Keeping Chickens Free Range

[Beekissed]

If they've been sleeping/roosting in a building for any length of time, they usually return to that building every night on their own. I've never had to lure or herd chickens or ducks into the coop once they've slept there for longer than 3-4 days. When switching to a different location, it's often easy to get them trained to the new place by confining them to the coop/building for a week until they are used to sleeping there.

 

[Monstro]

If they've been sleeping/roosting in a building for any length of time, they usually return to that building every night on their own.  I've never had to lure or herd chickens or ducks into the coop once they've slept there for longer than 3-4 days.  When switching to a different location, it's often easy to get them trained to the new place by confining them to the coop/building for a week until they are used to sleeping there. 

Agree 100%. We've done that in the past and worked great. I don't want them to consider the grow out coop home it's way too small to not let them out. We only moved here last fall and had to quickly throw together a new coop before winter. One we knew wasn't predator proof but had to work with what we had since we couldn't bring our old coop when we moved. So they go to the big barn because their main coop is off the back of it. Which is great because once it's redone and safer they'll live there again, and they're still laying eggs in the main coop. It's just a pain now but I'd rather they be over crowded temporarily than eaten.

 

[SmColorInDaPan]

Hey I have a question. We have just started free ranging our flock on our property of about an acre. We don't have alot of wild predators but in sure there are a fee around. Mostly hawks. My friend free ranges and has 40 acres. They don't lock there hens up at night even though they have a hen house open for them. Do you always have to keep a hen house at night? Do people sometimes let the roost where they want? We have alot of outbuildings etc..

My 2 Cents worth:

Over the last 4-5 years, I've let my chickens roost wherever they want to. Had a Rock hen sit in a tree, COLD out, for so long, I honestly thought she froze in place. When the weather broke, she came down.......
NOW, I have a semi disabled, older one, she sets, sleeps in her nesting box. She stays close to the house. 3 others, 6 Months old set on the back porch atop some old wagon tires, While 2 others roost in the hen hutch, Door left open. YES, I do have Roosters! Course, I sleep like a dead body & 2 Bricks....

PLEASE UNDERSTAND, I have a hound dog I let out AS SOON as she gets antsy! I THINK, since my Hound was abused before she came to me, she's Pretty Nasty about 4 legged trespassers. Have had fox & coyote hunters, lost a leghorn to a fox 2 yrs ago? I've heard the chickens screech, take cover, so have aerial hunters also.. A couple of years ago, I lost about 4 inside a year. Course, that was Before I brought home the hound dog also.

Personally, I let nature take it's course. I think the more Fear you have of predators, the MORE you worry, the more the predators Sense & Are Attracted, Will remember that area. (along with the smell of a quick meal!)
You will find what works best for you, we all do.
I have family in Yreka & Roseville.
Best of Luck,
C.~

 

[jenniferlamar70]

 My 2 Cents worth:   
      Over the last 4-5 years, I've let my chickens roost wherever they want to. Had a Rock hen sit in a tree, COLD out, for so long, I honestly thought she froze in place. When the weather broke, she came down.......
      NOW, I have a semi disabled, older one, she sets, sleeps in her nesting box. She stays close to the house. 3 others, 6 Months old set on the back porch atop some old wagon tires, While 2 others roost in the hen hutch, Door left open. YES, I do have Roosters! Course, I sleep like a dead body & 2 Bricks....
          PLEASE UNDERSTAND, I have a hound dog I let out AS SOON as she gets antsy! I THINK, since my Hound was abused before she came to me, she's Pretty Nasty about 4 legged trespassers.      Have had fox & coyote hunters, lost a leghorn to a fox 2 yrs ago?  I've heard the chickens screech, take cover, so have aerial hunters also..   A couple of years ago, I lost about 4 inside a year. Course, that was Before I brought home the hound dog also.    
          Personally, I let nature take it's course. I think the more Fear you have of predators, the MORE you worry, the more the predators Sense & Are Attracted, Will remember that area. (along with the smell of a quick meal!)
  You will find what works best for you, we all do.
I have family in Yreka & Roseville. 
Best of Luck,
 C.~

Lol that's not far from us. We always make the drive to sacremento when we go car hunting lol. Better deals. I'm actually thinking about building a big barn where they can all roost. We won't be able to do it this year though and they are outgrowing the pen due to to many roosters. Ugh. So far they all get along. I hat getting rid of one's that are so well behaved. They like to roost up high in the trees or on beams at the top of the carport. Seems safe to me but I could be wrong lol.. guess only time and experience will tell. thanks for the advice.

 

[SmColorInDaPan]

I wouldn't go walking around under where they roost...in the car port. Could get MESSY!

In the last couple of pages, on this thread, there was a video on how to butcher. Those Roosters would be a World Away Better than some of the Dry as Desert Commercial chickens 'available' today.. WISH I could get the old man to put up a barn. My horses hay goes away fast in winter...
Best of luck on it, keep us posted?!

 

[PatchtoTable]

I started to get lazy and never bothered to lock the coop at night - I had never had predators so didn't seem to be a problem.

I heard my chickens making a fuss late one night - and came out to a 2 meter carpet python wrapped around the perch in my chicken coop - ready to strike 2 of the chickens who were still asleep.

Since then I make sure I lock up the coop every night!

It not fun dealing with that at 2am

 

[SmColorInDaPan]

I started to get lazy and never bothered to lock the coop at night - I had never had predators so didn't seem to be a problem.

I heard my chickens making a fuss late one night - and came out to a 2 meter carpet python wrapped around the perch in my chicken coop - ready to strike 2 of the chickens who were still asleep.

Since then I make sure I lock up the coop every night!

It not fun dealing with that at 2am

Have a nutcase going way too fast down the County Rd, stop below my place one night, Concerned for Dixie, went down to check, Either a bull Snake or a NOW beheaded, and tailed Rattler...

 

[jenniferlamar70]

I wouldn't go walking around under where they roost...in the car port. Could get MESSY! In the last couple of pages, on this thread, there was a video on how to butcher. Those Roosters would be a World Away Better than some of the Dry as Desert Commercial chickens 'available' today.. WISH I could get the old man to put up a barn. My horses hay goes away fast in winter... Best of luck on it, keep us posted?!

Lol should have mentioned we already have a 2 car garage. The carport is extra. We use it for storage right now. We may finish it off, add a lift so KY husband can pull in more side work but for now it's just there being useless. It holds like 4 cars but it's so packed with crap you can hardly walk in it. We have a shed and shop too. I don't mind sharing the shed but the shop and garage belong to my husband lol

 

[Tikkijane]

Hey I have a question. We have just started free ranging our flock on our property of about an acre. We don't have alot of wild predators but in sure there are a fee around. Mostly hawks. My friend free ranges and has 40 acres. They don't lock there hens up at night even though they have a hen house open for them. Do you always have to keep a hen house at night? Do people sometimes let the roost where they want? We have alot of outbuildings etc..

Absolutely lock them up at night. You may not see them, but you've got more predators than just hawks.

 

[Tikkijane]

Well none of her chickens have been killed. They have 40 hens and 3 roosters. Over the last year they all are still there. They do have trouble finding the eggs though. I'm just curious to other people's experience with this. We have 5 roosters and I don't want them all in a coop together. I've grown up in the country so having a hen house was actually a new thing to me. Growing up the hens would roost high up in the barn but the doors were never closed. My best friends mom had a goat farm with others animals as well. On occasion something was picked off but never like what I've seen on here with people having their coops broken into and their whole flock eaten by a fox. Makes me wonder if they had a way to escape if it would be better or just easy targets. This is why I was hoping someone who has done this could let me know how their experience has been...

Racoons can climb. I've read info that says it takes about 2 years for predators to find a new food source {chickens} and go aftef it. That was my experience as well. And owls hunt at night. A lot of people get them in their barns up high, eating their chickens.