Free Ranging?

[apryl29]

Chickens also do not get "vitamins" from free ranging. If you've ever wondered why a free range chickens' yolk is 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.)

Mine have eaten every scrap of grass they can find, but in addition to feed I will toss piles of cut grass after my dad mows, & fruit & veg scraps & crushed egg shells. Their yolks are very dark but they just started laying.

 

[Outdoorlover]

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 can imagine how you must feel ): I hope she's just hiding!

 

[Arya28]

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! )

Right now, we have our chickens in a run, with a tunnel attached that gives them access to a big Apple tree that they like to climb in and forage under. However, their main run was filled with grass, didn't take a week for them to have the ground all dry and brown there! I could see how they could get more vitamins from free Ranging, just as a result as having access to more plants and bugs (not to say they couldn't get them if you provided them plants in their run). We aren't free Ranging yet, so we give them lots of weeds every day that they mow right through lol. However, we are thinking we will let our rosters in our rooster pen out for a little bit tonight (closely supervised) and see how that goes. We also are surrounded by thick forest so there are lots of animals near here (raccoons, oppussums, bears, coyotes, foxes, owls- you name it) but most of these animals don't come out during the daylight. If we free range we will lock our chickens in a coop at night so hopefully the night predators won't be a problem! I can definitely see feeling better about wanting to keep them locked in a run if you don't want them to get eaten or hurt, that said, I feel like if we can get as close to a safe free Ranging system down as possible, we should do that so that they can have as much of a safe free roaming situation as possible

 

[Arya28]

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.

And I know this may sound terrible, but at least your hen got to be happy! At least she got to have freedom and be a chicken unlike the poor chickens in the factory farming industry... you probably did the best you could and shouldn't beat yourself up over it because you gave her freedom, you know? A lot of chickens don't get that

 

[apryl29]

And I know this may sound terrible, but at least your hen got to be happy! At least she got to have freedom and be a chicken unlike the poor chickens in the factory farming industry... you probably did the best you could and shouldn't beat yourself up over it because you gave her freedom, you know? A lot of chickens don't get that

Which is why we let them free, but now I'm worried that whatever got her will be coming back. Plus my kids go out there and sit w them so it bothers me that there may be a dangerous animal watching. Last week my younger one got bit by a hornet herding chickens. Who knew chicken farming was so dangerous.

 

[PatrickRoo]

Right now, we have our chickens in a run, with a tunnel attached that gives them access to a big Apple tree that they like to climb in and forage under. However, their main run was filled with grass, didn't take a week for them to have the ground all dry and brown there! I could see how they could get more vitamins from free Ranging, just as a result as having access to more plants and bugs (not to say they couldn't get them if you provided them plants in their run). We aren't free Ranging yet, so we give them lots of weeds every day that they mow right through lol. However, we are thinking we will let our rosters in our rooster pen out for a little bit tonight (closely supervised) and see how that goes. We also are surrounded by thick forest so there are lots of animals near here (raccoons, oppussums, bears, coyotes, foxes, owls- you name it) but most of these animals don't come out during the daylight. If we free range we will lock our chickens in a coop at night so hopefully the night predators won't be a problem! I can definitely see feeling better about wanting to keep them locked in a run if you don't want them to get eaten or hurt, that said, I feel like if we can get as close to a safe free Ranging system down as possible, we should do that so that they can have as much of a safe free roaming situation as possible

Why not try mobile electric poultry netting then? You can keep your birds in the netting temporarily and when they've mowed all of the grass down in that spot, you can move the birds and netting to a new spot. Nothing will be able to get them either. I have a large, mobile electric run. Plenty of access to bugs, grass, etc.

Foxes and bears can come out in the daylight in search of an easy meal. If you let your birds free range, you better be strapped with guns, lol.

 

[apryl29]

Why not try mobile electric poultry netting then? You can keep your birds in the netting temporarily and when they've mowed all of the grass down in that spot, you can move the birds and netting to a new spot. Nothing will be able to get them either. I have a large, mobile electric run. Plenty of access to bugs, grass, etc.

Foxes and bears can come out in the daylight in search of an easy meal. If you let your birds free range, you better be strapped with guns, lol.

This afternoon, as I followed the trail of feathers through the woods behind us I started to question my judgement when I realized I was walking parallel to a beaten down path. We've had bear & coyote sightings in the area and several years ago, a cougar. I'll have to look into the netting. It sounds like it's what we need.

 

[Hope Hughes]

I'm sure someone has already said something similar.. But I have had about 40 chickens at once and I let them free range all day. I even made it so they could let them selfs in and out. So the only time they were I the coop was for sleeping. We had them in a fenced acre and a half. And they never hopped the fence and never tried to go out of the gate when we had it opened. We even have like 120 acres of feilds behind the house for cows. We have tons of cyotes and cats. We live right on a lake that is surrounded by a management area for hunting and reck. Wa have skunks that get in from time to time but our dogs will alert is and we shoot when needed. They were so happy and content they stayed in are acres. They are happier and healthy. And they eat less feed due to eating bugs and grass. We still give them scraps and stuff. The roosters protected against bird's and other animals. You just have to watch at first and see if there are any changes or things you can do to make them happier or safer. I do think a fence is the way to go. Of they are happy they won't leave. You may have a roughe one every now and then(grass is greener on the other side for some) but they will usually come back.

 

[Arya28]

Will definitely look into electric fencing for the future! Earlier, we did let our roosters out for about 45 min- 1 hour (we watched them the entire time)... and they did great (besides chewing on our cabbage plants)! Lol the garden will have to be fenced off if we let them out regularly

 

[Fluttering-about]

I believe my girls are happier being free range. We generally let them out in the morning and they kinda hung around the yard, we could usually find them at all times. They stay together in a group and come back to the coop to lay or get a drink. Then they would come back towards evening. We understand that free ranging can be dangerous and we may lose some to predators. But such is nature, and we feel the good of free ranging out weighs the bad.

I live in TX, and it will get up to 98 degrees with a heat index of 105. No I am not exaggerating.
I noticed the you said your chickens will come back to the coop for water. I place water throughout the yard, because of the heat. Should I leave it in just the coop/run?