Needing advice! Thinking about letting our girls free range...

[Doopy]

I'm pretty sure our situation is quite different from an urban or suburban yard, but just about every family in our part of the world has chickens and every one has free ranged since birth. There are two families (our next door neighbors) about 3/4 mile away and between them there are about 30 to 40 chickens roam all day every day. They tell me that once in a while a neighbors chicken will spend the night in the other neighbor's coop. I guess it's kind of like a sleep-over.

The only times there are any problems is when a stray dog comes along or when the chickens decide too take a nap in the middle of the road.

 

[LadyWoodsong]

Quote:
Oh my, that is comical!

 

[chris10sen]

I too am new to chickens. My babies are 16 weeks old. I let my girls out for an hour or 2 every day when I am home. I was scarred to death to do it but now that I have, I can't imagine going back. My yard has a 4 foot fence and they haven't tried to get out. The girls have so much fun and they look so cute. You truly get to know their personalities when the get out. I was walking around the yard like the pied piper with 5 hens following right behind. I do have a suspicion they may have been looking for BOSS. Which brings up a good point, train the girls to come running for treats. This way, if I do have to leave I have an easy time putting them safely away.

 

[Primeacres]

Initially we penned our new chucks in as we thought they may run away, 1st day one chuck was up and over the wire and that was it, they were all free range from day one.

 

[Chicken.Lytle]

My flock spontaneously free ranged . Now they insist on it .

 

[Primeacres]

Nice one.

 

[Dixiedoodle]

I have 11 hens and have been too afraid of to let them free range w/ out supervision! I let them out when I am working in the yard, in the pool, while I am cleaning out the coop etc.. Many evenings, I sit in the yard and read while they have 'free time'.. We have too many stray dogs, cats and too many wild animals that love chicken! For months, I had a red tail hawk come and sit in the pine tree at the egde of my yard.

Even when we move to our farm this spring, my girls will not be able to free range all the time. We will build them a much larger, divided run..

 

[WestKnollAmy]

I have about 50 that free range right now.
Most of my birds are breeders and stay in tractors but I am growing my free range flock back up. A year ago I had over 125 that free ranged. I also have ducks that stay up at night and mornings but then are let out to free range around lunch. They look for goodies in the grass better than the chickens do.

I have lost some to hawks and foxes over the years and finally, a few months ago, broke down and got a LGD. Best thing ever. She works hard to keep her birds safe. Even chases crows away since I have chicks out running around, too. She likes other dogs until they get near her chickens. I have even seen her go barking madly after a Blue Heron flying over the farm. Now that was funny!

 

[oldchickenlady]

I have 11 hens and one roo and they free range all afternoon. I used to let them free range all day, but the eggs started getting a little thin shelled, because the girls were eating so much other stuff they weren't eating enough layer pellets. So now they don't get let out until almost noon. I have 7 acres and they are all over it and even wander over to my neighbor's yard. I went over to see if it was going to be a problem, but she loves it! She loves to look out and see my horses and chickens, she gets to enjoy seeing them, but it doesn't cost her anything!

Rudy the rooster is very vigilant and lets the girls know about any predators from the air or elsewhere. I live in the woods so there are many predators, but I have had no losses...yet. I originally only wanted about 6-8 chickens, but bought extra in case of losses, but I have been very lucky and not lost any. They were supposed to all be pullets, too, but I am glad now that one was a rooster. He is a good boy and very handsome, and very protective. He even mediates when 2 hens get into a squabble! It is funny to see him run over to break it up! I need to get some new pics of them.

 

[Sueg4332]

My chickens free range I hadn't had any trouble in years. There pen were always open. Most of the coyettes are gone since houses (city people that let their dogs run loose) have moved in all round me. The fox that lives here perfers mice and lizards to chickens. I have seen him sunbathing with the chickens I thought it was a domastic dog napping in the horse pasture. I have lots of chickens if he gets one every once in a while so be it. Part of free ranging.
But this year I lost 22 chickens within a hour to roaming dogs. was out there at 5 am everyone was fine. went out at 6 am and there was dead chickens every where. All over 1 1/2 acres. The chickens were just dead no blood, catch and crunch on to the just chicken. 2 were missing It was a real killing sperry. so I went to neighbors houses to see if I could find feathers plus to but out a warning that if your dog is chasing my chickens it wont come home.
Neighbor said they saw a pitbull and a chihuahua cross going down the road. Pitbull had something in its mouth.
I felt the dogs would be back so I went to penning the chickens up until 9 am . I have 6 foot chain link kennels surrounding their shed. Next morning at least half of the chickens were out . So put baling twine over the top over the top to keep them in. Tied a 4 to 6 inch squares like hog wire. stopped them from flying out.
I found these marans that were raised as show birds are quiet dumb. Especially the frist generation. No fear of preditors Now the second generation is smarter guess they learnt from the barnyard chickens to run for cover in case of a hawk.
Have a chick hawk visit me last week a hen hatch babies she was in a 12 by 36 covered kennel He spend two days trying to get those babies. He could not get so he went to better hunting grounds. He sure kept the other chickens in a panick for awhile.
So they can fly over fences and if they do your nieghbor may have a dog that like chickens so beware.......