How do people free-range their chickens??!!!?

[llombardo]

Dogs are a good deterrent. I have a family of raccoons living 20 feet away in the trees. There are foxes, coyotes, oppossums, skunks, Hawks, owls and now Eagles.

There is no specefic time frame when they pop up, they just do. Last night the raccoons were on the move. I leave the back door open with a screen on it at night and a couple dogs--one being a high prey drive german shepherd come in and out. Several times last night he bolted off the couch and flew outside jumping against the fence. My guess he knocked the raccoon right off. Since it happened several times, I can't figure out if it was the same persistent raccoon or different raccoons trying their luck. I also have an electric fence the dogs respect, so they have full capacity around the run to keep anything away. I would never want them to get into a fight with any wildlife so I hope that wildlife will just back off.

 

[townchicks]

Well as others have said, you accept the risk, or you don't free range, or you free range and try to manage the risks. In your case, a chicken tractor sounds like a good option for you, or you may think about multiple runs, and rotate your flock so the grass isn't totally decimated.

 

[DobieLover]

make a chicken tractor so they are safe but still get grass and can be brung back to the coop when you want

A chicken tractor is not free ranging. It does provide the benefits of the birds getting access to fresh greens, but it is not free ranging.

 

[varidgerunner]

Most of mine hatch out in the woods somewhere free ranging from day one. I saw a hawk the other day after hearing a commotion. He left when he saw me. The next day I saw piles of hawk feathers in the pasture and after a head count all the broods were accounted for. Looked like the hens did their job, hawk barely escaped with his life, and I have't seen him back. Not all chickens are an easy meal. Just depends on their breeding.

 

[DobieLover]

Dogs are a good deterrent.

For me at least, THIS is the real question: "How do you keep dogs that will guard and not EAT the flock!??" If I were to let any one of my 3 dogs out with the chickens, I'd have no chickens. All have tremendous prey drive. The Doberman and the rat terrier actually got a squirrel last week. And the min pin, she'll kill first, ask questions later! She attacked the feed tube to a venturi pump I had set up for my gold fish pond because she heard the hissing.

 

[Shadrach]

She attacked the feed tube to a venturi pump I had set up for my gold fish pond because she heard the hissing.

Love it.

 

[DobieLover]

She may look sweet and cute but that right there is 9.5 pounds of sheer terror!

 

[jolenesdad]

I’ve got an Aussie that killed a wild quail in my yard as a 6 month old. He has never been allowed off leash around the hens.

My latest chicks however were brooded in the back porch. He has switched over the weeks to a protector for them. I’m hoping that as he knows these and they get full size, he can be around the adult chickens. Fingers crossed.

 

[Shadrach]

You can't go around shooting everything that may prey on chickens; there won't be any wildlife left.
Some chickens will tackle a hawk. Part of the problem is (I have this problem here) is that many of the breeds of chicken people keep are not equiped for many reasons to cope with the local predators. It's often attitude. I have just finished caring for a tiny bantam cross who had a young chick. She took on a goshawk! Unfortunatley the roosters are a bunch of fairies by comparison. much as I care about them.
The local semi feral Catalan breed here not only know the goshawk but will turn and fight it sometimes. The lovely but incredibly fi fi French Marans would be too worried about getting their feathers in a mess.

 

[DobieLover]

I’ve got an Aussie that killed a wild quail in my yard as a 6 month old. He has never been allowed off leash around the hens.

My latest chicks however were brooded in the back porch. He has switched over the weeks to a protector for them. I’m hoping that as he knows these and they get full size, he can be around the adult chickens. Fingers crossed.

Good luck! Sounds feasible.
I think the moral to all these stories is that if we let our chickens out of whatever predator proof enclosure we have them in, something might get them.
I have a philosophy for life: I'd rather live a short happy life than a long unhappy one. My chickens LOVE to be out running around the yard, the neighbors yard, raiding my garden, you name it. I allow them out when I get home and they raise hell and have a great time doing it. If I lose one or more, I know they had one great life. I will obviously be sad, but this is all part of life.
I fully respect those who choose never to let their chickens out of their enclosures though. To each his or her own.