Keeping Chickens Free Range

[alibabba]

Where are you at?

Here - the ACOs are stretched to the limit at times and at others, just don't seem to want to do the job (not sure how they got hired). We've had packs of DOMESTIC, "pet" dogs, in our county, take down not only small animals, but horses, cattle, goats, mini horses and couple of years ago - turn on children/families in our county. Wasn't until turned on the children/families - that something was done. Separate packs - one had 20 dogs in it ranging from toy size to larger than our shetland ponies. THe pack that turned on the family had only 5 medium & large dogs in it... Several animals were wearing rabies tags AND had been microchipped. Several owners were found in different states than here, while others were local.

I am previous military, from a military family w/ others currently in the military. I grew up traveling from base to base before we settled in CO for the late teen years before becoming an adult. Rules/laws were so DIFFERENT then than they seem to be now. They also appear to be different in each county in each state as to how these situations are handled...

These days, A lot of pets are just "left" when military picks up and goes - when there is a reduction of forces, or right around Christmas, when there are lots of PCSing going on - pets are abandoned left & right here. See huge increases in animals in the rescues/sanctuaries/"pounds" at those times - the ones that get turned in. Others - you see coursing about - often starving and in bad shape - both dogs and cats. Our new "farmette" is further out in the country w/ fewer people around (larger tracts of farm land than where we were previously) but I'm seeing more stray/feral cats and dogs out here than I did when I was closer to "town" or other communities. Think it's because of being able to "hide" and also to hunt to feed themselves on the other wild life (or our chickens!!).

My chickens get less free ranging on our 21 acres here than they did on the 8 acres we had previously - simply because of the loose "pet" animals... Eventually we will have more property fenced properly so that there will be less chance of outside "pets" getting in. Until then, ?? I'm limbering up those shooting skills and re-learning how to fire distances... digging graves for other's animals - sucks in this weather and this day/age!

***

Very glad to hear of OPs birds getting better and so sorry for your loss(s). I think it's a sad state of affairs when we aren't allowed to care for our own property and WE are threatened by someone who doesn't keep his own HOME.

Stinks but, I wouldn't let my chickens out if my back yard wasn't fenced with post and rail and woven wire (it was here when we moved in, people before had BIG dogs, lol Now it protects the chickies from wanderers. I only have minimal daytime predator pressure....too many people in and out and about. They do need an electrified run so I can keep them in if I want to, like to go on vacation!!! But I saw a neighbors kitty sneak under the gate yesterday. The rooster and chickens were alarming but not running....if they only could be trained to gang up on that...it left anyway, Wilma weighs nearly as much as the thing.... Night all are under protection of electric polywire.


ETA. Our coon hound is a rescue from a couple who had her for 6 years... Great DOG! How can you just let them go like that? Interesting, she hit the electric 6 months ago and still won't go out in the back yard...

 

[alibabba]

My neighbor behind my house just got a boxer puppy and I have a privacy fence around my yard and the puppy when let out is digging under the fence and chewing at it. He got in the yard the other day and I put him back thru the hole and fixed it. He tried it again so this time I popped him on the nose with a stick when it started picking thru. I have also dumped a bucket of water on him. It's been two days now and I haven't seen him trying anything. I told the neighbor he needs to control him and teach him now when he's young.
I will protect my famy at all cost and I do consider them family. I have six ducks, two turkeys, and twenty-four chickens, plus two dogs of my own. None of my birds have even tried to go out of my fence and my two dogs are in a kennel in the yard and have not tried to dig out and get the chickens. I believe if I can contain 34 animals in my yard without then escaping that he should be able to contain his one puppy.
My dogs usually bark and let me know when he is attempting to get in the yard but that only works if someone is at home to catch him in the act.
It's bad enough that chicken owners have to battle the natural predictors we shouldn't have to protect them from other peoples pets.
Sorry so long just ranting.

Who owns the fence, sounds like yours? Yep they will need to put something up for darling puppy...

 

[alibabba]

A topic of interest to me right now. I have been dealing on and off with a neighbor who has a pitbull. The dog is friendly and wants to visit my dogs but it is high energy and races through my fenced yard and into the pond.($100 to replace) It's just a matter of time before it kills one of my flock. I also have cats and she killed one last year.
I was on vacation last week and she arrived again. The pet sitter tied her up outside the fence for 12 hours. I had to do the same when I got home. Finally, Animal Control came and got her. I am within my rights to shoot her but I hate to. It's the owners who are at fault. They are crazy gun totting youth and I am waiting for the fall out.
I don't think they have even missed the dog yet.
I get so angry. My entire small property if fully fenced in but she gets under the fence. My view is that if my animals are outside the fence then they are on their own. Inside my yard they should feel and be safe.

Friendly nice dog like that should be rehomed anyway, call the no kill rescue.

 

[alibabba]

Hi everyone.....my girls are very happy to be free ranging around our lovely edge of rainforest property.

Today they, and I, were in absolute heaven. We had showers on and off for most of the day and now we have glorious sunshine.

Because of the rain, I had time to spend out in the garden with them pulling lots of weeds and tidying up garden beds. I moved 3 wheelbarrow loads of weeds today. They loved the company and helping me.

As you will see from my profile, I'm very much a new egg but am learning fast. I'm really enjoying having the hens around, enjoy watching them busily working away. Today I cleaned up their chicken coop so I had lots of yummy stuff to add to my compost bin. That'll really get that moving along nicely also.

Not every day is going to be as productive as today because there are too many other obligations that get in the way of spending as much time at home as I would like. That's not going to get any better in the next couple of years but I'm promising myself to be selfish with my time and to say no more often.O

Welcome!! But just hating a bit, "In Australia on the edge of rainforest property" How lucky are you? Awesome to have the tree cover for topside predators! So fun when the chickies have to stand by while yard work happens.

 

[alibabba]

I've had to get rid of my rooster. He got way too aggressive with us. The girls seem to know how to look out for the skies. With all of our tree canopy, they are pretty protected from hawks and such. They are just so lovely to watch working together.

There's good tips here for retraining a confused Rooster. Maybe you can try again, we did and are Super happy with him. I make sure to "try and pet him" every day.and grab him off the roost every now and then, and give him treats to show the girls, he does not come close to us.

Edited to Add: He does watch all day every day all the time, so I don't have to watch quite so much!

 

[Manyana]

We didn't know enough and have enough confidence to keep persisting. Because he was free ranging the risks to us .....and to any visitors was too great.......Thanks for the comment though.

 

[rookierancher]

I live way out in the sticks, if you keep your chickens in the house with a small pen for several weeks they get used to the security of the chicken house. I open the fence every morning and they free range Within a couple 100 yards of the house every day. By dark they are all back in the chicken house all fat and sassy. All the hens go back to the house during the day to lay, as they feel safe and secure there.You just have to get them used to the chicken house, and where home is.

 

[Manyana]

My ladies have also learnt where home is now.....although I don't know if they'll be good and go back into the coop to nest yet, as they are still pre egg laying. I'm looking forward to getting our first eggs. They love being out working with us..... I'll go shovel a bit more dirt and they'll be in heaven.

 

[blumenmadchen]

I've been trying to find out if people free range your chickens when you are not home (like when you are at work). Or do you only let them out when you are there?

 

[lynnehd]

I've been trying to find out if people free range your chickens when you are not home (like when you are at work). Or do you only let them out when you are there?

I think it varies. Some let them out in the morning and they return to their coop every day, regardless of whether they are there or not.
Others only let them out when they are home, perhaps in the late afternoon/early evening.
(however, being home, but not right next to the chickens really isn't going to protect them very well from a predator, but there may be other reasons for this).
Yet others let them out only when they are home, and then they actually walk around with them in the yard for an hour or so.

All chickens are 'free' in the yard or property in each case, but have varying amounts of human interaction while they are out.