Now really what is FREE RANGING?

[Wildsky]

Quote:
Put in a small fenced in area - a RUN - so you can let them out safely.

Mine have a run, but mostly its open, to the back yard, which is fenced in (they do fly over the fence, but mostly stay in the yard)

 

[Maryallison77]

Hi there everyone! So tonight we went out and had dinner with the chickens! We let 2 of them outta the coop and into the larger area that we also have fenced off. The kids had a blast seeing the chickens around us scoping out our dinner!!!!

I had a great time too! They were all over us (and our dinner!) and it was soooo much fun!

Thanks for all the replies to my post

And oh yeah....it wasn't hard at all to get them to go back in the coop when dinner was over!!!!

 

[shelleyd2008]

Quote:
That's funny...I bought 3 rolls of chicken wire to put around the garden to keep them out

My chickens are truly free-range. They have no fences whatsoever, and no door on their 'coop'. They actually stopped using the coop that I built for them, which had the door open all the time, and have since started roosting in our open barn. I started getting chickens in June, and have lost more to my stupid dog (before I figured it out) than anything else. Since I have confined my dog, I have lost only one pullet, not really sure what happened, but mine are truly free.

Oh, and mine always lay eggs in the barn where their food, water, and nest boxes are. They are so comfortable in the barn, that whenever a baby gets lost, it hangs out in there till mama comes back!!

 

[ruth]

Mine are also truly "Free Range" - no fences. They go whereever they want all day long, usually in woods or hang out in yard near coop waiting for treats, and everyone comes home at dusk with only a couple of exceptions over the last two years. We have 18 acres surrounded by thousands of acres of woods. Our dogs are great at keeping predators and hawks away. It is a true joy to walk the property and have chickens follow you. They are amazing to watch in their natural habitat. They rarely stop moving and are always on the go.

 

[gritsar]

I'd like to put a fence....around my back door!!
My SO happened to be home today when the chickens came "knocking". It was the first time he's experienced this new trick.
He opened the door, shut it real quick, turned to me and asked "What the **** are your chickens doing knocking at the door?"
I told him they were trick or treating a bit early. Just throw em some bread and they'll go away.

 

[Linda in San Diego]

My hens are out in our yard for 3 - 6 hours each day, depending on who is home and how hot it is. DH is home most days and lets them out into our fenced yard between 1 and 3 each day. We had a couple of hens show interest in going into a neighboring yard, but not wanting the neighbors to freak out, we trimmed wings and they have stayed home ever since.

So mine would be Home Ranged, with plenty of treats - fruits, vegies, and crackers. We have 6 of the 12 laying right now and are waiting for the others to follow suit. They seem to learn where the coop is and all who are laying are using the nest boxes after one or two "mistakes".

 

[bluey]

Quote:
Yup...that's what I do too....

 

[Rusty Hills Farm]

WOW! How I envy y'all! Can't imagine being able to just open the door and let them go! There would be no one left to come home to roost at night.

I did make that mistake one time and one time only. I let one of my 2 flocks out into the pasture while I scrubbed out their coop. I left all the doors and windows to the coop stand open to dry it out. Then I went to the feed store. I was gone maybe 20-30 minutes tops. I came home to a killing field. Of the 15 hens only 1 survived and only because she was on the nest laying an egg while death came to everyone else.

And whatever it was didn't eat them. It just tore them apart and scattered them across the pasture. Blood and gore and feathers everywhere.

Now, mind you, they had NEVER been outside their run before that day, and still something came and killed them! So, no, I do not free range my chickens.

But I do envy everyone else who can.

Hawke

 

[ChickaD]

awwwww, Hawke, what a nightmare!

No, that isn't something you'd want to live over. It's too bad that so many predators have a liking for chicken!

 

[bluey]

Quote:
That sounds like a neighbor's dog...

If you have a problem in your area with neighbors containing their dogs, you cannot free range unless you are willing to warn neighbors and/or be WILLING to shoot stray dogs...

Personally, I don't advocate shooting other people's dogs over chickens but I've never had the problem during my 17 months of free ranging either....

I do fire my rifle quite a bit on my land (target practice). I'm sure the neighbors are wary of it and keep dogs on their property.