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

[50-45-1]

I free range morning to dusk. The thing that allowes me to do this is 4 guardian dogs. An Australian shepherd, an Australian cattle dog/border collie mix, an ausie/pit mix and a German shepherd/black lab that is learning. (Mostly she likes to chase butterflys) I have every kind of preditor known to northern Michigan. I also have a small flock of guineas that sound the alarm, and every body listens. Chickens dive for cover, dogs off like a shot. I still lost 3 hens this summer. I like to think the smart ones survive, and will continue that bloodline thru hatching chicks each year.
I had a friend once that had a Jenny (donkey) that kept all 4 legged varmints away. Also another neighbor who never lost a chicken during the day, until his free range pot bellied pig passed away, then he lost his entire flock one by one.

 

[jburts]

well we have an acre and used to be orchard, we would have a hawk around in the winter, but since we lost chickens to dogs, they are know in the fenced back yard portion which is still large enough for them and lots of shade and bushes to hide in. In summer don't have a problem with the hawks, so we are lucky there, but in winter since now the orchard trees are gone and more open space, we know have a redtail hawk that comes in at winter time, so chickens don't get out unless I can be out with them, for a little while, then I put them back in, and when a hawk comes around I yell and chase them out, and get chickens in they come when I shake the meal worm bag, so in winter I can't let them free range like in the summer and late spring, and into fall, usually around late oct nov the hawk starts to come in. so starting now can't let them free range unless I'm home, and they do have places to quickly hide and they can go under the bushes and trees to get into their coup, part of it a huge snowball tree that is by the coup they go under it to get in, and the hawk does not like to go into the tree cause the branches are intertwined so much he knows he would not be able to get out and I quit feeding the little birds in the winter last year cause we got so many hawks coming in to go after the little birds, so it will be interesting to see how many hawks we get this year, and of course I have taken pics of all the hawks.

 

[roosterhavoc]

I think free ranging birds is really a different thing for everyone. Some depending on work schedule and life it might not even be possible. Having chickens locked up and taken care of is better than no chickens. For others the timing can be an issue. Getting home from work or wherever after dark when they should be locked up etc..
I don’t worry about it much but like others have said I trap a lot of animals year round but mostly in winter so I’m not dealing with young and pregnant females.
Anyone who free ranges birds will eventually lose some but arguably their life has been better.
I am always amazed at pictures of someone’s yard where it’s pretty big yet they never let them out for fear of losing them or too much work finding eggs, tearing up the garden etc.. They’re keeping them the way that works best for them not the chickens which is fine but it’s not what’s best for the overall health of the chicken. Obviously some have huge fenced in areas which work better than someone else’s birds who are free ranging in a small backyard.
My only advice to anyone wanting to let birds out say in the morning and then lock them up at night is to trap as many raccoons, foxes bobcats, coyotes and opposums as you possibly can. You aren’t going to hurt the population and they will move back in.
Some with no firearm restrictions can shoot near a hawk to scare them off too. Some won’t be allowed to do that for safety reasons.

 

[roosterhavoc]

This raccoon walked past two baited cages to get to this tree. There was 5-6 two months old chicks in the tree roosting just above him.

 

[jburts]

 

[roosterhavoc]

Really if you want to truly free range birds learn to trap if it’s legal where you are. Free ranging birds and then doing nothing when you have an animal after your birds isn’t the answer.

While it may seem brutal I can assure you a chicken getting crunched by a fox or in the case of raccoons a head, leg or wing bitten off by a raccoon it’s not as bad.

 

[jburts]

so above are my pics of my back yard, and the coup is on the side yard behind the snowball tree, in winter though the snowball tree looses it leaves, but they can still get under it I leave the grasses on do not cut them back until late spring, they go in there and they disappear, on other side of yard have flower bed that has rhody's and other plant bushes they can also hide in. pic of coup now on other side of fence to back yard have it ready for winter,

 

[jburts]

also have to lock up chickens at night and put all food in and water in coup and have bolts on coup, and I close their back door hatch to back yard, to keep raccoons out,

 

[MillersFarm]

I let my birds out at around 6:30 AM and put them away when it gets dark out, So like 7:00-7:30. I free range chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys, and guineas. and i've lost 0 birds from hawks or falcons or even eagles.. I do have a pair of red tailed hawks that have a nest not too far away from my barn. But i've found that my turkeys and geese actually keep my hawks at bay.. Even the barn swallows will chase them off if they see any. My guineas help a lot too, The sound the alarm as soon as they see something and all my chickens will go running for their coops or the barn..

 

[Duck-duck-goose]

View attachment 1545654
She may look sweet and cute but that right there is 9.5 pounds of sheer terror!

My min pin LOVES his feathered friends and fiercely protects them all! That being said, I've had Auberon since he was 4 weeks old (long story) and I kept him with me front and center with my chix and 'lings so he feels ferociously protective. People laugh at his bravado but I'm not messing with 14lbs of sharp teeth and solid muscle, hes fearless! I also have geese (I don't care what anyone says geese get a bad wrap like pit bulls) who free range with everyone and even the coyotes steer clear of my birds.