Free Ranging

[sunflowerparrot]

This will be my 2nd year raising meat birds (Cornish Cross). This year, I am doubling what I did last year (doing 55) and am going to do something different as far as their housing as well. My BF and I are building a nice large chicken tractor. I want to house the broilers in the chicken tractor in the evening and then let them out with my other chickens during the day to free range with everyone out in the fields. This will cut down a lot on my feed bill, give them fresh greens and lots of yummy bugs, give them more freedom and access rather than keeping them in confined quarters.

Anyone free range their broilers? If so, is it any different than your usual chickens out free ranging? Are the broilers in any different type of danger that I need to be aware of? I worry about hawks picking them off due to them standing out from being white.

I'd love to hear of anyone's experience and/or thoughts on this. Another thing I thought of is I could just keep them in the chicken tractor (moving it daily) and letting them out to free range the last few hours of the evening.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I've raised both CX and Freedom Rangers in both pasture pens and free ranging. They are slower than other chickens making them a predator target. I started with 52 FRs this winter and lost 3 to hawks. I didn't lose any of the other pastured birds to hawks during the same time. And they wouldn't stand a chance against a dog. That said I still think it's the way to go. I felt bad that there was so little pasture for this batch during this colder than normal winter and definitely no bugs.

 

[arcy liger]

you should try them with broody hens ..
they will teach them every thing you need and no extra tractor or coop .they will be very healthy, fast and more like normal chickens

 

[Elke Beck]

I would be careful mixing chicks with adult hens. When my mix of CX and RR were about 4 weeks old I thought I would let them mingle with my layers because they were about 1/3 the size of the hens and I did not think there would be any problem. Wrong. One of the Buff Orpingtons was stalking the chicks, viciously pecking at any she could get close to. She opened a gash in one of the RR's head that was about 3/4 of a inch long from the base of the comb running down to the ear. Some of the other hens were sneaking up on the chicks and pulling out clumps of feathers. Since then I keep them apart. The meaties have too short a life to put up with that kind of harassment.

Chicks learn to forage faster when they grow up with a mother or others to show them how, but they do not need a teacher to learn. They will experiment and learn on their own.