Free ranging unprotected all day - do you do it?

[Staceyfeindt]

I let mine free range all day , yes even when I am not at home. My husband always says I am just inviting something to kill them..but I want them free and healthy and happy. If I don't let them out in the morning they will make a ruckas till they are let free!

I do make a point to lock them up in the evening, as we do have raccoons and other predators that lurk around in the late evening and night. Before the sunsets they go up by themselves on the roosts, so I just have to shut the door- easy!

We have only lost young birds to predators during the day, they are smaller and not as wise as full grown. I will only allow the big girls to go out all day now. The youngsters stay penned up until I can keep an eye on them out in the wild. We do have lots of woods for cover around the open field and they pretty much stay close to some kind of cover.

 

[Keara]

I've free ranged durring the day for about 5 yrs now I have lost a few to hawks, and 10+ to fox, durring the day. It sucks to lose some..... but my chickens never pluck eachother, are always healthy, lay great eggs, have great meat, get rid of ticks, and do well in the cold and snow. Just be ready for an occational loss, sometimes even a major loss. I would recomend a rooster, and an incubator... to put fertile eggs in on the day of a loss.

 

[gritsar]

My adult flock free ranges all day, every day. I intend to do the same with my current batch of chicks, as soon as they get some size on them. Currently the chicks free range part of the day under supervision. They are happy and healthy. In fact, I consider free ranging to be a big help to my birds in dealing with our 105+ degree weather right now. They are able to go where they are most comfortable (usually the woods) and hang out until it cools off some in the evenings.
I have a good, vigilant rooster. My dogs would warn of danger if they were out, but they live in the house with us. My former feral cat also lives in the house full time now because she likes the taste of chicken a bit too much. She can and will take down an adult chicken.
I lock the chickens in a safe coop every night because that's when they are most in danger from predators.
Yes, I may eventually lose some to predatation, but when it happens I will be comforted by the fact that they have had a great life.

 

[Coreyboy18]

I have a similar dilemma. I am an urban farmer, living in a house that I've rented here in New Orleans for the past fiver years. I have five chickens, four pullets and a cock, and I normally let them out each day from 5:30pm until they pick themselves up for the night. When I work in the yard, I let them out or if I know I am going to be home and going outside, I let them out. They probably get about five hours of free range time a day, on average. They are happy, I believe. My rooster and I have the best bond out of all of them. He comes and sits on my lap and lays down with his head buried in his chest and closes his eyes. HE is my baby! I digress, but what I wanted to say is that although I am in the city, I don't let them free range all day because we do have plenty neighborhood cats, and who knows, maybe a hawk or two, and I don't deal with loss very well. So I think it is up to you, how would you feel losing one of yours. Mine are my babies and my pets, we both benefit from each other. That's just me.

 

[woodmort]

I have free range and free range. For about 5 months of the year my birds are in an enclosed chicken yard with plenty of cover in case of an aerial attack. The rest of the year I open the gate and give them access to our yard and garden--assuming there's no snow on the ground. The only loses I've ever had have been when we were away for an extended periods so, live and learn, I don't let them out if we will not be home that night to lock them up. Works for me and I've got happy birds and lower feed bills.

 

[sonew123]

mmaddie's mom :

Quote:
Amen, brother!

x2! Ours get let out at 7 am-feeders and wateres filled-no one gets home untill 5ish and then the first thing I do is walk property to check on everyone 65+ is hard to find all but I do since they have their favorite spots. 8:45 they put all themselves to bed in their individual coops-I do head counts lock them down and walla another nive awesome day. The only day predetor I have had is my dumb dog who was 6 months old and got loose from the careless kids and killed my favorite poilsh girl! No night predetors since theyve been on lockdown either​

 

[luvchicks8]

Mine free range all day without me here and I have lost 2 birds since I started raising them.

 

[Pumpkinpup]

Yes, I do it. I live in a rural community with very few dogs. The main threat here is coyotes and they run at night. The flock is secure in their coop by then. I do keep a eye out periodically in case of trouble but, knock on wood, I have had little problem with preds considering.

 

[Mrs. K]

You might lose some, you might go a long time without losing any.

I free range, most days, and I have lost several. I find that if I vary it, pen them some days, let them out partial days, let them out all day some of the time, it works best for me.

If I lose one, I keep them penned for several days, so that my predator moves on.

They hardly are eating any chicken feed right now, eating so many grasshoppers, they are healthier and cleaner. But it is a risk. Mrsk

 

[vetgirl00us]

Mine free range while I am home and sometimes if I am gone for short periods during the day. They squeal and run if even a large dragonfly flies by lol. The crows, mockingbirds and bluejays give warning of hawks in the area pretty quick and the chickens run and hide if my dog barks. She is a good dog, will herd them if I need it but will NOT eat or bite them. I haven't lost any yet. Our pens are built like fort knox too and they go up in the evening.