How many of you let your chickens free range in the wintertime?

[MandyH]

I have a couple of breeds that are in breeder pens but the other 30 or so free range year round. THey sleep in the trees and on top of the coops or wherever they want. I have three empty coops and some of them go in there at night.

 

[Judy]

Mine free range all year. They return to their coop at night. If I lived in the north I would do the same.

 

[33yardbirds]

There's things along the wood line they want so they get to free range all year.

 

[cabot]

Mine used to "free range" in a 100 by 200' fenced , grassy enclosure with shelter and loved it, but a redtail has discovered them and I've lost 3 in the past 4 weeks. Now they are locked up in a spare horse stall until I can arrange a covered pen for them. They are NOT happy! I lost one just yesterday and mr hawk was back casing out the yard bright and early at 6:30 this morning....

 

[HEChicken]

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[WoodlandWoman]

I guess I'm in the minority on this thread. We've gone to only free ranging during the growing season, rather than year round.

We live in an area with heavy snow. I don't think we usually get more than 3', but we recently had a winter where we got over 100". We have had a lot more snow than usual so far this winter, too. I think I would free range in winter if we lived in a place with less snow.

Unless we make paths, they aren't going anywhere in deep snow. Their legs just sink in up to their bodies and they can't move. We actually do make paths, but they still don't really want to use them. I can't really blame them. There's nothing to forage for out there, really, compared to a nice buggy growing season, with lush greens. What's the point?

There's heavier predator pressure and no foliage cover in the winter here, either. It's a bad combination. Some hawks will overwinter here, too, as it's just at the edge of their winter range. Especially the last couple of years. Hawks have gotten really bad here. We no longer have livestock that they hang out with and our protection dog just died, too. They are on their own.

So, they just hang out in the run, until the show starts melting. Their run is mostly covered in winter, so unless it blows a lot, I don't have to worry about shoveling, just so they can get out of the coop in the morning. They still like to go out some of the time, but go back in to warm up when they need to. When the high is only around zero, they usually start staying in and just looking out the windows. I can't blame them for not wanting to be out in that, either.

Edited to add that all of their run has wire over it, to protect them from hawks. Most of it is covered to block snow in winter, only part of it is covered to block rain the rest of the year.

 

[Chirpy]

I also allow my chickens free ranging all year round. They are locked up securely every night.

My chickens are "chicken" of snow though... even this morning when we only have a dusting on the ground they refuse to come out of the coop and are all crowded up by the pophole waiting for that awful cold, white stuff to disappear off the ground. They holler at me like it's my fault their day is ruined by that white stuff.

I have a big dog that protects all my livestock from predators. In the few years that I've had chickens I've not lost one yet to a predator.

 

[goldeneggtees]

Quote:
Mine do the same exact thing, but going on day three of the white stuff on the ground and they finally got brave and are venturing out.

So funny to hear all their complaining in the morning. I try and control many things but the weather isn't one of them.

 

[Cheryl925]

Can I ask though...I live on long island and have a four foot chain link surrounding my half acre. Is that enough to stop them from wandering into the neighbors yard? Or should I clip one wing? Will they did under fence and escape? I've had them since spring in a covered dog run. We also have hawk. And, unfortunately, not very nice neighbors. Dude next door thinks it's fun to shoot at trees with a paintball gun. I love my little ladies and want to keep them safe but, increasingly, wondering if I should let them go. It's also like escape from Alcatraz when I touch their run door! Also, does anyone have a chick-n-barn? Coop? It says it holds 6 - 8 chickens. My five are squished on that perch. Can I really add 3 more?

 

[A.T. Hagan]

All year round. Snow is not a problem in Florida.