I want to free range but worried

[duckking]

We live in predator country - bears, cougars, fox, bobcats, coyotes, raccoons, eagles, hawks - you name it. As soon as I let my girls out to free range, our neighbourhood eagle starts circling. What we did was give them a predator proof coop and run, 250sq.ft - it's like Fort Knox, probably only a bear could pull it down. Then we are adding an additional 350sq. ft just outside the run for them to roam in. It is fenced, has electric wire, and will be covered with bird netting. The plan is to only let them out there in daylight hours, back in their run as soon as it starts getting dark and then locked up in their coop when it gets dark. We had a bobcat shmoozing around for a few days, but we scared her off a couple of times and have never seen her back or seen any sign of her. She was a bold little thing too. We also have ducks and a drake. He will often give the alarm call if something flies overhead and the ducks AND chickens all run into their houses.

 

[Beekissed]

Your chooks should come back to the roost each evening but I would check for stragglers until they get the hang of knowing where safety lies. If you are going to be at work while they free range, I'd have a good dog out with them to prevent predation.

 

[oldchickenlady]

My hens free range all day and don't go very far. I did have a roo that I had to cull because he was tearing up some of my hens breeding them all the time. When he was alive they went much farther from the house, even over into the neighbors' yard which is about 60 yards away. Now that Rudy is gone the girls don't stray far at all and of course they always go back to the coop/run at night.

 

[Gypsy07]

I have always free ranged my hens since I first got them just over a year ago and I've never lost any to predators yet. But our neighbour just over the hedge has lost four out of her six birds to foxes in 18 months. I don't know what the difference is; I mean, I keep roos now, but I didn't always have them. Maybe it's just luck? We do have a lot of foxes round here but I have two chicken friendly fox hating dogs who chase them off whenever they spot them lurking around.