I'm moving house from a semi urban concrete backyard to a rural grass backyard, a few questions

[Shamo Hybrid]

Doberman's are scary! I wouldn't want to venture anywhere close to where I know a doberman resides.

 

[Aunt Angus]

Got some more pics of the yard for scale

Our properties practically could be twins! Your chooks will love it!

 

[thecreekhouse]

When I used to allow my chickens to free range in my fenced yard, the biggest appearance issue I had was chicken poop everywhere. There was too much poop in the yard to go out barefoot and my kids - even in shoes - were always tracking chicken poop in. Also, I had a nice wooden deck and after only a short time after I let them begin free-ranging in my yard they began coming up onto the deck and pooping everywhere.

However, my biggest problem with free-ranging during the day in my fenced yard was predators. I would simply periodically lose one or two of my chickens to one kind of predator or another. The losses just became part of the price I paid for being able to allow them the free run of my yard in the daytime. It’s likely that you, too will experience at least an occasional loss to some kind of predator if you allow your hens to free-range in your fenced yard. Just be sure that you’re ready to live with that reality if you make the decision to free-range.

Good luck with your move and your decision.

 

[Sire12]

The two Doberman's I've owned have actually been the most placid and docile dogs ever they're more playful than anything great watchdogs though, I can't speak for boys since I've only ever owned girls and they are the sweetest things she even eats next to the chooks and shares their food sometimes even though she's not supposed to lol I'll attach a pic

I think what I'll do is make a run and fox proof it as much as possible and keep them there most of the time, and just let them have the free run of the yard for a couple of hours a day then return them to the run, my dog will be outside with them alot of the day too and she would probably scare a fox away (by trying to go play with it )

 

[Aunt Angus]

The two Doberman's I've owned have actually been the most placid and docile dogs ever they're more playful than anything great watchdogs though, I can't speak for boys since I've only ever owned girls and they are the sweetest things she even eats next to the chooks and shares their food sometimes even though she's not supposed to lol I'll attach a pic

I think what I'll do is make a run and fox proof it as much as possible and keep them there most of the time, and just let them have the free run of the yard for a couple of hours a day then return them to the run, my dog will be outside with them alot of the day too and she would probably scare a fox away (by trying to go play with it )

That's how I roll. I worry about predators (we live in raccoon, opossum, skunk, owl territory although I've never seen any of them in my yard; I know there out there somewhere), but I can't keep them locked up. My run has plenty of room for 4 pullets, but it just didn't seem big enough, imo.

 

[Aunt Angus]

And, yes, poop can be a problem. We have outdoor shoes we change in and out of so we don't track in anything. I don't have little kids any more, so it's less of an issue for me than for others. And the poop breaks down pretty well in my lawn area. I try to keep the birds off my patio. I house it down if I see poop on it.