My backyard!

[Kosochick]

This is my very large backyard is completely fenced in my chicken coop and run will be going up in the back left corner near the rabbit hutch under the maple tree. I really want to let my Birds free range in the backyard while I'm home! My question is I only have one tree in my yard which is the maple the tree will be mostly filled in by the time the chicks are able to go outside! My concern is Hawks We have a good amount of Hawks in our area I live in New England Massachusetts to be exact! I don't want to let my chickens free-range and be a buffet for the next Hawk passing by! Any advice would be greatly appreciated I did a attach a picture of my yard please do not mind the pool it will be removed once the ground is not Frozen. ☺

 

[Ted_Harrell]

I am jealous of the size of your back yard. There are others here that will be along shortly that will have advice on predator proofing your coop and welcome home to BYC!

 

[Kosochick]

I am jealous of the size of your back yard. There are others here that will be along shortly that will have advice on predator proofing your coop and welcome home to BYC!

200ish ft back 100ish ft side to side ☺

 

[Ted_Harrell]

My brother in laws coop has like a flight netting over it and welded wire sides and the only problem he had was a snake, no larger predators

 

[Folly's place]

Nice yard!
Chickens were jungle animals, and prefer trees and shrubs to provide cover and provide scratching opportunities, worms and bugs. And they will poop all around and under that nice swing set!
Having shade for them in summer is good, so near that tree makes sense. Plant more trees and shrubs! Native plants that also produce berries are good.
Adding your approximate location helps too.
Hawks happen, and mostly young and smaller chickens are taken, one at a time, unless they are in a covered run. Other day time predators are foxes and dogs, depending on where you live. Night is the most dangerous time, so having a very safe coop really matters! You could post your coop and run plans in that section, so we can help before you've committed to something. it's easy to build too small, and not safe enough.
Mary

 

[Acre4Me]

Good that you are planning on a run. Make it fairly large. That way, when the hawks show up, your chicks can be penned with enough space for a week or two until they move along. Some people can free range pretty well, except for certain times of the year.

agree with adding shrubs or trees (which will need to be protected until they are established).

you are in MA, so you can get quite a bit of snow. Assume you are planning for some amount of roof over your run and door into coop.

 

[Kosochick]

Good that you are planning on a run. Make it fairly large. That way, when the hawks show up, your chicks can be penned with enough space for a week or two until they move along. Some people can free range pretty well, except for certain times of the year.

agree with adding shrubs or trees (which will need to be protected until they are established).

you are in MA, so you can get quite a bit of snow. Assume you are planning for some amount of roof over your run and door into coop.

Yes the run I purchased is 8x10 it's completely covered The Coop I purchased is 4×6 which will be off the ground by about 20 inches because of snow I'm only planning on keeping about 5-6 hens I can't have roosters in my area.

 

[cmom]

Remember when you free range it's a risk you will take. I have had a hawk kill a full grown bird not 10 feet away from me and another time I had some chicks out and a hawk swooped down and grabbed a chick right next to me. It happened so fast both times there wasn't time to react. I don't free range anymore due to losses from predators in the past but I do have nice large covered pens for my birds. Good luck and have fun...

 

[Mamatomany123]

Like I'd before,free ranging has it's own risk. I no longer free range for a few reason but one is because those chickens tore up my entire yard. I'm in half an acre and almost every inch of grass is gone. They are now confined and I am trying to regrow.