Keeping Chickens Free Range

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I am getting the tar warmed.....


I free range and accept the deaths, they tick me off and I do what I can to limit them. But if I was a chicken I would rather live free and take the risks live give me than be perfectly safe locked in a prison....

Matter of fact, that is exactly how I want to live my life, I want the freedom for them and me.   Live free or die!   I think I saw that on a flag somewhere once.,,,,hehehehehe

hear hear, I feel the same way

 

[Debby27]

Free ranging lost 4 of our 6 hens in broad daylight, feathers everywhere

I am so sorry Good.....when I lost my 2 in one day....same thing feathers everywhere and it was a fox......apparently they gave a good fight!

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Actually birds are designed to release feathers when they are scared with the hope that's all the predator ends up with, doesn't always work though.

 

[thegoodwinshens]

We have seen a fox on the trail camera where my husband has been tracking deer, I'm just having a hard time believing it could have gotten 4 at once but I'm not an expert in this either. My neighbors didn't see it which is surprising because their middle school daughter is outside the majority of the day

 

[Debby27]

We have seen a fox on the trail camera where my husband has been tracking deer, I'm just having a hard time believing it could have gotten 4 at once but I'm not an expert in this either. My neighbors didn't see it which is surprising because their middle school daughter is outside the majority of the day

well they are fast! i was out, went in for like 3 mins came out and it was taking off the with sec. one! so yea....very fast and sneaky!

 

[Debby27]

Actually birds are designed to release feathers when they are scared with the hope that's all the predator ends up with, doesn't always work though.

Didn't know that...surprised mine have any feathers then...lol..they are always on alert & jumping straight up in the air...example: the other day cut a cucumber in half and put in bowl...they were pecking away and one hit it hard and it flipped up in the air....Marie came off the ground about 2 ft! and squawked like something had bit her....LOL I was like"really...a cucumber!?"......

 

[Naliez]

Once mine are about a year old, they free range and only get feed during the colder months, when there's less bugs and grass to eat. During the warmer months, they get lots of kitchen scraps and whatever they find in the yard. We live in NC and have a big fenced in yard. There's never a shortage of bugs or leafy plants to munch on and even though our fence is barely holding up in some spots, they've never tried to escape. We have coops for them, but they'd rather perch on our porch. We live in suburbia and I know there's predators out here, but I think for the most part, out yard is too busy with 2 dogs, 3 cats and 3 kids constantly coming and going. We did purchase a fake owl because we've seen Hawks circle a few times and since then, there have been no squirrels or wild birds setting foot in our yard. Couldn't believe how well it worked!

 

[duluthralphie]

Once mine are about a year old, they free range and only get feed during the colder months, when there's less bugs and grass to eat. During the warmer months, they get lots of kitchen scraps and whatever they find in the yard. We live in NC and have a big fenced in yard. There's never a shortage of bugs or leafy plants to munch on and even though our fence is barely holding up in some spots, they've never tried to escape. We have coops for them, but they'd rather perch on our porch. We live in suburbia and I know there's predators out here, but I think for the most part, out yard is too busy with 2 dogs, 3 cats and 3 kids constantly coming and going. We did purchase a fake owl because we've seen Hawks circle a few times and since then, there have been no squirrels or wild birds setting foot in our yard. Couldn't believe how well it worked!

I think dogs make a big difference. If I can get my lazy mutts off the back steps and out with the chickens it seems to help. I have not had a predator in ( knocking on wood) over 2 months and that was a young coon, that was too stupid to know he should be afraid of dogs. The coon met his demise by imitating a guinea and getting hit by a car.

The predator that cause me the most pain is an Eagle, in and out fast. But even it is weary of the dogs.

 

[Naliez]

I'm tellin ya! Try the plastic owl or hawk. You can get them at Walmart (or pretty much anywhere.) Honestly, we didn't really expect much out of it, but even my dogs and cats are terrified of it! We tried showing them that it was fake, but they're still very suspicious of it. Lol And if it doesn't work, you're only out 10 bucks and you still have a cool-looking yard decoration. I think the part I actually like best, is that it keeps the wild birds out of my yard, which is a good thing with all the diseases they can spread to your flock, especially if they free-range.

 

[duluthralphie]

I'm tellin ya! Try the plastic owl or hawk. You can get them at Walmart (or pretty much anywhere.) Honestly, we didn't really expect much out of it, but even my dogs and cats are terrified of it! We tried showing them that it was fake, but they're still very suspicious of it. Lol And if it doesn't work, you're only out 10 bucks and you still have a cool-looking yard decoration. I think the part I actually like best, is that it keeps the wild birds out of my yard, which is a good thing with all the diseases they can spread to your flock, especially if they free-range.

OH NO!!!


I need my wild birds.. I feed them. I spend almost as much on them as I do on my chocks!