Keeping Chickens Free Range

[SilkieHenHoney]

I don't know what your definition of free range is, but my chickens have the run of a 1/3 acre yard and are shut up in a coop at night.  I do feed them fermented grains most of the year, and sprouted grains in the winter.

That's just about what we do. Let 'em go were they want and lock 'em @ night.

 

[RuralWriter]

Howdy!

My tiny flock is free range all day, put away at night due to predators. We live next to a few thousand acres of state forest which means there's always a nocturnal predator looking for an easy dinner. From sun-up to sundown they're free to run all over our property and the field behind/beside us.

Before I moved here I had about 50 chickens or so that were free range 24/7. I had nest boxes in the barn, on the outside under the eaves, in the outdoor kitchen and anywhere else I saw the hens hanging around. Sometimes the local mallards would drop a few eggs in one of the hen's nests they made hidden between hay bales and we'd have a confused duckling or three.

I like free range eggs the best. Dark orange and so rich!

 

[ChickieKat]

We have a flock of very mixed ages that free range all day and go back to the coop at night to be locked in safe and sound. We have 7 adult egg hens, 1 sweet mix breed roo, 9 5-week old egg chicks that just started free ranging yesterday and are actually doing great at it so far. We also have 23 meat birds that are also 5 weeks old that stay in a hoop house at night and they also free range during the day.

The egg birds go all over our 1 acre property and love to visit the neighbor who always throws them a handful of cereal when they visit. The meat birds don't go far from their hoop house, but they so some foraging in the tall grass nearby between breakfast and dinner. We also have a broody hen who hatched out a single chick 2 weeks ago and they are just starting to venture further than underneath the coop. It is so cute to see the two of them wandering the yard.

We do provide some feed, but they mostly forage for now and they also rummage through the compost pile when we put fresh veggie scraps out. We live out in the middle of nowhere and thankfully haven't lost any to predators yet, but I wouldn't be surprised if we do eventually.

 

[lhbisbee]

If you have to move a hen, you should ONLY move her at night. You have to gently pick her up, get the eggs--put her in the new place, place the eggs under her--all in the dark. I've had to move a hen and her eggs before and was very successful doing it at night. However, I really don't recommend moving her if you don't absolutely have to. We have a Mallard hen who decided to sit on her clutch right under our bedroom window. Now, I know she's a duck, but with 11 eggs, I hated it when it rained and poured on her. So, we just got a tarp and put it on top of the bushes and over her and she's very happy. In fact, the ducklings should hatch tomorrow or the next day.

I've had about six successful hatches now with the broody hen in the two years we've been retired and have chickens--and all of ours free range (so do the ducks and turkeys). I found this site very helpful when I started out: http://www.themodernhomestead.us/article/broody-hens-2.html You may have already moved her by now, but read the article anyway. And good luck!

 

[earlyredrooster]

We free-range but we keep them in the hen-house for two weeks at first. So far this method has proven infallible as they all put themselves in at sundown. All I have to do is shut and bar the door.
The only time we plan on penning them up is when were ready to start breeding, we have six 12'×12' pens for that to keep breeds pure.

 

[QueenBubbles]

Hi! I saw this thread advertised in another thread and am happy I can admit to sending my week olds out to forage and keep warm from the sun instead of a heat lamp. I do spend time with them outside and they come when I call, aided by a bag of meal worms. I have 2 8-week olds and 3 2-week olds.
They do stick together now but I imagine when they are full grown they will be more independent.
I live in town, so it's pretty safe. Dogs on leashes and not many cats. The scrub jay was not happy with my first two being in HIS territory, but apparently we worked it out - he had the backyard and we stay in the side yard. And now they are both bigger than him.
Here are my biggies at 7 weeks:

And my littles a couple days ago:

With the babies, I make sure they eat chick starter and drink water every couple hours. And I'm generous with the meal worms, so when I call they expect treats and alway come running.
With the first two I had some trouble getting them to come in for the night, so I let them stay out longer - until sunset. Now they are ok with dusk which gives me time to do some clean up.
Great to be here!!
-Colleen

 

[riversanctuary]

Love this thread! I have 5 hens and I let them free range after 5:00 for a few hours. They seem content with that and I can supervise while they forage. They come back to the coop around 8:30 for bed and food before they roost in the roost box I have for them. I love the eggs and their different personalities. Would love to add a picture or two, but don't know how to do that. Can someone help explain how I can attach. a pic?

 

[earlyredrooster]

Hi! I saw this thread advertised in another thread and am happy I can admit to sending my week olds out to forage and keep warm from the sun instead of a heat lamp. I do spend time with them outside and they come when I call, aided by a bag of meal worms. I have 2 8-week olds and 3 2-week olds.
They do stick together now but I imagine when they are full grown they will be more independent.
I live in town, so it's pretty safe. Dogs on leashes and not many cats. The scrub jay was not happy with my first two being in HIS territory, but apparently we worked it out - he had the backyard and we stay in the side yard. And now they are both bigger than him.
Here are my biggies at 7 weeks:

And my littles a couple days ago:

With the babies, I make sure they eat chick starter and drink water every couple hours. And I'm generous with the meal worms, so when I call they expect treats and alway come running.
With the first two I had some trouble getting them to come in for the night, so I let them stay out longer - until sunset. Now they are ok with dusk which gives me time to do some clean up.
Great to be here!!
-Colleen

I agree, they always seem to do better the earlier you get them out in the fresh air and sunshine. I have a buddy who raises one of the same breeds I do, using same feed and vitamin supplements, in a pen and always seems perturbed because mine are nearly always about 1/3 bigger and I lose less chicks than he does.

 

[earlyredrooster]

 

[rsallison]

It has temporarily stopped raining so I haven't tried to move her yet but today I got to thinking. She is not sitting on a proper nest, she's sitting on the ground tucked into some vines, leggy vines at that. I don't know if I could move her nest as I don't think there is a real nest around the eggs.

On another forum someone said to make a hen broody, to lock them up. If I moved her eggs and locked her in with them for a few days do you think she would go ahead and stay with them when I open the door? Or do you think she might get upset and stomp the eggs?

If you can build a shelter for her, top/sides/back and just set it over her, she should be fine. If she's pretty much a full time free-ranger, I'd say she's got this. Maybe get some hay in around her so that she can use it to pack in if she gets a little chilly.