Free Ranging?

[Tfo4214]

What are your thoughts on free ranging .... since I’ve had going onto 6 weeks of rain I started to free range the hens. Maverick does a pretty good job keeping them in line and getting them to bed ( yup he puts them all to bed around 830pm). Is there anything else I should be doing?

 

[animallover2019]

What are your thoughts on free ranging .... since I’ve had going onto 6 weeks of rain I started to free range the hens. Maverick does a pretty good job keeping them in line and getting them to bed ( yup he puts them all to bed around 830pm). Is there anything else I should be doing?

free ranging is the key to happy healthy chickens! 8:30 is good for keeping them safe, but in the spring i suggest putting them in earlier.... only because its mating season, i once had a chicken taken by a mama fox trying to feed her babies at 4 pm!! also watch out for how early you put them out in the morning in the spring. thats pretty much it! get ready for the best eggs ever!! free range eggs always look and taste better

 

[Matilda Belle]

I think free ranging is great, but I could never do it because I would worry too much about predators. If you do choose to free range, I would suggest locking them into the coop every night.

 

[Tfo4214]

I think free ranging is great, but I could never do it because I would worry too much about predators. If you do choose to free range, I would suggest locking them into the coop every night.

Oh yes. Every night after maverick put them to bed - the get locked up in the coop / pen evrynight.

 

[Mrs. K]

Well eventually you will loose some to predators... or a neighbors dog. It happens, but it ALWAYS seems to be your favorite.

If you have a good rooster, it can help, but not all roosters are of the same caliber. I live on the wilds of SD prairie, and I have a numerous list of predators, this is what works for me.

• Do not let them out at the same time every day. Sometimes early, sometimes later, and sometimes not at all.
• Do have a set up that you can go into 24/7 lock down once the predators find you, this will make the predators move on.
• Do not let them out on real windy or deeply cloudy days, gives too much advantage to the predators.

As my granddaughter says, "Well that sucks, but it is the circle of life...and now we can get new chicks." So if you are comfortable with the idea of having a flock of chickens, in which birds will move in and out of it, then free range. If you are very attached to each individual bird as a dearly beloved pet, well then you better not.

Mrs K

 

[Tfo4214]

Well eventually you will loose some to predators... or a neighbors dog. It happens, but it ALWAYS seems to be your favorite.

If you have a good rooster, it can help, but not all roosters are of the same caliber. I live on the wilds of SD prairie, and I have a numerous list of predators, this is what works for me.

• Do not let them out at the same time every day. Sometimes early, sometimes later, and sometimes not at all.
• Do have a set up that you can go into 24/7 lock down once the predators find you, this will make the predators move on.
• Do not let them out on real windy or deeply cloudy days, gives too much advantage to the predators.

As my granddaughter says, "Well that sucks, but it is the circle of life...and now we can get new chicks." So if you are comfortable with the idea of having a flock of chickens, in which birds will move in and out of it, then free range. If you are very attached to each individual bird as a dearly beloved pet, well then you better not.

Mrs K

That is all very solid advice. Thank you.

 

[centrarchid]

My approach is as follows.

Must have sufficient acreage so birds do not leave your property.

Resources on that acreage such as cover, roosting sites, water, forage and feed if need be.

Either low predator activity in the area or you work to suppress it. Fencing and dogs I have found to be essential.

Vigilance.

You need to be on your toes with ability to pen birds if losses to predators get out of hand.

Flexibility on your part ot make changes as need be,

Comparatively speaking, keeping birds can be more expensive.

 

[Tfo4214]

Land - 80 acres check
Dogs check
Feed, roosts, steel poultry fencing - check
Vigilant- check -I’m retired

I call my coop Ft Orion - steel
Poultry fencing, cinder blocks around the entire edge dug in and chicken wire roof lashed together .... guess my army training may have kicked in.

 

[centrarchid]

Do your dogs get out there and patrol, are they quick and able to combat predators? Is your fencing restricted to the run or does also provide some sort of perimeter for the area the birds free range in for forage?

Dogs I have experience with have a harder time doing their bit when birds foraging in expansive wooded areas. Dogs and chickens need to have line of sight on predators before chickens attacked.

 

[Shadrach]

There are differing levels of free ranging. Each level has it’s positive and negative side.

Full free range is fairly common where I live. Essentially one is talking about semi feral chicken population living on a particular parcel of land. The chickens roost in the trees, or in various outbuildings, lay and hatch outside and while most that I know of here get fed (what they get fed varies) the feeding is done to encourage the chickens to stay, not necessarily for their health.
The next level which is more common is coops are provided and the chickens are encouraged to roost in them, lay their eggs in them and hatch in them. Usually a commercially produced feed is supplied. This is close to the keeping arrangements I have here.
A further level is to let the chickens out of a run for a period of time each day. Coops, nest boxes, commercial feed is supplied and often some level of supervision while the chickens free range.
Whichever level you adopt the probability is you will lose some chickens to predators each year.
There are a number of measures one can take that will help reduce the loss to predators, some such as LGD type dogs and suitable terrain with plenty of cover will help. Some other measures such as portable weldmesh enclosures for broody hens that have nested on the land and flexibility in the provision of coop space will help.

For me the most important factor is to recognise that there will be losses and the way to deal with them is while trying to protect the existing flock allow the flock to overcome the losses by producing further generations each year. Rather than keeping a few chickens, looks to maintaining a breeding colony/flock.
Even with small flocks in a backyard rather than extensive acreage this is possible.