Keeping Chickens Free Range

[JessicaThistle]

My garden is full of HUGE weeds the birds eat the leaves and stalks of the weeds!!

My YARD is full of huge weeds, taller than me and the birds don't eat the leaves and stalks. I wish they did, it would help a lot.

I think my tribe is here!! I love this!

I think people that like to tend weeds are a bit kooky!

 

[lazy gardener]

NEVER, at least until I'm done harvesting all of the veggies that I want! Of course, when they fly over the fence from their run, they land in the garden!

 

[Sylviaanne]

I think my tribe is here!! I love this!

I think people that like to tend weeds are a bit kooky!

LOL It's not that I don't want a clean, beautiful yard but my husband and son have piled it up to the point of, "Why bother?" There are working cars and trucks in the front yard, oh, before that my husband wanted to plant fruit trees and not all of them died, there is a pontoon boat, not small, and 2 piles of wood that they are supposed to be splitting and stacking. Let's see what else? Um, my picnic table is falling apart because my grandsons moved it and moved it while mowing that part of the yard. My husband went to the dump and came home with 3 nice bench seats that need some of the wood screwed down again and repainted. We have a 4 ft chainlink fence for the dogs that is slowly being buried around the base and weeds inside it. There's a broken grill in the yard that doesn't work, a riding on lawnmower that has some kind of problem and various pieces of trash that has escaped from the cars. We live on 8 acres but it is rectangular with the house toward the front of a narrow end. Off to the south side of the house we have a large shed that I was going to make into a kennel when I was wanting to raise and sell Yorkies and Maltese, there is a large carport like thing that I call a ramada with a non working boat under it. On the north side, from the front of the property to just before the house is where I have my chickens. Behind them and to the east of the house is weeds, weeds, and more weeds. You don't even want me to go into what is in the back yard. LOL But! At the back end of our property is a little creek. Just can't get to it because of all the weeds that have grown up since we moved here 8 years ago.

 

[katatonic123]

I've been free ranging mine this summer while I've been home. A little longer each day once I was sure they would stick around. My question is, I go back to work in a few weeks, should I let them range while I'm gone or save it for the evenings when I get home?

 

[RoosterLew]

Well that depends.....
It only takes one stray dog to end the whole flock of unprotected chickens.
Even your own dog that's never even acted like she was interested.... Seems they get Naughtier when no ones home!

 

[gander007]

Well that depends.....
It only takes one stray dog to end the whole flock of unprotected chickens.
Even your own dog that's never even acted like she was interested.... Seems they get Naughtier when no ones home!

I've been free ranging mine this summer while I've been home. A little longer each day once I was sure they would stick around. My question is, I go back to work in a few weeks, should I let them range while I'm gone or save it for the evenings when I get home?

All so true for safety I lock mine up when I am gone and that way I can enjoy them when I get home .....

 

[katatonic123]

That's what I was thinking. Just wish they had a bigger run. They're not going to like being shut in so much when I go back to work.

 

[dipilu2]

If you've trained them this summer, they should've good to roam while you are at work, unless you have predators. My silkies are trained to come in at sunset.

 

[gander007]

True but what kind of fence do you have around your yard ????




Can you see the fence in the background ......





Or even a better picture of the outer perimeter fence ......




Do you have something like that to help keep your poultry safe ....... ??????

 

[katatonic123]

No fence and we live in the country. I check on them several times a day while I'm home.