Paranoid about free ranging

[Suziers]

I feel so much better reading these posts. I, too, am just letting mine out to range an hour or so before dark and I (after covering myself in bug spray) sit out and watch them. I thought I was being a nervous nelly-but at least I am in good company.

 

[deerman]

With only 8 chickens i would not risk free range, fox will and do take chicken in the day time. even with the electric fence top open you still have hawks.

 

[BlackBart]

Mine free range and the dogs are usually around them. They have lots of places to get under cover from sky predators and there is usually somebody always around.

Last week my neighbor said he saw the biggest Raccoon he has ever seen, walk slowly up my driveway, around noon.
He said the chickens scattered.
Of course it had to be the day nobody was home.

 

[Suziers]

Quote:
DonnaBelle-
Can one buy electric wire to weave into existing fencing? Or do you need to re-fence with the electric fencing?

 

[Hangin Wit My Peeps]

How I look at it is that the birds will have a healthy, VERY happy, and YOU get healthier eggs if letting them range so it's well worth it to me. Yes, there may be a few loses but that's what happens when you free range...right now we are looking at the healthiest eggs for us and our kids and we would rather our chickens live months free ranging being VERY happy chickens then years locked up in a coop/run area with no grass to eat.

 

[quiltnchik]

Quote:

Mine free range all day every day and are much happier and healthier for it. Before we moved from the HoA we lived in to the country on 3 acres, they had to be in their run and only came out for a couple hours each evening. They were MISERABLE and I felt so sorry for them. They would run up to the run door any time I went to see them, as if begging me to please let them out to play. Now they wander almost the entire 3 acres and, if danger is around (there's a nest of hawks about 100 yards from the house), they go into hiding for a while until they feel it's safe enough to venture back out.

 

[citrusdreams]

Quote:
I understand that you want to free range your chickens. I believe it's healthier for them myself. Mine free range over a few acres. Probably ten. We do have some woods but the chickens don't venture too far into them. If yours are going towards woods with a fox den, I'd be worried. I can't tell you if it's worth the risk because I'm not in your situation. Can you fence in some of your area for them with hotwire?

Have you considered getting a LGD to watch over them?

 

[DonnaBelle]

The electric fence I purchased was actually called "poultry fencing". Another good thing about it, it's very easy to move/relocate.

It is a plastic coated wire fencing, go online and request a catalog from them,(Kencove) they have lots of different kinds of electric fencing.

It has both horizontal and vertical wires, some are hot, some are not. It costs about $160.00 for enough to do a 40' sq. pen.

One of our Brittany bird dogs got loose, run up to the fence, didn't even hit it, but sensed it I guess, and took off. Another dog we have a little terrier, actually ran up and stuck his nose to the fence, he yelped and now he will not go withing 100 ft. of the chicken pen.

Yes, hawks could still get the chickens, but that's why I put up with a couple of roosters. My older roo, he signals everyone to get inside the hen house if he sees anything flying and approaching the pen. He even runs everyone in if he sees geese flying at a distance. It is really something to see, how he guards the girls. He does a clicking noise, and in they go.

DonnaBelle

 

[ecocheapomom]

Not to sound silly, but what is an LGD? I am assuming Guard Dog and if L stands for Little than we have one of those. Our pug follows the chickens around eating their poop, but I don't think he would be much use as far as predators. He is terrified of the chickens since he has been pecked in his butt on more than one occasion. I have even worried that he is conditioning the girls not to run away from things that wish to harm them since he is about the size of a fox or what have you.

 

[toredano]

Not to make you feel bad but.. people fortify their coops like Ft.Knox and still get predators to take their chickens. No matter how good you think you build the coop,or got the fence build .It will still happen.Otherwise there would be no one posting about their coops getting broken into. I lost 2 chickens so far free ranging them.Not to Foxes or coons but to stray dogs.


They will not go too far if they able to find food if you dont put out any scratch etc..If you have just a small area where they can forage and run out.. they will go further out to find stuff. The more chickens you have and less land to support them.. they will go farther. But I think you would have to really have ALOT of chickens on a very small part of land that cannot support them. Its like along the lines of supply and demand.
I keep scratch out for mine and they still eat it when they come back to drink. But then again I got 4 chickens and an acre of land.. so plenty for them to find stuff.

I will not build a fence to keep them inside.Freeranging is what it is.. no fences and no boundaries for them. I take that into account, doesnt mean i will not defend them from anyone who wants to take them.I hate seeing them locked up in a coop all day.And thats not what chicken keeping is for me.Maybe for others there is no other alternative and its ok for them. Just not for me.