Freerange without guilt

[Summer Rose]

Thanks for all your Reply's to this post. I think each of us should do what we feel comfortable with. When I first got my Favoralles I let them out of the Coop and three of them ran away. I could find them but couldn't catch them:>( And I lost one Bantam while getting her out of the truck to put in the Coop:>( But as I go along I learn and do my best to pay attention to their needs. I found that after they are four months old they don't run away. I found that if I keep the water in the Coop and nowhere else they keep coming back to get it. When I am away from home I Coop them but leave a screen for them to see through, and I do not go away very often for very long. I do Coop them at night because we do have Cyote's in the area and also Raccoons. I have an electric eye at the entrance to the property and when it goes on I turn the flood lights on and grab my BB gun, LOL all I have to do is shoot it at a tree or fence and the little buggers run like mad. No more guilt for me, God took care of them long before I came along!

 

[jtbrown]

Great attitude, sometimes I felt guilty for not feeling guilty!

Seriously, though, I take good care of them, they are "happy" in most senses of the word, I am vigilant. I make sure our Corgi is out with them when free ranging, most of the time.

We had a fox attack this spring. Lost 11 birds, then 2 a few weeks later that had been injured during the attack. I did feel guilty initially, and then realize that I did my best, they were happy until they were picked off.

So, I will go right along, trying to keep them free and happy and giving me eggs. If they get picked off, I may change some strategy, but I will not feel guilty about it, it is part of animal husbandry, you win some and lose some, just do your best.

 

[Summer Rose]

I'm sorry you lost some of yours. And, no matter how much we read and learn there is always more to learn
about Chickens and Life too. I have not had any problems since the beginning. I can leave the door open all day
and they come and go as they want. Mostly they stay near the Hen house. Don't know whether I will lure them further
away or not. I do want free range eggs. In fact I started another thread asking about that. My girls like home, a little
like me. LOL