A coop with 2 chickens came with my new FL house. We are really enjoying them and how they follow us wherever we go.
However there was a third chicken that got taken by a hawk before we took ownership. There's a hawk doing fly-bys and the chickens, which have full access to the fenced backyard, hide under the deck.
How to keep them safe? I don't want to keep them cooped up.
However there was a third chicken that got taken by a hawk before we took ownership. There's a hawk doing fly-bys and the chickens, which have full access to the fenced backyard, hide under the deck.
How to keep them safe? I don't want to keep them cooped up.
A long as you free range them be prepared to eventually loose some. Chickens aren't as smart as many people give them credit for being and it's not cruel to keep them in a nice run/pen. I have free ranged in the past and have lost birds. I have sold some birds to people who free ranged their birds and the predators always found them and ended up killing them then the people would be back for more birds. I hate selling my birds to someone who keep feeding them to the predators. All of my birds have nice large pens. Now when I let them out they may come out of the pen gate but before long they are back in their pens. I think they feel safer in them. All of my pens are large and covered with netting due to losses in the past. I know my birds are safe. Good luck and have fun...
