How do I safely free range.

[FrappcinoObsession]

Hi, I’m having some troubles with sriram predators. I’ve lost 2 baby chicks SLW and 1 teenage chicken Red Frizzled to a hawk. I’ve los lost many other chickens to them. I have a full netted run. The chickens are good at running there. They are also free ranged 1 acre land. But I have hawk who sits on the tree next to coop. I wanna free range them but how do I free range them safely without them getting hurt or injured. I also hear my chickens scream and I’m having to shoe the hawk every time I see it.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

What are your legal options for hawk identification and removal? Once the bird has discovered a free and ready lunch, its not going to leave the bufffet on its own, for long.

it **MAY** be that the local (State) Game authority will relocate it for you. It may be that you can lawfully take (read KILL) the bird now that its established itself as a danger to livestock. It may be that the lawful take is only with certain approvals, and advance permission.

Or, you may decide you are willing to do the crime for the time, or perhaps less responsibly, you are unlikely to get caught if you do the crime.

Up to you - but the answers in this case intersect with the law, and there's too much variation for me to feel comfortable telling you what the law appears to be in your part of GA.

 

[WIchickMama]

Great advice given by @U_Stormcrow

The other option, like many of us on here do because of predators or other reasons, is that you don't have free ranging chickens. Some might think it is so awful to keep them confined in a run and not allow them to free range. BUT I think it would be more awful to offer them as a sacrificial lunch/dinner every day.

 

[centrarchid]

To get some of foraging benefits of free-range while controlling predation risk, I would use a chicken tractor. The birds can be readily trained to go between coop / run and the chicken tractor. Other options will cost a lot more.

 

[FrappcinoObsession]

What are your legal options for hawk identification and removal? Once the bird has discovered a free and ready lunch, its not going to leave the bufffet on its own, for long.

it **MAY** be that the local (State) Game authority will relocate it for you. It may be that you can lawfully take (read KILL) the bird now that its established itself as a danger to livestock. It may be that the lawful take is only with certain approvals, and advance permission.

Or, you may decide you are willing to do the crime for the time, or perhaps less responsibly, you are unlikely to get caught if you do the crime.

Up to you - but the answers in this case intersect with the law, and there's too much variation for me to feel comfortable telling you what the law appears to be in your part of GA.

Thank you!

 

[jt1950]

got a chicken tractor inside a temporary fence and covered in parts with trellis netting , so far has deterred hawk and cara caras that fly regularly by my girls.

 

[EmmaGRS]

Hello! I’ve had this issue as well. We used to have a family of hawks and several coyotes. We’ve moved from that place, but for the last couple years we had a great solution, and that was guard geese, and livestock dogs. At first we got guard geese, two of them (I do not suggest getting two, one usually is fine but getting two made it so they were more dependent on each other than being with the chickens.) and they kept hawks away. But they were very messy. And our chickens have always been free range, so a couple big geese with them was just messy. But one might be better, especially with a bunch of chickens and I’ve heard great results from other people. We ended up getting rid of them because they were too messy for us. But then we got goats, and with goats a couple Great Pyrenees dogs. Every since getting those dogs, we haven’t lost a single chicken to a hawk or coyote. The dogs weren’t “free range”, they stayed in a large pen with the goats, but they kept the hawks away and it was amazing. We still have them even after moving, and tons of hawks were located here especially with our whole 20 acres being just trees, and we have yet to lose a chicken or duck after being here for 4 months. Now the dogs “free range” with the chickens, and they know these are what I protect. I would want my chickens being free range, chicken tractors work very well but sometimes they’re a pain. (We use them for out meat birds.) Ultimately do your own research, and if you’re open to guard animals, I’d say go for it. A dog can be a lot, but guard geese are great too. Just do your own research first. Best of luck!

 

[cmom]

Great advice given by @U_Stormcrow

The other option, like many of us on here do because of predators or other reasons, is that you don't have free ranging chickens. Some might think it is so awful to keep them confined in a run and not allow them to free range. BUT I think it would be more awful to offer them as a sacrificial lunch/dinner every day.

I agree. There are ways to entertain the birds in their pens. Now when I have let the birds out when I'm working on the coops or pens they may come out briefly but before long they are all back in their pens. I think they feel like it's their safe place. I do give them grass clipping in the summer months when the grass is growing and the rest of the year I buy alfalfa bales for them. They love to scratch through it. You can put lettuce, cabbage, etc. in their pens which they will eventually devour. I also give them flock blocks to peck at. Good luck and have fun...

 

[cmom]

There were a few time I sold some birds to a woman who lives in our area and after awhile she would come back and want to buy more birds because predators had gotten the previous birds I sold her because she free ranged them. After the third time I sold her some birds and she came back a fourth time, I told her I didn't have any birds for sale. I was tired of selling her birds just to be eaten by predators. It was nice to sell the birds but to someone who is more responsible not to be eaten by predators. Just my feelings. Again, good luck...

 

[Mtn Cur]

Each state has licensed falconers. They are able to catch and relocate the hawk. Contact your local wildlife resource agency, they will have a list of a falconer in your area.