Giving up on Free Ranging.... Baaahhhh!!!

[Reinbeau]

digitS' :

Sure, we understand.

But, after you get Alcatraz built, try just letting them free range in the late afternoon.

Steve

That's what I'm doing right now. The run isn't up yet (it's getting there) so I let them out around 5 pm once I'm home and they go to bed at 7:15 or so.​

 

[Hangin Wit My Peeps]

Our 15 week olds seem to think our garage is a new cool hang out

BUT I don't even mind

My 81 yr old father has a lazyboy out in the garage and he sits their almost all day watching chicken TV.

We just love those cute balls of fluff.

We don't get much company but when I know we are getting company I will put them back in their run. They are really easy to get back in the run. I'm lucky that way! My dad walks around the coop one way, I walk around the other and in they go! Easy! I can't complain much about my beauties. We don't have a porch so just the garage is bombed and it's all nice and hard poo (thank goodness) so it's easy to just sweep out once it's hardened.

 

[joebryant]

When I think of my once beautiful flower beds, I share your pain.

 

[AtRendeAcres]

If they are flying over the fence trim their wings on one side & they won't be able to fly!

Flys if you use DE on their food that will cut down on flys

Joanne

 

[Momma_Cluck]

I know what you mean about fearing the "coon feast"... several of our gals got out-- how long they were out we don't know-- but they came a running when I called them (phew! thank goodness!)
We have a neighbor too close to free range, and a very busy 55mph road up front--
chicken road pizza is NOT my idea of a good time!

Sure wish we could do it-- the grasshoppers here are taking over!

Whave a "playpen" we made to use while building a run-- and it could be used pretty long term if you need to.

1 100ft roll of 4 foot chickenwire ($30)
21 cheapo fence posts ($40)
Wire for attaching the fencin ($4)
1 large fishnet/stuffed-animal net from Goodwill ($5)
{you can use bird/deer netting for about $15-$20}
1 2' x 4' piece of plywood with 4 equally spaced holes drilled down one side and hole on the other.

measure-out a rectangle area whose sides equal a total of 101 linear feet. (extra 1' allows for a door!)

Push/pound-in the fence posts every 4-5 feet around the perimimeter of the rectangle.
at one end- put an extra post aproximately 21".

Dig a shallow 'trench" about an inch wide and several inches deep all the way around on the outside of the posts-close as to them as possible

Attach the fencing to the posts with wire so that a few inches at the bottom are in the trench. Replace the soil in the trench to secure the bottom of the fencing. It doesn't have to be real deep- because like in free-ranging, you'll take them into the coop at night.

For the door-- use the wire to attach the wood between the 2 posts that are 21" apart... On the other side of the wood with the one hole-- somply use the hole to wrap a piece of wire or rope thru the hole and around the post. Needs to be easily opened, but only by you - but not the chickies!

Cover the top with bird ,fish or deer netting-- not only keeps them IN but also keeps hawks etc OUT!

You can cover one end with a tarp if they are in an area without shade-- or add a couple wooden boxes or plastic bins with a chicken door cut in one end for shelter... when a hawk flies over-- WE know the net will keep it out--but the chickens don't-- so will want a place to hide!

Hope that'll help ya till you can get a more permanant run!

 

[ebonykawai]

I only let mine out to free range when I get home from work, around 4pm. They have a big run attached to their coop. Mostly, the eggs are laid before they get let out.

At least chicken poop is easily washable with water. It's nothing like dog poop. I hose down the back yard every few days and it's clean and fresh.

 

[jmcinnes34]

I have a 12 x 16 run on my coop for them to run in all summer. It's 10 ft tall chain link that we dug in to the ground 2 ft so they can't get out of the run. We don't let our girls out to wander until about 1 or 2 in the afternoon once they are finished laying in their coop.

We have one girl who won't go in at night but all the rest go in when it starts getting dark and we walk down and close the door every night. I have had chickens for two years and have never lost one to prey this way. We keep thinking the one that won't go in at night won't be there one day but every morning she is back outside waiting for the others to come out so she can get in for food.

We had 35 hens and we buy about 10-15 a year and sell our eggs at a store in our town. When I had 23 chickens I sold over 500 dozen eggs in a year at $2 per dozen. So everything I buy for the chickens they pay for out of egg money. So in other words I'm not losing money on chickens. I'm saving the egg money up until I can build them a nice coop that is low maintenance and is suited for the -35 weather we get in winters here.

So I say just keep trying to let them out when you can. The poop problem I can't help you with because our driveway just gets washed off but 3 can't be as bad as 35. So good luck!

 

[ZooMummzy]

Quote:
Hahahahaha this sounds like my house. My husband is an engineer so he figures everything out on a spreadsheet. So far, I am 1000s of eggs short of paying for my "chicken hobby".

 

[RockyToggRanch]

I guess the poop doesn't really bother me. I'm lucky so far that they don't come onto my front porch at all. They do go onto the back deck which is a story below our main level and the rooster will crow towards the windows until I appear on the upper deck with treats. They do try to hang out in the garage which caused my husband to complain and threaten at first, but I have sneaked a peak on several occassions, of him standing there watching them inside the garage. Today my farrier was here and all of a sudden we were surrounded by noisy birds. That was the only point I've wished they were fenced. Mine free range all day regardless of when we're home. They have plenty of cover. So far so good

 

[JennsPeeps]

Quote:
Sounds like DBF, an accountant at heart (but not by trade). I haven't told him that the girls "owe us" onearly 100 dozen eggs before we break even... and that's without buying a single pellet of feed ever again!