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

[Reno]

Ok, so I have 8 chickens currently and have tried to free range in the past. Sadly, 2 died from a hawk. Since then I built them a run and it was great until they ate all the grass. I really want to let them free range but am so scared that they will die considering that I see at least 5 hawks in the area. I've tried decoy owls and even hung sliver reflective string, but nothing seems to work. I just don't know how all these chicken owners post picture and videos of their chickens happily free ranging. If anyone knows the secret to free-ranging please let me know.

I've learned that free range chickens are always at risk from predators so I try to let mine roam only when I'm out there in my yard or at least home...I still manage to loose 1 or 2 a year to a hawk.

 

[Code 30 Ranch]

My husband and I made a mobile chicken tractor out of some irrigation pvc piping we had laying around. Since the pvc is flexible, we were able to make arches with it and cover it in netting. Then I put tarps over it to provide shade for my girls. It’s brutal hot where I’m at 10 months out of the year. It was pretty cheap to make. The most costly part was the wooden frame/wheels so we could push it around the property. It’s 20x10 ft so it takes both of us to move it- it’s heavy. It gives me the peace of mind that my girls won’t be attacked by hawks. It’s not the most attractive thing by any means, but it works.

 

[alanpeg2u]

I release mine into a small chicken tractor. I have a fence tunnel for them to run through to get to it, then I can pull it to wherever I want them then back to the run in the afternoon. They love it. Maybe if I had a totally enclosed backyard but we have too many stray dogs, cats, traffic, hawks, and a 'no free ranging' ordinance to chance it.

 

[texsuze]

We're in the country, on 173 acres, sharing it with native predators of many types. My girls free range during the day in and around the barn, which provides lots of protection from the elements and aerial predators. I put my hens to bed in their runs each night, and let them out each morning. Barn and 3 acres are surrounded by 5' no-climb horse fence, with a field fence apron along much of the bottom, and either electric tape or wire running on top and bottom of fence. Due diligence is required to keep apron intact (mostly armadillo excavation ) and fencing charged appropriately.

The next best predator-deterrent (note: not necessarily predator-PROOF) feature, aside from the fencing, is ample cover for hens to hide in or escape to. Flat-bed trailer parked under the trees (I dump water under it during summer--co-o-o-o-ol!), a variety of many native perennial bushes (now in spectacular bloom!) near the barn, A-frame shelters (made from a single wooden pallet) strategically located throughout barnyard, large oak trees whose limbs have been allowed to naturally and gracefully grow down to the ground (no 'lollipop' trees here).

Foxes are numerous, mostly passing by the barnyard on their way to eat sunflower seeds billed out from our hanging bird feeders--their preferred choice of protein. Coopers and small raptors, right now, are busy chasing doves, but this is raptor migration season, too. Raccoons are busy meddling in our Frog Pond near the house at night. We have no dogs, no roosters, no guineas, no donks or llamas; just my elderly retired gelding and my hens.

Just painting a picture here of our setup, like others have posted. Good suggestions from folks on (1) ample, natural cover (2) electric chicken fencing (3) and don't leave foodstuffs out to attract predators (including cat food).

 

[Strandedinla]

I was free ranging, first loss neighbors dog came to our yard second my chickens went into their yard. This morning we built a large pen. Roo alerts to the hawks and they run for cover. Coop is predator safe at night. We hope we dont loose anymore. We are very sad about loosing Bertha and Laverne. If you love your chickens as pets and egg layers PROTECT THEM!!

 

[ScottKelly1974]

I've lost one young roo I was raising for the meet market to a young hawk. It came back few times when I was out there. I free range my chickens when I can. I have now taken up sitting outside where the hawk will see me and read one of the books I've been trying to get to. So far I've only been doing this in the afternoon. If I am out there working, then the chickens are allowed to free range. I can also round them up if I need to if I have to go somewhere.

 

[rjohns39]

This has been a truly interesting read. During the day, my birds have a choice. They can choose to stay inside their 4' electronet fence or they can fly over and free range. I replenish my layers every year and had few hawk problems. Out of every hatch there seems to be one or two hens who decide they don't want to join one of the sub-flocks and go out on their own. I know I will likely lose those. I choose my eldest birds with the best foraging and survival skills to be my breeders.

That said, when I raise CX for meat or BBWs, they live out their lives in a tractor. Their survival instincts have been bread out of them. They are docile, gentle and very curious. Too curious.

When I hatch or buy new turkey poults, I like to put five 1 week old chicks in with the day old poults. The chicks are great mentors and my poult survival rate to 8 weeks goes way up. That said, there is a downside. Odds are those five chicks won't be with me for a long time, as they will never integrate with the other chickens and will stay with the turkeys. It's really cute to see 3 turkeys huddled together on the roost and see a white chicken butt sticking up in between them.

As for aerial predators, the turkeys are a solid, but not fool proof deterrent. This past spring I had a red tail on final approach heading for an unsuspecting duck, four of my young toms took flight to intercept. The hawk made an immediate exit. I had a barred owl manage to kill one of my mentor chickens, the next morning I found the chicken with it's head severed but otherwise intact and the clean carcass and feathers of the barred owl. He may have gotten the chicken, but he died before getting to eat it and then became a midnight snack for the turkeys.

Geese are another good protector. I have a friend who puts one female with each of his flocks and she'll take on the "Mother hen" role. He says two geese doesn't work as they become social rather than attentive.

The worst loss I've ever encountered was when a storm took out my electric fence. It doesn't take the predator tribe long to figure out it's not working. I've since armor plated my shelters so even if they do get past the fence at night, they still can't get to the birds. I also trap and hunt ground predators.

 

[wenwar]

We had a hawk land a couple of times in our yard, I put up some cds in the trees and made a scarecrow, I'm hoping that works, haven't seen the hawk in a few days.

Princess Buttercup

• wenwar
• Jul 16, 2018
• 3

Buttercup on the fence, prior to clipping

 

[old biddy]

I free range my chickens all day and lock them up after they roost in the hen house at night. I am surrounded by woods. We have lost birds to fox and coyote and roaming dogs in the past but have accepted this as part of them living free. We have not had coyotes in recent years - I attest that to the fact that we have another farm with free ranging chickens between us and where the coyotes have their den and sadly for them the coyotes have most of their dinners there. We also now have three dogs of our own who are good guard dogs and help keep away the fox. As for me I am retired now and spend a lot of time outdoors with the chickens, keeping an eye on them. We know we will still lose some sooner or later, but we all live here free and happy in the meantime. Such is life.

 

[Rick M]

Like I've mentioned before, we free range on 5 acres and some of our neighbors. We only have a very small run for when we get new chicks. We just lost our second pullet In two months to a hawk. The pullet had gotten into my neighbors horse lot and got stuck inside the fence so it was easy for the hawk to catch. I found the carcass in the fence line after seeing a hawk in the horse field. I returned a few minutes later with a deterrant and the hawk was back standing on top of the carcass.
Update 10-01.... I contacted the Missouri Departemnt of Conservation, they said it would be the Federal Fish and Game. So after the run a round with several wrong numbers they gave me I finally got ahold of the Reginal Migratory Bird Department. They said if you free range even on your own land there is nothing they could offer to help with hawk issues. I questioned how is it possible a land owner and small farmer could not protect their wildlife. He got an attitude and said he didnt make the law. I let him know I wasnt blaming him I was trying to figure out how to deal with the issue because I know several other farmers that are also having issues with the black head culture from Mexico that are killing calves and no farmer would let a bird kill a calves without dealing with it. He then gave me another number to someone more local 2.5 hours from us, the number went straight to voice mail. So it's time for the 3 S's in my opinion.
And today 10-01 we lost the third one to a hawk but hopefully it will slow down since I seen this one too. Well I guess the hawk didnt kill it, I found a ton of feathers from it just into edge of woods. At dark when I went to close up the coop and secure our small run I placed everyone in after the hawk I found the missing girl roosting inside our gargae on a saw horse next to the coop. She has a small amount of blood on her comb but seems non the worse for it.