Giving up on free ranging chickens

[Rosieposie6]

Howdy everyone just jumping on here to whine a bit! I’ve decided to officially not allow my chickens to free range and I’m sad about it. I know chickens are the happiest and healthiest when they have free access to lots of land which we have we live on 5 acres but now it’s become impossible. Our neighbors chicken got killed by a red tail hawk recently so I’ve been putting up bird netting over a smaller space by their coop and run so their not inside all day but I’ve seen about 8 hawks just in the past few weeks flying around hunting. Just can’t risk it anymore I wanted to let them free range but I can’t watch them be brutally killed by hawks. If I had tons of chickens maybe I wouldn’t be so paranoid but I only have 4 hens and two ducks currently. I am getting a few more chickens next month but I feel like a bad chicken owner because I’ve decided to stop the free ranging There's just no way you can prevent attacks if their allowed to be free unfortunately. Even with the netting up if I see a hawk I put them inside I know that sounds silly but I love them too much. Anyone else feel this way??

 

[Ted Brown]

I started my chicken journey allowing free range. Yes the chickens were happy but the predation rate was too high.

My solution was to build a fully enclosed run sized to the coop (up to 40 birds), have not looked back. My pop door stays open 24/7 and I have multiple feed stations across the two areas. The flock is happy as am I.

 

[BantyChooks]

I feel your pain, I had to make the same decision. Thankfully, the netting completely stopped the hawks, though once I walked in on a hawk sitting on the fence staring down at them.

 

[Rosieposie6]

I started my chicken journey allowing free range. Yes the chickens were happy but the predation rate was too high.

My solution was to build a fully enclosed run sized to the coop (up to 40 birds), have not looked back. My pop door stays open 24/7 and I have multiple feed stations across the two areas. The flock is happy as am I.

Do they have access to the outdoors or is the run pretty much kinda an outdoor environment?

 

[Rosieposie6]

I feel your pain, I had to make the same decision. Thankfully, the netting completely stopped the hawks, though once I walked in on a hawk sitting on the fence staring down at them.

Can I ask what kind of netting you put up??
I use bird netting with small holes I got from Lowe’s.

 

[BantyChooks]

Can I ask what kind of netting you put up??
I use bird netting with small holes I got from Lowe’s.

I used bird netting off Amazon. It's pretty sturdy for how thin it is.

 

[McChooky]

I started my chicken journey allowing free range. Yes the chickens were happy but the predation rate was too high.

My solution was to build a fully enclosed run sized to the coop (up to 40 birds), have not looked back. My pop door stays open 24/7 and I have multiple feed stations across the two areas. The flock is happy as am I.

I rarely free range so my chickens won't be brutally murdered .Even that comes with risks.

 

[HockeyMom328]

Howdy everyone just jumping on here to whine a bit! I’ve decided to officially not allow my chickens to free range and I’m sad about it. I know chickens are the happiest and healthiest when they have free access to lots of land which we have we live on 5 acres but now it’s become impossible. Our neighbors chicken got killed by a red tail hawk recently so I’ve been putting up bird netting over a smaller space by their coop and run so their not inside all day but I’ve seen about 8 hawks just in the past few weeks flying around hunting. Just can’t risk it anymore I wanted to let them free range but I can’t watch them be brutally killed by hawks. If I had tons of chickens maybe I wouldn’t be so paranoid but I only have 4 hens and two ducks currently. I am getting a few more chickens next month but I feel like a bad chicken owner because I’ve decided to stop the free ranging There's just no way you can prevent attacks if their allowed to be free unfortunately. Even with the netting up if I see a hawk I put them inside I know that sounds silly but I love them too much. Anyone else feel this way??

You are not alone… I just made a post asking for advice on how to get past the sadness. I love them so much too and get so much joy watching them range. I knew predators would be a risk but so far, the losses have been completely avoidable, which makes the guilt even worse. I just lost 4 this week… one to an early morning predator because one of our evening practices was missed, and they were able to get out earlier than normal. Then 3 were just today… my own dog (pryrnese) escaped…she chased and caught 3 of them..didn’t want them for food, but seemed very proud, and I believe she thinks she did the right thing…. Until I screamed at her and said some pretty mean things… obviously she doesn't know what I said, but she should know I was so upset. Sorry… I digress… I’m probably still going to let them range… I now have 9…but who knows if that will change. I have also said to friends that I’m not sure I’m cut out for this… :-(

 

[Rosieposie6]

You are not alone… I just made a post asking for advice on how to get past the sadness. I love them so much too and get so much joy watching them range. I knew predators would be a risk but so far, the losses have been completely avoidable, which makes the guilt even worse. I just lost 4 this week… one to an early morning predator because one of our evening practices was missed, and they were able to get out earlier than normal. Then 3 were just today… my own dog (pryrnese) escaped…she chased and caught 3 of them..didn’t want them for food, but seemed very proud, and I believe she thinks she did the right thing…. Until I screamed at her and said some pretty mean things… obviously she doesn't know what I said, but she should know I was so upset. Sorry… I digress… I’m probably still going to let them range… I now have 9…but who knows if that will change. I have also said to friends that I’m not sure I’m cut out for this… :-(

Aw man I’m so sorry I am very lucky to haven’t lost any yet which is seriously just pure luck because for the past year I let them free range I think the only reason the hawks didn’t attack my chickens is because I would be outside in the garden a lot but now I’m not outside hardly with the cold so their under a netted area or in their run since my neighbors chicken got killed by a red tail a few weeks ago..Yea our lab tried to snap at one of the hens when she was flying around and I think my dog thought she was a duck. My husband takes her hunting every fall so she was only doing what she’s been trained to do but I scolded her and she never did it again.

 

[Ted Brown]

Do they have access to the outdoors or is the run pretty much kinda an outdoor environment?

Sorry, I missed this.

I have two adjoining run areas:

• 10' by 16' by 3'+ high under the coop with a 10' log swing & twisted branch about 10' on the ground;
• 12' by 15' HC cage/pole shed roofed with galvanized tin.

Summer run areas are HC open all round; winter everything is tarped except for the south side which is clear plastic sheeting.

I use 6-12" deep litter of mulch, leaves, bedding from coop, 12' log with branches, etc.

The flock gets the weather "around the edges" but are well sheltered. They spend the majority of daylight hours in the runs.