed I stack a second frame on top until roots are established or they pull the whole plant out.

I like the one at the top best and am converting the others over.
Ripped a half inch off the 2x4's and used it to cover mesh edges to avoid cut feet and subsequent infection (bumblefoot).

 

[lazy gardener]

My 3 Silkie flock is down to 2 after a fox carried off one of my hens today in the middle of the afternoon. These are my first chickens, and I started letting them free range this winter when they would huddle miserably at the gate of their pen. I just started really enjoying the chickens over the past week or so as I started to teach them to come when called by throwing some feed. Now I don't know what to do. The chickens are so much happier free ranging, but I fear that I will just be serving them up to the fox if I let them free range. Is there a particular season that the fox will be so brazen or will this be a permanent problem now that they have discovered the chickens? The chickens were definitely in a danger area: away from the house and near the treeline. We live in a rural area in southern New Hampshire. My husband just happened to look out the window as the fox grabbed the chicken. I now have a roo and a hen. I don't expect to ever have a large flock, not that that necessarily makes it easier to lose a bird. I guess I'm wondering what other's experiences have been in similar situations. Is it really just let them live happily until something eats them as they free range or are there some guidelines for keeping them safer as they free range? Any chance that they will stay closer to the house now that a fox has taken one? I'm thinking of getting them a tractor to keep them safe, but I know that they won't be as happy and I won't enjoy them as much. Not sure that there is a right answer but thought I'd ask anyway. Thanks.

I lost my first birds to hawk predation last summer. Those birds were unmerciful, and would have taken a bird every day, unless i moved forward with decisive plans to protect my flock. I built a 6' tall covered run, but had to take the covering off with the first snow fall. Will put a covering back over as soon as snow season is done. Unfortunately, that only gives me 6 months of coverage! With land predators, you could give them a dose of lead. Also, for land predators, electric poultry netting is a wonderful solution.

Thanks for all of your suggestions. The guide was helpful, but makes me think my Silkies are destined to be penned for life. I think that I already know the answer to this, but here goes. Is there any advantage (for the Silkies) to add a different breed to the flock or will the Silkies just always end up as the "limping Zebras" of the group? I saw an ad on CraigsList for Lemon Cuckoo Orpingtons, which are really beautiful and would lay full sized eggs, which would make my husband happy. So:

#1: Will the Silkies be safer free ranging with these or some other breed of chicken?
#2: Will these two breeds get along?
#3: If I get a full sized roo as part of the new group, is it likely to be better than the Silkie at protecting the flock and is he likely to go after the Silkie roo?

Thanks!

There's safety in numbers. That's why chickens are flock animals. So, the larger your flock, the more sets of eyes there are to be on the look out for predators. But, predators are nondiscriminatory. They will eat the first bird they can sink teeth/claws/talons into. Your silkies should get along with just about any other breed, unless you choose one known for aggression. The good thing is that your docile silkies will be the oldest flock members. Don't expect a roo to do much more than to sound an alarm. And there will be a turf war with your silkie roo. Likely the new roo will win!

The Silkies are pets,so I would like to keep them. I have a fenced yard that is bordered on one side by my house and the other by my dog run. Will the smell of the dog yard keep predators from coming in on that side? Just wondering if I could get away with chicken wire on that stretch of fence to save a bit of money. My thought was to run welded wire along the rest of the fence and add some hiding places, since the yard is just open grass. They stay in a very sturdy coop surrounded by a hardware cloth reinforced run at night.

I see mixed reviews on Orpingtons with regard to their ability to "safely" free range. I was thinking about getting 2-3 of them to free range, with the Silkies in the "protected free range" yard. Thoughts?

As long as you shut your flock in the coop at night, you can use cheaper fencing for day time use. Of course, I say that fully realizing that if a predator comes around during the day, wanting some chicken nuggest, and plastic netting or chicken wire is the only barrier, that predator will get his nuggets. There are just less predators out and about during the day. Foxes... for sure! They like nuggets, and will continue to come around during the day. They can climb over fences, and are great at digging under them.

 

[Phoenixxx]

The Silkies are pets,so I would like to keep them. I have a fenced yard that is bordered on one side by my house and the other by my dog run. Will the smell of the dog yard keep predators from coming in on that side? Just wondering if I could get away with chicken wire on that stretch of fence to save a bit of money. My thought was to run welded wire along the rest of the fence and add some hiding places, since the yard is just open grass. They stay in a very sturdy coop surrounded by a hardware cloth reinforced run at night. I see mixed reviews on Orpingtons with regard to their ability to "safely" free range. I was thinking about getting 2-3 of them to free range, with the Silkies in the "protected free range" yard. Thoughts?

Wildlife are clever. If they see that your dog cannot venture beyond a certain point, the smell will do nothing to dissuade them. I've witnessed my dog barking endlessly towards the back woods some evenings when no other dogs or humans are out so I'm sure it's coons and/or foxes sitting there, taunting her, knowing she won't go through her invisible fence. If you can, what about training your dog to stay with the chickens when they're out? As for orpingtons, I cannot say. I have mostly mixed breeds. Most have australorp in them and two are half orp /half brahma. The roo of that last blend is the only roo I've ever had that i've seen "face off" with anything other than another roo - and I've had A LOT of roosters! (Currently have 5.) In fact, he decided he would take on my 90# LGD once because she was investigating one of his ladies!

 

[ShanandGem]

Not sure how active this thread is any more but I just started free ranging my birds for a couple of hours during the day and what a difference I see in their demeanor! Just that chance to flap and try to fly and spar with each other, in addition to eating the way nature intended seems to do them a world of good. They're quieter and the roosters crow less, and they seem more settled once I put them back in their tractors.
I NEVER thought I would free range because we have a lot of predators, but we also have a lot of natural cover and I find the chickens instinctively keep to the tree line. Except the Ameraucanas, but they are hatchery birds and as dumb as the day is long.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Not sure how active this thread is any more but I just started free ranging my birds for a couple of hours during the day and what a difference I see in their demeanor!  Just that chance to flap and try to fly and spar with each other, in addition to eating the way nature intended seems to do them a world of good.  They're quieter and the roosters crow less, and they seem more settled once I put them back in their tractors.
I NEVER thought I would free range because we have a lot of predators, but we also have a lot of natural cover and I find the chickens instinctively keep to the tree line.  Except the Ameraucanas, but they are hatchery birds and as dumb as the day is long.

That's the exact reason why I risk it, they are mentally better off. If you set up your situation right and manage the area, and keep roosters, predators don't come calling too often, and when they do we take care of business.

 

[Beekissed]

Same here...if you didn't see them all over the land, you'd never know I have chickens, they are that quiet and contented. None of the fighting and squabbling at meal times either, as they don't need to defend that feeder in order to get a full crop.

My brother once visited and was mowing the lawn with the riding mower...later on he was telling how amazed he was that the chickens had no fear of the mower and barely got out of the way of it. These are not flighty, fearful of their own shadow kind of birds...they know exactly what is dangerous and what is not, so they aren't jumpy or nervous out on range, but respond quickly and completely to actual threats when necessary.

Roosters are always pretty quiet here as well, so even the rooster's life is contented enough that he doesn't have to keep asserting his authority via the voice. He's too busy being a flock master to have time to crow about nothing.

 

[ampho]

They are definitely happier when they are free! Mine see me coming and get so excited to come out! But....I lost one of my six last fall to either a fox or coyote while i walked inside for only a minute! (it dragged her over the fence and dropped her when my husband went back there)! and i almost lost her twin a few weeks ago to a fox (again I went inside for a minute) and got within kicking distance of him pulling her feathers out and he dropped her and ran. He then stalked my back fence the rest of the day! We have a bear problem too and they are electric fenced when no one is home. Let them roam when you can but beware the predators are quck!