Free Ranging?

[Outdoorlover]

That's the unfortunate thing about free ranging. Not many people are able to do it due to predators. We are fortunate to live in an area where there are many trees to shelter the chickens, and we also own a flock of geese. They are like our chicken guard dogs

We live by the woods and my neighbors do free range theirs, I'm sure they lose quite of few chickens and just replace them.
I only have 4 pullets and they're my pets, I would never take that chance!

 

[Arya28]

See that's the choice we are debating because our chickens are our pets too and we couldn't just replace them! But we want them to have as much room as possible so that they can be as happy as they possibly can be, and so they can forage like other birds! On a side note- do you think my cat would bother our chickens? She's been good with them so far..

 

[hannahsflock]

See that's the choice we are debating because our chickens are our pets too and we couldn't just replace them! But we want them to have as much room as possible so that they can be as happy as they possibly can be, and so they can forage like other birds! On a side note- do you think my cat would bother our chickens? She's been good with them so far..

Our cats are excellent with the chickens, we've never had problems. One of them actually lives with the chickens, sleeps in the nest boxes etc. But I have heard of people who have had problems with cats and their birds.

 

[Arya28]

Our cats are excellent with the chickens, we've never had problems. One of them actually lives with the chickens, sleeps in the nest boxes etc. But I have heard of people who have had problems with cats and their birds.

Ok good! When they were only a couple weeks old and we took them out in the tractor, she was great- she didn't flip out and she stayed away if we told her to. Yesterday when we let a couple chickens out she got close but we didn't let her get too close. I don't think she would really want to attack an almost fully grown chicken but you never know!

 

[apryl29]

Yesterday I would have voted yes.. We kind of free ranged. We had 16 chickens w a coop and run and would let them out fairly supervised during the day when we were here (they live w my parents). Fairly supervised meaning we'd stay out w them much of the time, but then we'd go in for a bit then go check on them.. Do a head count and Chase them back into our yard. (our neighbor doesnt mind them wandering over, but my roo can be aggressive and I don't want an unsuspecting person to happen upon him). Anyway... Last night I thought all of our chickens went to the coop when it was getting dark, I locked them in and let my other roo out for a bit. I didn't count my girls last night and apparently someone got left out. Doing a head count this morning I realize I'm missing one of my ladies. I search frantically and find a pile of feathers from her backside. No blood though. I follow a trail of feathers into the woods. I never found her or saw any blood, but I'm thinking a coyote got her. I'd seen some grass that was pushed down like a dog size creature walked through. I hope she's alive & she'll find her way back, but I don't expect it. So now my ladies will stay locked up. I feel bad for doing it, but I feel worse that this hen is gone. My roos, I'll let run around, w supervision except the bantam. It must have happened in broad daylight as the feathers were still mostly together and the wind hadnt spread them. If you do free range.. Keep in mind the predators around you, esp if your chickens are pets.

 

[Arya28]

Yesterday I would have voted yes.. We kind of free ranged. We had 16 chickens w a coop and run and would let them out fairly supervised during the day when we were here (they live w my parents). Fairly supervised meaning we'd stay out w them much of the time, but then we'd go in for a bit then go check on them.. Do a head count and Chase them back into our yard. (our neighbor doesnt mind them wandering over, but my roo can be aggressive and I don't want an unsuspecting person to happen upon him). Anyway... Last night I thought all of our chickens went to the coop when it was getting dark, I locked them in and let my other roo out for a bit. I didn't count my girls last night and apparently someone got left out. Doing a head count this morning I realize I'm missing one of my ladies. I search frantically and find a pile of feathers from her backside. No blood though. I follow a trail of feathers into the woods. I never found her or saw any blood, but I'm thinking a coyote got her. I'd seen some grass that was pushed down like a dog size creature walked through. I hope she's alive & she'll find her way back, but I don't expect it. So now my ladies will stay locked up. I feel bad for doing it, but I feel worse that this hen is gone. My roos, I'll let run around, w supervision except the bantam. It must have happened in broad daylight as the feathers were still mostly together and the wind hadnt spread them. If you do free range.. Keep in mind the predators around you, esp if your chickens are pets.

I'm so sorry about your hen and I hope you find her! That said, thank you for sharing your free Ranging experience- it's good to get experiences from both sides!

 

[apryl29]

We're just going to add on to their run space. I feel terrible bc they love roaming in the yard & the space near the woods, but it's just not safe. We may eventually fence in the tree they like to lay under. I still need to tell my kids. They're going to be very upset.

 

[Arya28]

Well sometimes all you can do is the best you can do. We have to take our experiences and learn from them, so if you learned that's not the best for your flock then maybe it's not. I'm sure free Ranging doesn't work for everyone, though I'm really sorry you had to lose one of your hens :'(

 

[PatrickRoo]

We do not free range at our farm. However, we have a very large space where our poultry roam and it's protected by electric poultry netting. We've not had the best experience with free ranging, lost half of our flock due to predators.

Our birds had steered clear of the road when they free ranged, but it also depends on how "street smart" the chicken or bird is. My mom accidentally ran over and killed a guinea because it ran into the middle of the road.

I used to let my chickens out of the coop as soon as I woke up. They would range until about 7:00 P.M. Then they'd go back into their coop to roost.

I've never had a garden, but our chickens pecked the crap out of our flowers! I'd say they'd probably eat your plants as well. However, some people let their chickens poop on their garden before they plant anything. Chicken poop is a natural fertilizer. After you plant your plants though, you'd need to keep the garden enclosed.

If predators aren't an issue where you live, I'd go for free ranging. We definitely can't do it here in rural Southern Illinois, we live right by the woods and our road is a red gravel road. (People drive like idiots and drunks on our road, too. Aha! )

 

[PatrickRoo]

Chickens also do not get "vitamins" from free ranging. If you've ever wondered why a free range chickens' yolk is sometimes darker than a chickens' yolk that is living in a run, it's most likely because they have access to dandelions. Which of course, you can have grass and flowers in your run, you don't have to have bedding in your run as some people choose to have. We have grass and flowers where our chickens roam. Plus bugs, of course. Then your eggs would have the same color and flavor yolk as an egg that comes from a free range chicken. Most importantly, your birds will be protected.