Paranoid about free ranging

[deerman]

Yes if I could I would free range, even it was just wild predators to worry about. I leave mine out when I am at home, but went to town came back ,yes dogs killed 22 out of 50 meatchickens.

Dogs can kill many birds in a short time.

So I dont but have very large runs.

 

[Judy]

Quote:
Check it out at your local farm store. If you already have a fence, it is not an expensive proposition to add electric. You need a fence charger, a ground, a roll of wire designed for the purpose, and gadgets designed to hold the wire away from the fence, cheap plastic things. You don't electrify the existing fence, you electrify the wire you add. We have a 75'X75' fenced yard. It cost maybe $100 or $120 to add electric. Electric poultry netting is a fence in itself and would cost a lot more than adding electric to an existing fence.

I have a free range flock (they can leave the county if they wish) and another flock in this electrified yard. I lost a bunch of the free rangers, mostly to fox, the first several months. Then I added a couple more dogs and have not lost a chicken in about 8 months, from either flock. (The dogs ignore the chickens.) I don't know whether the dogs keep the fox away (we still see them) or whether I just have smart chickens left. I really am more concerned about the fenced ones, because if something does get in, they have no where to go, as fences also keep chickens in. My broody and my three young chicks are part of the free range flock.

It's a personal choice.

 

[citrusdreams]

Quote:
LGD is a Livestock Guardian Dog such as a Great Pyranese or Anatolian or other like those.

My house dogs patrol the area but they're just that, house dogs. They come and go as they please. Their rucus helps keep the predators down, even the neighbor's dogs (when they're out). But mine don't have access to the woods...we wouldn't want house dogs covered in ticks and who knows what else

But they do get to all the areas the chickens do, and range with them.

But you would still need to contain LGDs as well or they'll wander.

 

[SC_Hugh]

Quote:
Hey Chicky,

Do we lead parallel lives? Now, I need to develop a nightly "back to the coop" chant...

My chickens need to get out for a little while each day, but the last couple of times one of them has made a break for it while approaching the run door and then another makes the turn and they think that they can stay up past bedtime! BUT I have a PVC pipe stick and I can steer them back and into the run, so I win.

Leaving work now, home to let the girls out,

Hugh

 

[ecocheapomom]

I think I am going to try letting them out for a bit every evening. When the weather is good my three human beasts usually play outside while I make dinner and they make enough nosie to scare off most any predator. The chickens are just used to it so they climb on the swingset and sandbox with them. I tried herding them in with a chant and a a long stick tonight and it was quite a sight. Hungry kids + chickens on the loose = mass chaos and about 10 loops around the coop for Mom calling "Everybody in! Keep it movin'". We'll work on it though.

 

[quiltnchik]

I never have to shoo mine into the coop; when it's dusk, they just go in on their own and I lock them up for the night.

The only ones I have to catch are my two bantam Frizzles, and even they come to me, DH or DS at dusk to be put up. They free range all day and sleep in a tote in my sewing room at night (DH has their coop/run almost finished, but until then they are "house chickens")

 

[Andora]

My chickens have a large open pen with their coops in it. It's just made of farm fencing with those metal poles. A few of them fly over it and wander, but most of them don't.

They also have a chicken run in there that is open on one end, no longer attached to a coop, left over from before I set up the big pen. I left the run in there so that they can go in it when the hawks start circling, if they can't make it under the bushes or to the coops in time. It's worked out well for us!

Almost all of my birds, including my 2 ducks, go into their coops at night on their own. I just have to grab a few tree roosters each night.

 

[momonpillowhill]

I have a real mix of birds, leghorns, barred rocks, austrolorps, ducks, turkeys, other peoples birds...anyway, we let everyone out all day to roam free on 15 plus acres. We do have 2 golden retrievers that make enough commotion to keep the fox and coyotes at bay, the hawks and vultures, well we do have a lot going on pretty much everyday, with the pool, 5 boys, horses, you name it. 4 wheelers and the like too. I worry when it's quiet. But otherwise we've not had a problem. The ducks go into one converted dog house, with the tukeys on top in a dog run with a roof, the chickens, about 65, half 20 weekers and half 2 years old, in a hen house with roosts and nesting boxes. No question about going to bed, we just go shut the doors at dark or near dark. My friend likes to put hers to bed long before dark and has real dilly of a time of it. I told her to just wait until dark or closer to it you know. We just moved them all around tonight, so it will be a few days adjusting, but I am confident it won't be a problem. I have 2 other dogs that patrol at nite and dispatch with prejudice any critters that might try to get near the ladies! We found an ermine on the lawn in the spring, weird, I had to look it up to get a clue. Not so many these days, these dogs know their business and the animals around respect that.

Trish on WIIL border, 7o chickens, 17 ducks, 2 turkeys, 5 horses, 5 dogs, 5 cats, 5 boys, and a great horned owl in the pine tree