Free ranging vs Predators; How cautious should I be?

[Chinachik]

I had chickens in the past. Our free range flock we lost a rooster to a hawk with us standing about four feet from him. We lost our bantam's who were in their coop by something that dug under. I would like opinions on which way folks loose more chickens. Free range or predators in the coop?

 

[Sally PB]

Oh, just so OP knows... raccoons DO go about in the daytime. (Maybe someone said that alread...?) We have them here and they are getting very, VERY bold.

 

[Folly's place]

Having a truly predator proof coop, and hopefully a run, will greatly improve your bird's safety. Many of us have learned the hard way that our coop and/ or run aren't safe enough, so start there with serious security.
Free ranging is a risk everywhere, if you are present or not. A hawk will take one bird at a time, maybe every three days or so, if you don't lock the flock in after that first attack. Better than any canine, who will try to kill every bird out there all at once! Weasels and raccoons are most dangerous at night when the birds are roosting, when either will kill the entire flock in a short time.
This year we aren't free ranging because of avian influenza, otherwise our birds are out nearly every day, and we have had losses, sometimes one to a hawk, three times multiples to a fox and a dog.
Have a large enough safe place for your birds for the weeks when they may be locked in, don't depend on free range time as reliable extra space.
Mary

 

[Sally PB]

 

[U_Stormcrow]

I free range. On acres, protected by an electric fence. I accept that there will be losses.

Its that simple. Either you cage predators out (and thus, chickens in), or you accept losses. How frequent the losses will occur, and how severe, depends on a lot of factors - but if you sit at the table long enough - chickens are prey, the house ALWAYS wins (given enough time).

 

[Tookie]

Strangely enough I have NEVER had a chicken get killed by a predator and I have had chickens for about 8 years, and I free range too. The only time my chickens got killed by an animal was from dogs, and that only happened twice and only one chicken got killed each time. One time a hawk did swoop down to try and get a chicken but failed. Our coop is in our back yard which is inside our chain link fence. The coop is only about 50 ft from our house. I only free range when I'm home. I used to free range them when we were gone but not anymore because some of our chickens would fly over the fence.

 

[McChooky]

If you can't watch them or afford to lose any don't free range them unless you're home.

 

[groovy_chicken_girl]

Basic truth of chicken raising: EVERYTHING wants to eat your chickens. And, they will happily do so at any time of day.

My birds "free-range" only when I am home and all are within sight of the house. While neither of my geese would truly care if something ate every chicken and duck on the place, they are excellent at sounding an alarm when something is amiss. For example, eagles from a nearby nesting spot sometimes soar overhead, and the Buffs let everyone know to take cover.

Also, there are a lot of shade trees in the coop/run area that provide cover from overhead threats. Here, those would include the aforementioned eagles, as well as owls and hawks. A hawk once landed on the garden shed and showed no fear until I was extremely close to it. I have since gotten a fake owl; it may or may not discourage a hawk. Even if it's pure coincidence that I've never seen a hawk land in the yard again, it has made me feel better.

Have I ever lost birds to predators? Yes, I have. But with one exception it was because of my own neglect -- I forgot to close a coop door one night. The one that wasn't directly a result of my negligence was a duck, who wandered away from the poultry area to go for a swim. At that time, free-ranging allowed the birds to go into the back portion of the property; I couldn't see or hear what was happening. There is now fencing to keep everyone much closer.

That makes a lot of sense- I will try getting a fake owl, maybe it will have some sort of effect! I think it makes sense to continue free-ranging when I am around and keep a close eye on them We also have lots of tree coverage so hopefully, that helps- Thanks!

 

[groovy_chicken_girl]

Strangely enough I have NEVER had a chicken get killed by a predator and I have had chickens for about 8 years, and I free range too. The only time my chickens got killed by an animal was from dogs, and that only happened twice and only one chicken got killed each time. One time a hawk did swoop down to try and get a chicken but failed. Our coop is in our back yard which is inside our chain link fence. The coop is only about 50 ft from our house. I only free range when I'm home. I used to free range them when we were gone but not anymore because some of our chickens would fly over the fence.

That's really interesting! Our setup sounds similar to yours- and I have wondered if they will fly over the fence, but currently, they seem pretty interested on the grass and exploring inside. Do you live in a rural area or a more suburban one?

 

[groovy_chicken_girl]

Having a truly predator proof coop, and hopefully a run, will greatly improve your bird's safety. Many of us have learned the hard way that our coop and/ or run aren't safe enough, so start there with serious security.
Free ranging is a risk everywhere, if you are present or not. A hawk will take one bird at a time, maybe every three days or so, if you don't lock the flock in after that first attack. Better than any canine, who will try to kill every bird out there all at once! Weasels and raccoons are most dangerous at night when the birds are roosting, when either will kill the entire flock in a short time.
This year we aren't free ranging because of avian influenza, otherwise our birds are out nearly every day, and we have had losses, sometimes one to a hawk, three times multiples to a fox and a dog.
Have a large enough safe place for your birds for the weeks when they may be locked in, don't depend on free range time as reliable extra space.
Mary

I do think that makes sense. We have done a whole lot in efforts for our run and coop to be predator-proof, just considering the stories that we've heard like the ones you guys have from your experience! It does a lot of sense that you can never be sure- you could be very lucky, but never be 100% positive that a hawk, won't swoop down or something.
We have a coop with a small area about 6' by 2' and then that is attached to a larger run that is about 9' by 5' by 4' all of which has 1/2 hardware cloth predator skirt and we are adding more hardware wire around the sides soon-
I do try to let them get fresh grass and stuff when I can though because I will accept losses, even though I want them to be safe, but mostly I want them to be healthy and happy. - Watching them closely makes sense
We also have 2 dogs that do really well with our chickens and I've heard that herding dogs- if well trained to be friendly to the chickens- can be a deterrent for some predators, even just their smell in the yard. Does anyone have experience with this or have dogs that help protect your flock?