Keeping Chickens Free Range

[ChickyChickens]

Let my first chick out from the brooder into the "get used to free ranging" pen!! Here she is!!!

 

[chicksurreal]

free ranging in a small backyard in greece

Gorgeous!

 

[mossyroo]

I have seen several mentions of chickens decimating ant hills but was wondering how they fare against fire ants? There must be plenty of Southern free-rangers with experience with this.

 

[GAchickennewbie]

Feral cats have few natural enemies. They need to be kept in check, if the cat is in my coop once he will come back. Regardless of the reason we have feral cats and I agree with you on that. I will do what I have to do protect my birds.

Killing a feral cat is a shame but letting it live is a bigger shame. It will destroy baby birds, aka kill them. It will kill chipmunks, squirrels and other small animals and surely will kill chicks. It knows where the food source is now. Besides leaving this cat alive allows it to produce more feral cats. A feral cat lives about 3 years ( not a like a well cared for house cat). During that time they will have 3-4 litters a year with 4-6 kittens a time.

By not killing that cat you are turning loose 35 more feral cats in the first year alone, the babies have babies at 7-8 months.

I understand your feelings for the cat, but reason, to me says get rid of the cat, the sooner the better.

I do not take pleasure in a killing like this, but I would do it. My opinion and I understand yours may be different.

I'm in complete agreement with you. Something else that really needs to be considered in regards to ferals is the spread of disease, in particular rabies.

Sometimes killing is the most responsible option.

 

[gilcamp4]

A thread for all those people who keep chickens free range! Post, post, post!!



Rules:

1. No fighting! Everyone has their own opinion about everything.

2. There's nothing wrong with people who keep chickens indoors, and don't allow them to free range. This thread is to encourage those who don't free range their chickens, not drive them away. If you have any questions about converting to free range, you're welcome to ask questions here!

3. Have fun!

i would like to know just what free range is, i have chickens that are fenced in but i am told they are free rnge as i leave them out of house, here is what we have and this is on a 3 acre yard it is 30 x 60 ft

 

[dpenning]

i would like to know just what free range is, i have chickens that are fenced in but i am told they are free rnge as i leave them out of house, here is what we have and this is on a 3 acre yard it is 30 x 60 ft

Yours would be considered free range by the marketing standards. I believe to be considered free range they have to have minimal access to out doors, like a tiny yard, for the eggs to be considered free range. In other words,not raised in a tiny cage. Many of us here let them roam totally free foe a good portion of their day, no fences or restrictions but also minimal protection. There are pros and cons. Edit to add you have a great set up!

 

[gilcamp4]

@fancychick1
Your situation sounds like mine! almost exactly! I have 6 nesting boxes but the 4 laying hens use the same one! they like laying the eggs together, but obviously one chicken at a time : )

i have 43 hens all laying, but i have 15 nests in one coop and 6 in the smaller coop, they most like the same box, we will get 15 eggs from one box, only get 3 or 4 from small coop and in same box.

 

[gilcamp4]

I don't want to Ralphie, just for the reasons you stated. I'll have to come up with an option though if they are going into that neighbors yard. The way my coop Is setup the run goes off to the left and uses the property line fence as one boundary. The reason for this is there is a large tree they like to hang out under and I have an electric fence creating a boundary around the front of the tree with a chute going behind some holly bushes for free range access. I may look at the property fence and see if I can make that section taller. The tree gets in the way. More research is required. I just hope they all come back.

i would get another fence and put it across the top of the fence makeing it higher.

 

[HappyChickadee]

I live in the city and am not "supposed" to free range my backyard chickens but I do almost all the time. Except they go into the coop at night and are double locked up. We have a great horned owl that has been hanging around the neighborhood. And sometimes my girls won't go into the coop by themselves...dummies will just sleep on my back porch. I get them to go to bed by giving them a treat. Anyway, the last few days I have had to keep the girls in their pen because I will be out of town and my hubby will be gone 8 hours a day. I let my dogs out off and on during the day and keep an ear out for my obnoxiously loud Barred Rocks so this makes me feel like they can free range unless I am not home (usually someone is here). Since I will be out of town they have to be penned up all day while he at work. They actually don't seem like they care unless they see or hear me and then they want out. I love letting them free range - it feels more natural. I am also the kind of mom that never ever used a baby playpen and just baby proofed my house like crazy and kept an eye on them. I do have to worry about hawks and I hope I don't have to encounter this problem.

I saw the threads about the feral cat. I am a cat lover. Trust me it is hard to be a cat lover and a bird lover! One is the predator and the other is not. However, my cat that I can't seem to make stay indoors like the other cats loves to be around the chickens. I think the cat thinks she is a chicken. She learned from the chickens how to dig a hole and lay in it and she also dirt bathes in the dirt when they do. Crazy cat.

I have to worry about the neighbor's dog though because once the fence was left open and the little doggy got into my yard and I heard a big bunch of chicken screaming and I ran out just in time to save my chicken from being killed by that dog. That dog loves me, though, I can't be mean to him. We try very hard to make sure the gate is shut. My chihuahua's get chased by the chickens haha

 

[dpenning]

i would get another fence and put it across the top of the fence makeing it higher.

The only problem there is that the tree they like to hang out under hangs over the fence. I'll come up with something.