Freeranging unsupervised?

Pics
This is just my experience, not a recommendation.
We have about 2 fenced acres (it's chain link, thank the previous owners!) and my birds are out on it from sunrise (or as soon as I can get out there) to when they put themselves to bed at dusk. (My breeding pens have to rotate days, but everybody else is out.) They have lots of large bushes under which to hide and two pretty faithful dogs that roam the yard with them. We -once in a great while - will lose a bird to a hawk. It's one of those things we have learned to accept might happen as a result of our choice; but we have had many happy, healthy birds live out their lives enjoying the ability to roam free.
20180314_165751.jpg
 
I've raised chickens all my life and had them free-ranged for as long as I can remember,
unsupervised, And not once have I lost my birds from predators during the day while they're out foraging. At around 7:30 PM is when I put them away and I let them out at 7:00 AM. I've got a few dogs and a Bernese for protection, But I also have lots of different fowls, My turkeys and guineas seem to keep the hawks at bay. I've ordered some African geese as well to serve as flock protection for my ducks, chickens, and pheasants.. And every now and then i'll set some traps out for foxes and raccoons to prevent any losses.
I have. I have had coyotes come and wipe out half the flock. I had a mama raccoon come with her 4 babies in the middle of the day, go into the coop where my broody and her babies were and kill the broody (then the dog let DH know there was a problem and the raccoons were taken care of). I have had a few hawk kills, and a weasel got into my coop once in the middle of the day. Yet, I still free range. I had heavy predator losses last year with free ranging, but will do so again with my new flock this year. It's a risk I'm willing to take.
 
I was sitting in the chicken yard having my evening beer with my chickens and a dog tried to get into the fenced yard and was not scared of me. I finally got it away from the fence and before I could kill it the dog had killed several of my neighbors free ranging chickens as well as a prized rooster. It happens faster than you think...

JT
 
I've raised chickens all my life and had them free-ranged for as long as I can remember,
unsupervised, And not once have I lost my birds from predators during the day while they're out foraging. At around 7:30 PM is when I put them away and I let them out at 7:00 AM. I've got a few dogs and a Bernese for protection, But I also have lots of different fowls, My turkeys and guineas seem to keep the hawks at bay. I've ordered some African geese as well to serve as flock protection for my ducks, chickens, and pheasants.. And every now and then i'll set some traps out for foxes and raccoons to prevent any losses.
 
I've lost a couple to predators while free ranging, but I personally view that as one of the costs I'm willing to accept for my decision to free range. Nobody likes to loose birds, but I think that being able to run loose, be free to explore and forage during the day gives them the best possible life I can provide them with and I'm fortunate to have the acreage to let them do it on. There's no way to eliminate the risk of loss though. It's a choice that isn't right for everyone.
 
I too free range my birds all day. I can accept loses from wild predators, that's just mother nature, but dogs and cats really tic me off. BTW any of these predators can and will come in your yard while you are home, I guarantee it! (BTW we have no feral cats here, we have coyotes)
Dogs will form a pack (2 or more) come over the fence into the yard and kill your birds! Here the dogs dont go for whats free ranging, but the Roo's in bachelor pads, the dogs will beat on the cage until it gives up, go in and kill the Rooster. I cant be here all the time, when I am I stop these attacks with a bang.
House cats will come in anytime of the day as well, take chicks or even kill an adult bird.
Dont think for 1 moment that just because you are there these critters will not come after your birds!
 
I've raised chickens all my life and had them free-ranged for as long as I can remember,
unsupervised, And not once have I lost my birds from predators during the day while they're out foraging. At around 7:30 PM is when I put them away and I let them out at 7:00 AM. I've got a few dogs and a Bernese for protection, But I also have lots of different fowls, My turkeys and guineas seem to keep the hawks at bay. I've ordered some African geese as well to serve as flock protection for my ducks, chickens, and pheasants.. And every now and then i'll set some traps out for foxes and raccoons to prevent any losses.

I could say the same thing for many years, and then a dog arrived and killed 40 + birds.
 

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom