Free ranging without lockup?

[EggWalrus]

I'd build the steer a better pen and not be too concerned about chickens yet. They need proper feed and not the best at cleaning up cattle parasites..

Aren't ducks supposed to be pretty good at scarfing down ticks better than chickens?

 

[chickens really]

Aren't ducks supposed to be pretty good at scarfing down ticks better than chickens?

Not that I've ever heard...

 

[Shadrach]

Lots of farms where I live keep chickens in a similar manner, the important difference is, is that the farms are always occupied and the chickens tend to stay close to the house.
Most have farm dogs that are used to having livestock around.
All the farms here lose chickens. The style of chicken keeping you are describing relies on the flock reproducing and this replaces the losses.
You don't mention where you intend to get your chickens. If you get pullets and a cockerel say from a farm that already has similar keeping arrangements and you pick the right breed (neither of the breeds you mention are suitable and imo won't last very long) and keep a male with them the system might work but not with just two hens. If you want to keep two hens for eggs for example get at least 4 hens.
Frankly I wouldn't try such a system under the conditions you outline. I have donkeys here; they do absolutely nothing to protect the chickens or even frighten dogs off unless the dogs get close. Your predators are going to make sure they avoid the donkeys and other big live stock; they want to eat, not fight.
If you lived at the location and led a rural style life, it's a great way to keep chickens. As Ridgerunner mentions above, this method has been used successfully for generations and is still used now in many places. It doesn't sound like you will be there much and you don't mention if anyone else is there full time.
On the information you've given and that you have made a post asking if this is a good idea, I would think that chicken keeping would be something new for you and free range chickens (males and females) is likely to be heartbreaking and difficult if its to be successful at all so my option is this is not something you should do.

 

[sourland]

Eventually predators will come and they will be eaten.

 

[roosterhavoc]

The methods mentioned that worked in the past is also because people trapped a lot of the predators around the area.

 

[floppysquirrel04]

It has nothing to do with the pen. I make sure his pen is very clean, and I do spray him for flies and ticks. I wash him everyday, but he still picks up ticks and gets flies. Of course I’ll feed my chickens. I will rely on them to forage, but they will still get properly fed with high quality feed. Chickens will also go thru and scratch cow manure, looking for the flies. He poops out side of his pen as well, when I take him out, so scooping the poop out of his pen still doesn’t control the flies. I will do everything I can to protect them in the barn, and I’m there every way for the an hour at the very least. Criticizing me about me or how I keep my steer before you know something about him really won’t get us anywhere

 

[chickens really]

It has nothing to do with the pen. I make sure his pen is very clean, and I do spray him for flies and ticks. I wash him everyday, but he still picks up ticks and gets flies. Of course I’ll feed my chickens. I will rely on them to forage, but they will still get properly fed with high quality feed. Chickens will also go thru and scratch cow manure, looking for the flies. He poops out side of his pen as well, when I take him out, so scooping the poop out of his pen still doesn’t control the flies. I will do everything I can to protect them in the barn, and I’m there every way for the an hour at the very least. Criticizing me about me or how I keep my steer before you know something about him really won’t get us anywhere

Well I'm not criticizing you but I know a steer can't live in tight conditions and should be free in a bigger paddock till butchering....Forget about chickens please and just think about the calf/Steer....

 

[floppysquirrel04]

he lives in a large pen. he doesn't to run around in a field for a little bit, but he is a show steer and he will walk off all his grain in the field.

 

[EggWalrus]

It has nothing to do with the pen. I make sure his pen is very clean, and I do spray him for flies and ticks. I wash him everyday, but he still picks up ticks and gets flies. Of course I’ll feed my chickens. I will rely on them to forage, but they will still get properly fed with high quality feed. Chickens will also go thru and scratch cow manure, looking for the flies. He poops out side of his pen as well, when I take him out, so scooping the poop out of his pen still doesn’t control the flies. I will do everything I can to protect them in the barn, and I’m there every way for the an hour at the very least. Criticizing me about me or how I keep my steer before you know something about him really won’t get us anywhere

No one is trying to criticize you personally. You are young and inexperienced compared to a lot of us that have tended to various livestock for most of our lives. No one here is trying to put you down, we all just want to share our knowledge and experiences in hopes that you succeed. So you can learn from our mistakes, and speaking for myself, I've made plenty.
A wise person learns from others mistakes, where a fool has to learn for themself.
I wish you and your livestock the best!

 

[floppysquirrel04]

thank you . I do have a lot to learn, and I know many people here know more about poultry than I.