Help securing free range chickens..

[centrarchid]

Do like I do using an integrated approach. Have a protected covered run in core for times you want birds contained. Establish plantings to provide patches of cover and areas that provide good forage. The plantings concept deviates from most concepts of a typical yard with manicured lawn. Setup a perimeter hot-wire that encompasses the entire area the birds use. Get one dog and work with it for two years before getting second. About 4 years required to get setup working the way I like it.

 

[TMChickens]

That is great! How much land do they have to free range? I think the roo might help too. We never in a million years thought we would have any worrries with our Molly. She stayed right beside her house and had her own coop and seemed so happy. I miss her so much. I will do everything I can to keep the rest as safe as possible.
They are beautiful running around with all their different colors! I love watching them too!

 

[HomeHatcher22]

We live in a very rural area and free range during the day and put the chicken in at night. We maintained a steady number of them through the winter but we lost our 3 oldest chickens in the past 2 weeks. No evidence. Nothing. During the day or evening and we round them up at dusk and put them all in the coop. All but one usually wonder around as a group and lasted a little over a year. I’ve been reading on here about people free ranging and their chickens living 7+ years. There are so many predators I have no idea how to keep them all away. First we don’t even know what type of predator. One of the three was our special Molly who had her own special coop and never wondered more than 10 foot from the perimeter of our house. I cannot find any evidence of feathers or attack..she went missing between 6-8 pm. We have 3 dogs that run around the house, 2 miniature Donkey’s in a field connected to the coop, 3 goats behind the coop and Llama’s about 50 yards, the chickens wonder around all the Livestock so it’s surprising anything comes near them. We also have guineas and that is for my next thread. They disappear almost exclusively at night and we think we know but have a lot of questions about releasing the next flock. Weekly we haul skunks, raccoons and possums away in the winter.


We have a fair amount of land and the chickens have their freedom to roam. I am coming up with two solutions.

1. Build a large kennel & a new coop and keep them contained.
2. Get a couple Great Pyrenees’s and train them to guard the chickens. Never had an outside dog so would feel bad just getting one, will also feel bad about not bringing them inside.

Anybody have any suggestions for our next steps? We will do anything to keep them safe.

i would consider buying a electric and let the chickens free range in that.

 

[TMChickens]

Hi Centrarchid, Definitely rethinking or set up and excited to plan our own coop & run. We’ve been using the one that was on the property which is a good one but an upgrade sounds like it’s in order. We have kids & visitors to our property all the time (cabin rentals) so the electric may not be feasible. But I like the idea of all he plants and foliage. Although they haven’t really discovered our garden yet. So thankful for all the sweet and thoughtful suggestions.

 

[centrarchid]

I have small kids and visitors as well. Fence can be powered off at certain times. Acreage required caries with location, season, weather, and how you manage the property. In some situations even how the surrounding property is managed is important.

Indicate your location and show pictures of your land birds forage. I still provide supplemental feed at the very least for most of the birds and that impacts a lot. You have to learn how to "read" birds to determine if they are coming up short with respect to nutrition.

 

[RWise]

Those glowing eyes dont work, why, because animals eyes do not glow.
I free range as well, and you will loose a bird from time to time. IMHO dogs help (cept the neighbors dog/s). A shotgun (even firecrackers) helps, and many you wont need to kill just make noise (hawks) and they go away.
I would first try to find out, what is the guilty predator, as there are many around me that I live in harmony with. I have hawks, owls, coon, possum, fox, coyote, snakes, dogs/cats, and on and on.
Good luck!

 

[igorsMistress]

If you're going to free range there is always risk.

 

[igorsMistress]

Oh my! No need to run around in a frantic chase and grab scene! It's so quick and easy to train chickens to come in on a signal.

Most folks simply shake a scratch grain container each time they dole it out and the chickens come running toward the sound. I use a training clicker you pick up for a buck at Petsmart. I just click it and the chickens instantly materialize in the run where I am when I click it.

It was a very fast and convenient way to get the little rascals out of my garden enclosure after they went in through a wind blown gate to dig up my freshly planted lettuce.

To train, just click it each time you dole out a treat. They learn practically immediately. Reward compliance and you have trained chickens.

Just like training a puppy

 

[kwhites634]

Thank you cmom! When you say free range do you mean you let them out of their pens to roam around unsecured? But they had rather be in their pens? Of course a 200 x 60 ft pen is awesome!

We have about 80 acres, 70 forest and 10 cleared with 4 pastures but they stay mostly around the barn and in the pastures. It just seem such a shame to have to limit their roaming. They love going in with the Llama’s and Donkey’s and playing with them..it’s actually comical.

But, I am understanding that may have to be the route we take to secure them. We are very attached to them and it’s been an emotional roller coaster.

I've lost a handful over the years; it's the chance you take when you free range. You have to balance confinement against freedom, and do whatever's comfortable for you, with the well being of the birds in mind.
I no longer free range every day like I did last year, since I lost my only rooster (in my avatar) and one of his daughters within a day or so of one another. No trace of either of them; they just didn't come back to the coop one evening at dusk. Soon thereafter I surprised a hawk working on the carcass of my last RSL. I've since covered their exercise yard with netting & free range them every other day, instead of every day, hoping to teach the hawk(s) that their free meal isn't theirs for the taking on a daily basis. Since then I haven't lost a bird, but undoubtedly will down the road. I'd still prefer to let my chickens be chickens. On the other hand, most of my birds aren't pets, either.

 

[cmom]

My pens are covered with a heavy duty netting. I have electric wire around the perimeter of the coops and pens and concrete under the gates. I also have my game cameras up and see a lot of critters roaming around at night. I know I have posted these pictures on other threads.

I wanted to put a second strand of wire around this coop and the pens but hubby said one was enough and so far no attempts at entry.