I am a RENTER, living in the "back" house of two on an acre lot. My land-lady lives in the front house. She keeps three Barbados sheep as pets. They have free run of everywhere on the property except my fenced back yard. (I wanted to grow some flowers. Then I wanted to put in a fish pond - put in two of 'em. Then I wanted to do some raised garden beds for veggies. So her sheep no longer have access to my back yard.)
Then I decided I would like to keep chickens.... she approved it. I worried about the "accidental rooster" and she was pleased, because she believes fertilized eggs are healthier for me.
I now have 3 coops, 9 adult chickens, six adolescent pullets, two Cayuga ducks, and just picked up two more chicks. All of this in my back yard - WITH the fish ponds, and four raised garden beds. I so want to expand into another section of the acre that the sheep simply use for grazing... and only half of it, at that.
The sheep wander from her back yard past the front of my house to the nearly third of an acre "back forty."
Oh, and I have 2 small dogs and 4 cats.
My land-lady would approve of free range chickens, but we both know one of my dogs is a chicken killer. He's nearly 12. Some day I'm gonna lock him in the house to "test" some free ranging... maybe when I'm on vacation later this year and they're all integrated together (adults, current adolescents and chicks).
When he crosses the Rainbow Bridge, then I will definitely start letting the chickens free range. I love him dearly, and don't want that to happen soon, but I sure do wish he hadn't turned out to be a chicken killer.
