Free Ranging?

[MarkLeavenworth]

We let ours out only for a few hours each evening. They will establish a range (in terms of distance from their roosts) after two or three days based on how much time they are out. If we leave them out all day, they end up on our patio after two days and on the road after three days. I open the door for them when collecting eggs in the evening, then I go back just after dark to close their door after they've returned to their roosts on their own.

 

[AquaDuck]

I don't free range completely, but have fenced in about half an acre of lawn and forest. I let them out in the morning, and back in at six in the afternoon. I have them inside when I'm away, so I'm sure they're safe. I live in a predator rich area with foxes, badgers and hawks, and have spent a lot of money putting up two heights of chicken wire around the entire enclosure. I also have bird nets over the duck pond, so they're safe from bird predators.
It's worth it though. Having bought a farm with a huge lawn, pond and forest, I'm not going to keep my chickens cooped up looking at it. Hehe!

I'll strongly recommend fencing in as much as you can, especially down towards the road. Also to only let them lose during day time and when you're at home. A couple of hours every day is better than none at all. It's easy getting them back in if you only feed them at night, they'll come running when they're hungry and ready for bed! Best of luck!

 

[ChuSayBok]

We've been free ranging for >2 years. The chu all put themselves to bed just before dark, and the only one we've lost to a predator besides the odd chick from an inexperienced hen is our alpha roo that was compromised due to illness. But it didn't start that way.

Our first brood was ravaged in one day by what almost seemed to be syncronized fox/hawk attacks after successfully foraging in the woods for months (forest floor was clean… poison ivy gone, ground was plucked and black, it was amazing.) The ones who survived (a couple were ptsd for awhile) remembered what happens in the woods. We still have 2 of them left and they don't go there. There are all kinds of predators here, ranging from the indigent panther to an odd skunk, but the larger ones usually won't come close to the house. We lost several to hawks until our mockingbirds put them on the run; haven't had a hawk attack in over a year, but snakes get chicks occasionally (since my hens all like to go broody now… if I hatch chicks I keep them enclosed until they are at least a cpl months old or more, but my hens… naw. I've had young roos lead hens into the underbrush and lose them occasionally as well. But generally roosters, especially my one alpha that survived the original attack and never strayed far afterward kept all his girls close to home. He saved more than one hen, and of course roos are generally better at paying attention and sounding alarms, so I highly recommend having a good roo present if you are free ranging. We also have a dog that keeps many small predators scarce, but she's getting old and doesn't hear as well as she used to.

One risk is poisonous plants. I've come to the conclusion that chickens instinctively know not to eat the azaleas and English ivy, and they go hard after certain types of edibles, particularly wood sorrel and plantain. My son had a terribly handsome rooster named Heather (who was sold as a pullet) who was none too bright and just checked out one day and died over the night. I was unaware, but my husband had noted he didn't even flinch when the car passed him and he was just walking aimlessly and staring into space. I guessed it was either a bad mushroom or snakebite, but that's the only incident I know of.

Another is rain. Usually they all know exactly how to get back to shelter, but one hen derped with 10 3-wk-old chicks and by the time I found them, 3 had collapsed to the ground and all were soaked; I got them under the heat lamp and revived them just in time. Perhaps there is a thread on micromanaging broody hens that can't protect their young.

In that hen's defense, it was her first brood. She abandoned them early, but a small rooster with no standing in the community had been trying to win her affection and ended up with that of the chicks instead. He became their surrogate and since he was small and prone to be abused by every other chicken in the yard (even the hens except the 2 youngest,) he had learned how to make himself virtually invisible. He led the whole brood into the forest and trained them well, for only one was lost to this day, and she was a terminal straggler. Unfortunately, he was murdered in the coop by his own people, we were never sure exactly who was the guilty party, for there were no witnesses come forward and the suspects never confessed.

Other than that; adult male human urine is often a deterrent of mammal predators, free range birds may think they own the house and poop everywhere you don't want them to or dig up the yard dust bathing. We are far enough from the road that crossing to the other side has never been an issue. My birds seem healthier and happier for being able to range on the whole.

 

[Treerooted]

You've already got a great number of responses, but hey, one more won't hurt right?

1) I also use electric poultry netting with a solar charger. Just got it a week ago, but so far loving it. They're out all day (29 chickens).

2) We have some irresponsible neighbours that have "free ranged" many of their animals and caused a nuisance on our road. Just recently one of their ducks got hit. So I would definitely heed any advice on trying to keep them away. (No matter how badly they want to cross!)

 

[Hope Hughes]

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?

I was just on the other side of the red river in Oklahoma and my chickens were 100% free range and we kept 3 troughs of water around our yard for them to get water from. And changed it everyday because the dogs used them too they will walk in them to cool themselves down.

 

[SueT]

In case I've missed it in reading thru this thread, I wanted to add that. I learned here on BYC that some breeds are better at evading predators than others. I am raising some brown Leghorns because I have heard they make excellent free rangers. Our neighbors have some type of game breed and they've successfully free ranged for decades. I'd like to ask them for a rooster. I lost 2 of my big heavy breed hens to coyotes and locked everyone up a year ago. The quality and amount of of the eggs has gone down, and the girls are bored, even with over 100 sq ft of run each...they've eaten every bit of grass. After the Leghorns begin laying, I hope to let them out every afternoon...and see what happens.

 

[Arya28]

Thank you all for your experiences and opinions about free Ranging! I have found each of them super helpful and there can never be too many experiences shared!

 

[coopdeville15]

I free ranged when home until I lost one to a predator. At that time I only had 7 hens. I now have twenty with a young rooster. Currently they stay within 200 feet of electric netting. When my roo gets a little older, I may try free ranging again.

 

[ChuSayBok]

Due to husband's aversion to chu poo on the porch and sidewalk, we are currently putting up netting to keep them away from said space. It will be interesting to see how much I have to mow inside their perimeter, or if they can keep it cut themselves.

 

[Arya28]

Due to husband's aversion to chu poo on the porch and sidewalk, we are currently putting up netting to keep them away from said space. It will be interesting to see how much I have to mow inside their perimeter, or if they can keep it cut themselves.

I'm sure they will keep the grass very well mowed! Ours don't leave any!