Free ranging with livestock as predator protection?

[Ihavesomechickens]

I think it might be okay, but it would still be good to check on the chickens every once in a while. Side note: please keep feeding your chickens. Chickens do poorly on an all foraging diet, as it doesn’t have enough vitamins, protein, calcium, or really enough of anything to keep a flock alive and healthy.

 

[LittleBigBantam]

Greetings! I just spoke with a regenerative ag farm manager. He said that he uses almost no feed, but rather day free ranges his chickens with his livestock for predator protection. He said that the chickens run under the livestock if they see any sky predators and that the ground predators stay away as well. Since he added a light brahma rooster, he hasn't lost a single bird. He said that the brahma running with his wings spread looks like a hawk to sky predators. He added little play structures for the goats that also serve emergency shelters for the chickens when danger arises. He puts them in a coop at night. He sells 30 dozen eggs a week on almost NO feed.

I have horses and goats that are in the same pasture together and would love to day range using this method. Has anyone else tried something similar? I think I would need an older free range hen to teach the rest of the flock.

I personally do this, and it works great! Predators wont go anywhere near my chickens during the day

 

[Ridgerunner]

Chickens do poorly on an all foraging diet, as it doesn’t have enough vitamins, protein, calcium, or really enough of anything to keep a flock alive and healthy.

And yet for thousands of years people have been doing just that. Interesting to learn that it doesn't work any more.

 

[Ihavesomechickens]

And yet for thousands of years people have been doing just that. Interesting to learn that it doesn't work any more.

It really never worked but farmers didn’t, and don’t, seem to care.( a long time ago they didn’t understand nutrition so it’s less their fault then the farmers today that feed their chickens poor diets, or don’t feed them at all)

 

[Ridgerunner]

I am asking if their presence will help deter predators from the chickens, including sky predators.

From what I've seen, no. It won't hurt, but it won't help.

 

[cyfarian]

I personally do this, and it works great! Predators wont go anywhere near my chickens during the day

Which livestock do you have around? How many/what type of roosters? Thanks for the info. I would love to learn more about your setup!

 

[LittleBigBantam]

Which livestock do you have around? How many/what type of roosters? Thanks for the info. I would love to learn more about your setup!

I have a mini horse and donkey, a black and tan coonhound, and one rooster for my 30 birds. I have not had a single predatory problem yet.

 

[PatriciafromCO]

I have all mine running together. I don't see them running for the larger animals when something flys over. You could consider building small cover for them spaced out in your feilds. Don't think is has to be anything fancy, something you could move easily to different areas for them to run under. I have really fallen in love with my LGDs..