I think all chicken owners should.......

[redstars]

Quote:
Hi, poultrypatch. Yup almost neighbours, We have a lot of coyotes. I can hear them almost every night.
They have killed dozens of livestock across the street from me. They do not lock anything up at night and everything free ranges all day. Kinda easy pickings. I have seen them in the middle of the day sneaking in on chickens. I would love to free range but I know it will not take long before I am ordering more birds.

 

[goldielocks]

All of my chickens would be killed if i free ranged. I let my girls out each evening for a couple of hours. I sit or work outside with them and watch over them. Our coop and run is large enough for the chickens i have...lots of room for the girls. I also feed scratch and scraps each day to keep them busy.

I bought 2 free range chickens and they were starved half to death...they ate and ate and ate the crumble feed. It was pathetic. You see post on here all the time that people cant find their eggs and their chickens are injured or have been killed. I would feel so guilty if i free ranged my chickens. I dont know what diseases and sicknesses that the protected chickens get. Havent had any here. I think its a matter of keeping the coop and run clean. Fresh water and plenty of room for each chicken. Some people probably keep over crowding and that would cause problems.

No offense to those who free range, i just couldnt do it. Its like letting them go in a world full of monsters and the monster will get them sooner or later.

 

[goldeneggtees]

I Like you

Well said!

Mojo Chick'n :

I have to agree with Steph (imagine that

)

Ok, the following is my opinion and my reasoning for free ranging - I am not slamming anyone for their own choices to free range or not.

When my chickens are cooped up - they hate it, I feel guilty and they do get dust/respiratory problems - cant be helped. When they free range they are fat, healthy and get lots of fresh air and excercise - they are just happier healthier chickens.

Have I lost any - yes, I lost a chick just the other day in broad daylight to a coyote who came right into our yard - hubby was out back working, saw it all happen, gun was too far away in the house.
I've lost a couple of ducks to hawks, and at night (in the coop) I've lost two or three to coons.

The ones that died in the coop I felt guilt for - I fixed the coop problem, but I am not going to coop them up all day (unless I am trying to get pure bred eggs - this will happen for a couple of months for eggs, not all year - they have runs to go into then).

Why? The same reason I allow my sons to grow up and move out on their own and make their own mistakes.

What sort of life is it if you are always "safe"? Life isn't safe, and a purely protected safe life is no life at all, IMO. Would you want someone to let you out once a day, supervised, and then leave you locked inside all day otherwise?

I understand we all have different opinions, and whatever you do with your chickens is fine for you - for me, however, I will keep on free ranging, and if one gets killed now and then - it's the cycle of life - coyotes and hawks need to eat also, I guess

Some people live where they cannot free range, this is fine for them also.

I am wondering what the ratio is for predator deaths as opposed to disease deaths on here....


meri​

 

[Rocky Top Chick]

Thanks for all the replies. It is interesting to see who other feel about their chickens.

 

[Barred Rocker]

My birds are part time free rangers. They know to find their food and water in the coop as well as to lay their eggs there but they gather at the gate every afternoon like waiting for the doors to open for a wallmart sale. I don't have many problems with predators during daylight and they put themselves to bed every evening, all I have to do is close the gate. I lost one month old chick to a hawk once so they have to be adults to free range unless I baby sit. I don't think anyone wants to lose their chickens to predators but I believe once you lose one or two it's time to take steps to keep it from happening again.

 

[Chicken Heir]

Quote:
That is a huge problem in MA since the legislature banned trapping a few years ago--all animal populations boomed, of course, especially raccoon, coyote, fox and fisher. There was a bill, HB736, that was supposed to lift the ban because of all the attacks in the state, but the trapping provisions were taken out, so, keep the rifle handy, and write your state reps telling them to reinstate trapping. Tell them the chickens are your pets and are getting killed.

 

[Sjisty]

Same in Florida. I just found out I can't trap or kill coons or possums myself, I have to hire a professional trapper and shell out big bucks! It's so not fair. I should be able to protect what's mine!

 

[wannabe_goatmom]

My chicks are only 7 weeks old so they aren't free ranging yet, but when it's time I'm sure I'll be worried sick about them. I'm mostly worried about them getting hit by cars. We live on a small, dead-end road, in the middle of nowhere, but people still drive past here like it is a raceway.

 

[Katy_didnot]

I agree also with Mojo Chick'n. After sending my children out to navigate the world on their own, it puts things into perspective. I believe that the quality of life that freeranging affords makes it worth the risk. I also have no problem if someone chooses not to freerange. It's not as if it were cruel, just a different choice.

 

[FenDruadin]

When my chickens are cooped up - they hate it, I feel guilty and they do get dust/respiratory problems - cant be helped. When they free range they are fat, healthy and get lots of fresh air and excercise - they are just happier healthier chickens.

Have I lost any - yes, I lost a chick just the other day in broad daylight to a coyote who came right into our yard - hubby was out back working, saw it all happen, gun was too far away in the house.
I've lost a couple of ducks to hawks, and at night (in the coop) I've lost two or three to coons.

The ones that died in the coop I felt guilt for - I fixed the coop problem, but I am not going to coop them up all day (unless I am trying to get pure bred eggs - this will happen for a couple of months for eggs, not all year - they have runs to go into then).

Why? The same reason I allow my sons to grow up and move out on their own and make their own mistakes.

What sort of life is it if you are always "safe"? Life isn't safe, and a purely protected safe life is no life at all, IMO. Would you want someone to let you out once a day, supervised, and then leave you locked inside all day otherwise?

I understand we all have different opinions, and whatever you do with your chickens is fine for you - for me, however, I will keep on free ranging, and if one gets killed now and then - it's the cycle of life - coyotes and hawks need to eat also, I guess sad

Some people live where they cannot free range, this is fine for them also.

I am wondering what the ratio is for predator deaths as opposed to disease deaths on here....

WOW!! Well said. I am a free ranger too. I think in general, we live in an overly sanitized world, a world so focused on "safety" that we miss out on much of the richness of life. For me and my poultry and my farm and my family, freedom trumps safety--within reason, of course. I do still lock the ducks up tight at night, and my kids use safety seats in the car, and the goats are fenced unless we're out there with them... but the ducks free range during the day, the goats run loose with the human kids when we're home with them... and the human kids ride their bikes in the (residential, dead-end) street, sometimes even unsupervised (

).

But I also FULLY agree that the balance between security and safety must be determined for each person and family according to that family's own needs, comfort levels, and priorities. So if one person keeps their chickens locked up full time and escorts their children every moment of the day, that's their prerogative and I have no problem with that. It's just not how I choose to run my family.