free ranging questions

[Tahai]

We have hawks all day long every day of the year. Big hawks, small hawks. The small hawks will hunt in the woods and in and under trees and bushes. We lost one hen to a hawk attack, before our dog knew they were a problem. Haven’t had an issue since - they are out all day mist every day, but never without our dog guarding them. Well trained dogs are absolutely essential for keeping livestock (or pets) safe.

Yes, Sharp-shinned hawks and Coopers hawks hunt in forested areas. They also eat their prey on the ground. I don't know their full range, but I know we have them on upstate PA.

 

[16 and me]

Only the poor Fayoumi vanished, and that's my fault for being foolish enough to purchase white chickens

I have two second generation EE's a 1 yr old hen & now a young pullet. They're both white, and the only ones that are white. When the flock ventures too far from the pen, these two often stay behind. Both are often picked on by the other hens. I've often wondered if it's because they're white, posing a threat when free ranging (they really do stand out)

 

[McChooky]

There's tremendous variance in how people free-range their chickens. I have both foxes and chickens here and they haven't caught anything of mine in years except a handful of Fayoumi that didn't camoflage enough

If a chicken can't fly to safety it's screwed. A lot of people I see free-range their heavy, flightless production breeds in large empty fields. Some even clip their wings. Of course those chickens will die if a fox, dog or hawk comes along

My first year with chickens I lost 3 RIR that slept on the ground to foxes. Now that I have a dog the foxes stay off my land and they only attack my chickens that go adventuring into the forest. I've watched maybe 5 fox attacks in the last year but they're completely unable to catch my game chickens

Only the poor Fayoumi vanished, and that's my fault for being foolish enough to purchase white chickens

I've always preferred domestic breeds over game because they lay more eggs but after realizing how happy and vulnerable they are free ranging last year I wish they were games so I wouldn't have to keep them locked up so much

 

[lagrange chicks]

I don't free range and my chickens seem happy. They never got to free range, I have only had 2 sneak out of the run on me and they couldn't get back in fast enough, they were scared.

 

[McChooky]

I don't free range and my chickens seem happy. They never got to free range, I have only had 2 sneak out of the run on me and they couldn't get back in fast enough, they were scared.

Theres no animal on the planet that doesn't enjoy their freedom more than containment but having never experienced this phenomenon they cannot miss it lol

 

[McChooky]

I don't free range and my chickens seem happy. They never got to free range, I have only had 2 sneak out of the run on me and they couldn't get back in fast enough, they were scared.

I kept my hen only flock up 3 yrs before free ranging them.They were easier to keep up and stayed close to the house showing they felt safer around their coop.My younger flock had no issues with flying over the fence soon as I let them out in the morning and investigating the great unknown

 

[SamLockwood]

First off, keep in mind that if you're going to free-range on a regular basis there's no way around the fact you're going to take losses. Things tend to get really bad with predators later in the winter and early spring. To date the majority of predator losses I've had are between January and March with my mixed flock.

Second, get some trail cameras. There's likely a lot of wildlife ranging around your property when you're not looking. I've had coyotes walk right up to my porch when I was asleep, and one night the cameras caught one circling around the coop in my back-yard. I never even knew we had bobcats in Georgia until one got caught on camera. Knowing what's actually around you and what times they're active helps you be pro-active rather than just reacting when an attack happens.

Third, realize that predators often change their tactics. The aforementioned bobcat was nocturnal until March last year, then it started climbing trees, hopping over the fence, and killing stray chickens anywhere from morning to afternoon.

Fourth, if you're free-range area is relatively small, consider enclosing it in electric poultry netting and hawk netting. You'll have a happy middle ground of something relatively safer that gives them a bigger space to play in.

Fifth, never think that just because you're out there with your birds it's going to deter a predator attack. I've had hawks initiate or continue attacks with me in the yard, and I had a bobcat grab a stray hen not 20 yards from where I was standing. This morning I heard the flock in "full red alert" and went out to find a coyote pacing the fence and trying to lunge at the guineas through the wire (the guineas, being guineas retreated and then lunged back). Usually coyotes take off when they see me but this thing hung around until I came back out with the 12-gauge and started shooting (so, no more free-ranging until I dispatch the day-walker).