Now really what is FREE RANGING?

[MamaDragon]

We've had to shoot one dog that just didn't get the message with the warning shot and rock-salt in the butt..... had to put down two others that were sick, didn't want to take the chance on them having rabies or some such.

We're in an area where people from town will come out and dump unwanted dogs. Had two sets of older pups just dumped. I understand that they're hungry, and scared. I would have fed the one we had to shoot, and did feed the others, but that one preferred to catch his food, and we couldn't allow that.

Some of our neighbors will let their dogs out about sunrise.... so I just keep the chickens locked up until the wanderers have gone on their way. Haven't had but a few in the daytime. It can be a bit crazy trying to round up chickens cause a stray's running around.

Thankfully, when you shoot a dog in your yard here, the Sherrif's Officers will stand behind the land owner, rather than the dog owner. "They must not value their dog too much, or they wouldn't let it be roaming around."

Kathy

 

[L&Schickens]

Quote:

My chickens come to the door of my truck when I get home if I had them out. It is so funny to see a bunch of them looking at me when I open the door to the truck saying: "What's in the bag?"

I have the blue jays knock at the front door when the wild bird feeder is out. It is funny how they figured out that if they peck at the door, I will fill up the feeders!!

 

[christmaschicken]

We have 5 Acres all fenced 2 of them have cows and pigs and they stay in the 5 Acres venture over to the neighbors to say hello every once in awhile love to hidein the bushes but do not venture very far.

We open the door and let them do there thing.... at around 8:00 they go in all by themselves, I go out and lock it up for the night, around 5:00 a.m. my roo tells me hey we want out... lol

 

[Maryallison77]

Hawke I am very sad to hear your story. I am worried that would happen to us too. We own a rabbitry and before we bought the barn dogs ripped through hardware cloth and killed our rabbits. It was awful. Maybe this is why I am so worried about their safety.

 

[Maryallison77]

This is neat that my silly little question was so popular! So I am thinking about building a run to add to the coop so they can get some extra excersize and still be safe. I love my chickens and just want them to be happy!

 

[dancingbear]

Mine run around loose, no fence, most days. Only days when I won't be home all day, I leave them closed up. They have an enclosed, covered run, so they still get outside. They sure hate it on days they don't get out. We have some predators around, but rarely lose a bird in the daytime.

The only chickens that don't go in at night are usually babies that get confused about how to get back in. When I have little ones I make sure I go down before full dark and find stragglers and get them inside. Adult birds, when I've added them to the flock, I just put them on a roost that night, then let them out with the rest the next day. They've always been back inside at dark, no problem. I never wait 2 weeks or even 2 days. Seems like once they sleep there, it's home. Maybe it's because they just follow the others back in.

 

[kstaven]

Quote:
New kids on the block tend to follow the established flock in my experience.

Thanks to 4 dogs and very good fences on the property mine can run at will.

 

[faro]

My chickens are free range but have a coop for egg laying. We open in the morning and close it in the evening. We have no fenced in areas for them but the stay together. The roosters guard them constantly. Most of the birds go in at night but some won't. They usually all enter their nesting boxes to lay. They love to hang around the garden and sample what's in the compost heap. We do feed them layer feed, scratch and oyster shells.

That's what I call free range.

 

[chicknovice22]

My chickens free range on 5 acres from morning to night, and only stay in their fenced in coop if no one is going to be home all day. I open the gate when I let them out of their coop and keep the gate open. However, they never stray very far. I would say they stay within 50 yards of the coop and never go onto our country road. I have no fence. The roosters protect them and my two dogs have not bothered them. My dogs actually watch over them. It makes me a little nervous allowing them to free range, but to see them so happy I really would feel bad if they were cooped up all the time. As soon as they are let out they are shaking their feathers and flying around. They love the bugs. They eat much less feed when they're free ranging. I keep their feed, water and oyster shell in the fenced in part of my coop, and feed them scratch in the evening. It is amazing how they always go into the coop at night. I have very happy chickens and am looking forward to them laying eggs!