Help securing free range chickens..

[TMChickens]

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.

 

[Lastchancechicken]

I would first check your coop and run for weaknesses. If all good you can try the red eyes that glow in the dark. You can also make them a smaller fenced area to free range. I have a motion detector security light on the outside of the run. Hope you get it figured out. Good luck!

 

[TMChickens]

Thank you Lastchancechicken! By free range we just let them out of a coop (8’w x16’l x 8’h) in the am to wonder about the property. They really aren’t in a run. Nothing has ever gotten into the coop they go missing when they are all out on the property. They generally stay with in the pens of the livestock but don’t wonder off too far. I really love seeing them out playing in the fields and they seem as if they are enjoying themselves, so I really don’t want to lock them in a coop or run if there is any other way. I’m in Southen IL.

 

[azygous]

I also live in a very remote, wilderness setting. Unfortunately, there is no way to free-range our chickens without running the risk of losing some. In eleven years of keeping chickens I've lost one to a red tail hawk and the other to a bobcat.

Since I lost those two, when my chickens are out free-ranging, I'm out there with them. Even still, twice I've had a hawk dive my chickens when I was standing right beside them. If I need to leave for even ten minutes, they all get put back into my secure run which is surrounded by hot wire which is the only way you can come close to guaranteeing the chickens will be safe.

What is your geographical location? It would help to know what predators you are up against. I have bear, lion, bob cats, foxes, hawks as my main predators. Hot wire has all but eliminated the risk to my chickens from all but the hawks.

Their run is very roomy, is broken up with partitions, has perches all over, and is covered. The chickens seem to enjoy being in their run as much as they like being out free-ranging. You can see the run and coops up in my avatar. More photos here. https://www.backyardchickens.com/gallery/albums/new-pen.6343434/

 

[TMChickens]

Your coop & run is amazing! No wonder they clammer to get in. Rustling ours up to get in any other time than dusk is a challenging. We live in Southern IL so bobcat, coons, skunks and possums (possibly hawks & owls too). We run a cabin business and people love to visit with the chickens as much as the chickens like roaming but it would not be possible to stay out with them when they free range. People come and go and we have to reposed quickly so we would have to leave them in a run/coop to keep them safe. I was hoping a guard dog would be the answer. We love dogs and would be willing to invest in a trainer to help us.

 

[cmom]

I put up game cameras. When I found out what critters were around at night and I tightened my security. I have a good heavy duty netting over my pens (owls, hawks) and electric all around (for the diggers). I have lost some birds in the past due to predators with the most recent a few years ago to a fox that dug under one of the gates. I put concrete under all of the gates. Since I haven't lost a bird to a predator. I do let the birds free range but they have nice big pens (approximately 200 ft by 60 ft) and most of the time they would rather be in their pens. I have shade/rain tables in the pens for shade and to get out of the rain and have planted trees which are now good size to provide shade. They definitely would rather be in the shade then out in the pasture free ranging.

 

[TMChickens]

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.

 

[azygous]

The key to chickens feeling secure and being secure is cover. When my chickens go out to free-range, they are able to return at any time to the run through a pop hole on each side of their run. Two roosters have pretty much split the flock of twenty-one between them, and they are standing alert while the hens poke around in the dirt. They give a signal and all the hens are back inside the covered run inside of thirty seconds. I've watched this.

Chickens crave cover. They will spend more time near cover than out in the open, and they seem to be able to handle only so much time outside before they need to come back to the run and lower their defenses.

If you can provide places where your chickens can find cover very quickly, you increase their survival rate with hawks, and if you make it easy for them to find safety and cover in a secure run, they may be able to survive an attack by larger predators.

 

[TMChickens]

Thank you azygous! Very insightful! Now that I think about it, they wonder around but always return to the barn and at dusk to their coop. They do feel safe in there as they get up on their roost and we close them in.
When you say pop hole, what size is that? It seems like a raccoon or opossum could get in anywhere a chicken can or a snake.
We do not have any roosters. We had one that was 10 and he was very good at protecting and left the humans alone. One of our hens turned out to be a rooster and the two of them were fighting and the younger one was being TOO aggressive with the chickens and humans. We rehomed him. Then the other disappeared in the night. . Do you think we should get a rooster to help protect them? I don’t know how to go about getting one, I’m kinda scared of them after that last guy! It would be worth it if they protect the flock though.
The thought of ready protection is good! Thank you!

 

[azygous]

The pop holes are chicken size, 11"x 12". They just permit the chickens to access the run without me needed to open the people door to let them in. When I'm not around, they're closed. Nothing can get in when they're closed.

I acquired my roosters the natural way - the hatchery making mistakes in sexing and sending me cockerels when I order pullets. It's how most folks get their roos.