Freeranging unsupervised?

[centrarchid]

When free-range, be open to trying shelled-corn again. Do not offer it otherwise. Cracked-corn and scratch grains may not be as enticing.

 

[Barry42001]

Mine free range but only mature birds. Have a pair or more of red tailed hawks in immediatel area, lost 2 chicks when they stuck their head through fencing to pick grass outside pen. Now have installed hardware cloth around outside of pen. Pens are intermediate structure before free ranging.

 

[Peppercorngal]

How do people get the chickens back in the coop if you have them out for only a couple hours? Do you let them out before it's time for them to roost at night or do you bribe them with treats?

Yep, treats work everytime. Mine love grapes big time! Also meal worms. I can get them into the run any time even if they have only free ranged for 10 minutes because they come a runnin for treats!

 

[Mrs. Light Sussex]

My flock free ranges unsupervised and return to the coop around sunset. We only have nocturnal predators where I live, so I'm comfortable with that.

 

[Mraya]

How do people get the chickens back in the coop if you have them out for only a couple hours? Do you let them out before it's time for them to roost at night or do you bribe them with treats?

I have been training them using my dog clicker and treats. The clicker gets their attention and the treats gets them running home.

 

[4rbar]

We have free ranged ours every since day one. Originally, they roosted in the apple and maple trees rather than going to the coop to roost. Guess they liked to get real high at night. The current flock comes to roost before dusk in a coop that is being finished.

We have coyotes, coons, possums, hawks, eagles, foxes, and others that don't come to mind. OH yea, skunks. We have a ton of cottontails that I believe keep the predators off the chickens, plus, our two great Pyrenees are a possible deterrent. Not only do they protect the chickens they watch out for the sheep. The Pyrenees have actually taken out more predators than I have.

A neighbor that free ranges has lost quite a few chickens, several to hawks. How do I know? I find carcasses on the top of my fence posts.

We have lost chickens and chicks and normally the culprit is either raccoons or possums. We did lose several chicks last year and I think a wayfaring cat got them.

Dogs, so far, have not been a problem mainly do to the electric wire that surrounds the property. The voltage is high and canines don't want to get in the fence a second time. Plus, all the neighbors know if their dog(s) gets inside the fence I'll be returning their dog.

The main fence wire that is around the property is woven wire and is on the inside of the posts. On the outside of the post, at ground level, there is a strand of barbed wire that was originally used to lay out the line posts. Works very well for keeping digging animals out. The electric wire is offset from the woven wire and is several inches off the ground.

Sorry for rambling

4

 

[TLCMidMichigan]

Its too bad that the flying predators are all protected. The law changes were for the animal rights crowd anyway.
What about MY animals rights? Don't I have a right to protect them?

 

[Bogtown Chick]

We Free Range Spring Summer Fall. Although here on the 16th of April (Spring) we are looking at 6 new inches of snow and over 3 feet of ice still on the lakes with Opening Fishing scheduled for 26 days from now. I doubt the fishing opener will take place in boats.

As by their taste and perhaps design (skinny narrow legs in soft deep white stuff) walking in snow is not high on my flock's things to do so they stay in the run when we have white stuff on the ground or impeding their range.

So the first 5 years or so I had minimal damage to unsupervised Free Ranging. Aerial predators being our only problem. Bald Eagles nesting near by on neighboring property. But this has been only as of late years. "They've discovered us, or figured us out." We also saw a recent boon in the fox population here. And this winter after the run door always open as per usual during the day. I lost a spent hen and an extra cockerel. (If I had to pick my losses, I couldn't have done it better) Broad Daylight. Nonetheless. Knowing my birds will not go out anyways, doors have closed the rest of this whole relentless winter.

I'm considering my options on the open door this spring when the snow fades away given the surge in foxes. I've thought about tying up my labrador down at the coop. (She would not stay there or notice trouble snoozing on the deck or be a deterrant while sunning on the deck, I fear). The chickens for the most part have left the coop for the day. But Hens laying eggs will return for a bit. And that is my concern. So the labrador idea tying her close to the coop entry.

I have to agree that letting your flock out at different times of day is a great idea. The animals get to know our schedule and the dog's schedule...etc. etc.

I think also I will look at my feeder situation. No doubt the foxes were following mouse trails. I barely have a mouse around right now. Keeping a closed feeder system and rodent population down is good all around.

 

[tomphot]

I have a game camera outside my run - I've gotten pics of possum, raccoons and coyote, non can get in. This big guy was around during the day.

 

[jthornton]

I have a game camera outside my run - I've gotten pics of possum, raccoons and coyote, non can get in. This big guy was around during the day.

That's a very clear photo, what game camera do you have? Mine died but never had good photos.

JT