letting chickens run free?

[citrusdreams]

Quote:
Mine free range over a span of a few acres. They still come back at dusk. The little ones haven't ventured as for as the big ones yet. They have a lot of cover (outbuildings, deck, porch, they wander in a few sheds) and they pasture with the goats and cows.

 

[ocean_rain21]

I let all my chickens run free. We live in teh country and we have only one neighbour wich is actually a camp through the trees and for whatever reason the chickens never go there wich is great. They stay in our area as we have enough grass and woods to keep them occupied.
I put my chicks in the coup at about 8 weeks and they had the option to leave the coup right away as i just open it up in the am and leave it open all day so they can come and go, but it took them about 1 1/2 weeks before they were comfortable leaving the coup. I have been doing this for one year and i have yet to loose a chicken to any wild life wich is probably just luck because there is no lck of wild life in this area although we also have 3 dogs and 1 cat wich keep a lot at bay.

The chickens know where they eat and sleep and they go back at night. Actually last night the door blew shut as I forgot to latch the door open and 3 chickens and a rooster were sitting on the top of the cage waiting for me to let them in after dark.

Good luck with what ever you choose. It depends on the environment you live in.

 

[sunket77]

I was very afraid to let mine out but I let them out yesterday evening (they are 13 weeks) but I let them out just before they got to bed. And before their "treat time" I stay outside with them and "heard" them so they don't go towards the neighbors with my brothers help. They LOVED scratching around and getting bugs and grass. For about an hour, then I called them back into the run with some treats to incite them and it was no problem they came right back in. But I am planning on at least having a bb gun with me when I do this and only when I am with them. Maybe not everyday only when I can be with them and have helper. Mine also are very tame and can go right up to them a pick them up if I need to. I have heard to many horror stories!!

 

[citrusdreams]

Quote:
Some people have it pretty bad, so I certainly don't blame people for emphatically insisting that one never let their chickens out unless they want to lose them. And some have lost entire flocks, so again, I take no offense when they appear to be jumping up and down screaming while typing. I would too if I suffered the carnage some people here have.

I, on the other hand, think it's *really important* to free range. I believe they do need more freedom than a coop and run, and should have access to a variety of food sources that they can only get while free ranging. I don't believe in confining. I think it's unhealthy (and expensive). Instead of cooping them up all the time, I just shoot predators. Thankfully, and knock on wood, I haven't lost too many to predators.

We just have to manage our flocks considering our own environment and our own management philosophies.

 

[Judy]

Scratch is only a treat, and you can give them a little as a treat year round, but they need grower feed now and layer around 20 weeks or when they start laying.

If they are in their coop now, they should know it is home, and should come back at dark. You can teach them a call and give a treat to teach them to come when you call, if they need encouraging to go back in the coop. Good idea anyway, in case you need to gather them up some time at an odd hour.

 

[Davaroo]

Quote:
That's not free ranging. That's confined foraging - which is better.

The whole notion of free ranging is distorted, at best, the two words together a genuine oxymoron.

"Ranging" is actually a controlled practice, and a good range that provides proper nutrients is a managed part of the overall feed scheme, even where vast acreages are available. Think of sheep and how they are managed on their range. That is ranging for benefit.

Now, take your chickens and turn them loose to fend for themselves. Is that managed for their benefit? Maybe there's enough of what they need - maybe not. Do you know? There is more than just a legion of predators waiting to kill them when they "free range."

Seriously, if you want to maximize their benefit and see them cared for as well as most say they want, then control and management are the key. However, these two hardly go together with the concept of livestock (chickens) roaming free and unfettered.. which is, I'm sorry to say, how most people envision it.

 

[chicksrocka]

thanks guys. I've let the chickens run around in the yard for a couple hours in the night, and they love it! they go back to roost when the sun goes down, except the first day when they wound up on the wrong side of the chicken fence and couldn't find their way in! I bought them a bag of chicken scratch, and they love it!

 

[mooSa]

Let them free range, its the best for them. During the day you have no worries except for dogs, and if dogs cant get in then its good for them to free range. Just make sure they are not out at night. They will go back to their house for water and to sleep, so at sundown they will tuck themselves in. Plus they will be in better shape and less stressed, which means more eggs! They can strengthen their immunity as well.

 

[Beekissed]

I, on the other hand, think it's *really important* to free range. I believe they do need more freedom than a coop and run, and should have access to a variety of food sources that they can only get while free ranging. I don't believe in confining. I think it's unhealthy (and expensive). Instead of cooping them up all the time, I just shoot predators. Thankfully, and knock on wood, I haven't lost too many to predators.

We just have to manage our flocks considering our own environment and our own management philosophies.

Well said and I agree!

I've never lost one to a predator in all my years of keeping chickens and I've not had to shoot any animals, either. The only predator loss I suffered was in my broody pen when the chicks were confined and could not get away from a black snake.

Of course, this scenario would probably be much different for me if not for the good dogs I have to protect my flock.​

 

[tryingtohaveitall]

I've let mine out to free range in my yard (acres) twice and lost chickens both times.

I'm done with the free range experiment.