Planning a Semi-Free range flock

[Drastil]

Like the title says, I'm preparing for a semi- free range flock. I want to get a mixed flock going (we want about four ducks and six chicks and one or two geese ultimately) (geese for flock protection) here, I have attached a pick of a large fenced yard that we set up for the dogs years ago. We're training the dogs as guardians but they go in and out of the house so we want the goose to protect. The hard part RN is getting things set up.

I know this fence won't keep in smaller chickens or baby birds, which is why we want to raise the youngsters on/in the porch (it's not set up completely the way we want, and it's a bit cluttered rn) please note that the brooding area is going to shortly be altered for safety, but it gives the idea we're going for. Where the kennel is, were planning on nesting boxes instead for hens and such to care for their own babies. (Please note that the ducklings are... no longer in the picture but that's the best pic I have of it right now.)

I have a local chicken breeder getting me some chicks to raise up from a large chicken breed (I don't remember which)

My husband and I are considering getting a bird run to put in the yard to put the young birds in until they're ready to run the yard fully but it seems they use normal chicken wire which won't be very durable and predators can get into easily. Or getting a temporary coop. We can't afford a huge dollar sign but I digress. Short of bringing the birds inside, any suggestions? Possibly advice on what product stay away from?

Also note, I've never kept birds before. Snakes, rats, mice, dogs, cats, even horses, yes. But no birds before.

 

[Drastil]

This all being said, I'm looking at some metal chicken runs that seem to have PVC coated chicken wire type stuff and am wondering if that would be better than normal chicken wire. I may be able to get one of those to put the broody area into instead. I don't think we can afford buying all the mats individually right now and SOME of these products seem reasonably priced.

 

[Drastil]

My husband and I were talking about this and he has some input. We've agreed that we can afford to buy one of those chicken run kits with the hex wire, and later add other wire as we can. He proposed using the 1" x 2" fence wire in tandem with the chicken wire as the theory is that racoons shouldn't be able to get through that wire even if they bust the chicken wire. Thoughts/input? We don't mind adding to premade things to make it more sturdy/ secure.

I'm also interested in adding some items that could help let the birds use as defense from predators while out in the yard. I saw it mentioned elsewhere that you could do something like that.

 

[Mother of Chaos]

My husband and I were talking about this and he has some input. We've agreed that we can afford to buy one of those chicken run kits with the hex wire, and later add other wire as we can. He proposed using the 1" x 2" fence wire in tandem with the chicken wire as the theory is that racoons shouldn't be able to get through that wire even if they bust the chicken wire. Thoughts/input? We don't mind adding to premade things to make it more sturdy/ secure.

I'm also interested in adding some items that could help let the birds use as defense from predators while out in the yard. I saw it mentioned elsewhere that you could do something like that.

Does he realize that the hex wire (chicken wire) is only good for keeping chickens in, that a hungry Chihuahua could bust through it in no time, and that it's a complete waste of money? Chicken wire is used to protect tomatoes from chickens, not chickens from everything else in the universe.

Edit to add: you mentioned doubling it with 1' x 2'. This might slow down a predator, but one of the horrible things that raccoons do is to snake their paws through openings about this size, grab a chicken, pull it to the fence, and start eating whatever part of the still-living chicken it can pull through the hole. Heads, legs, whatever

I apologize for sounding harsh, but it scarily sounds like free-ranging for predators.

Can you at least have some truly protected areas (19 gauge 1/2" hardware cloth in a smaller shady area, maybe around those bushes (good cover from aerial predators), and slowly expand the coverage area with real wire as your budget allows?

 

[Drastil]

Does he realize that the hex wire (chicken wire) is only good for keeping chickens in, that a hungry Chihuahua could bust through it in no time, and that it's a complete waste of money? Chicken wire is used to protect tomatoes from chickens, not chickens from everything else in the universe,

I apologize for sounding harsh, but it scarily sounds like free-ranging for predators.

Can you at least have some truly protected areas (19 gauge 1/2" hardware cloth in a smaller shady area, maybe around those bushes (good cover from aerial predators), and slowly expand the coverage area with real wire as your budget allows?

When you say truly protected, what do you mean? We don't have any good bushes in the area we have available, more trees. I have a mulberry tree that's young rn that is essentially a big bush rn. (Can be seen in the left of the first pic) part of the interest in the kits is the frame being light and easy to put together. Rn we will be adding 1/2" hardware cloth to the kennel for chicks for brooding but obviously they will be growing. What kind of construction around such a thing would you recommend if we do go that direction?

 

[Drastil]

I am also in search of good tools for the free-range style I'm looking at. Structures we can construct for the chickens to have some way to evade predators and so on.

 

[Drastil]

I also have realized that a lot of people consider free range to be basically in their yards so the 'semi' part of my title is not really applicable. I always assumed free range implied no fences at all. Unless I'm reading this in an off way?

 

[No Coop No Problem]

the theory is that racoons shouldn't be able to get through that wire even if they bust the chicken wire. Thoughts/input?

Racoons can't catch free chickens. I've had several racoon attacks at night and my chickens just fly away untouched. If you have the climate for it I would just let them roost outside in the trees. Get some gamefowl to mix with your production chickens and they'll be both invincible and productive

I am also in search of good tools for the free-range style I'm looking at. Structures we can construct for the chickens to have some way to evade predators and so on.

Chickens are the descendants of junglefowl and they do best in thick vegetation. If possible in your area I would grow bamboo (phyllostachys of some kind) because red junglefowl have a strong symbiotic relationship with it

If you don't want bamboo then other vegetation or even just occasional A-frames would also be fine

I also have realized that a lot of people consider free range to be basically in their yards so the 'semi' part of my title is not really applicable. I always assumed free range implied no fences at all. Unless I'm reading this in an off way?

Free-ranging can mean just about anything. If you see eggs labelled as "free-range" in the grocery store that usually means they have a 3x3 fenced in square attached to their coop that they have the option of stepping into

Most people seem to think free-ranging means having a fenced in yard for the chickens to use. However other people truly have large farms or wild areas for their chickens to range

There's a very large spectrum of what exactly free-ranging can mean

 

[Mother of Chaos]

I also have realized that a lot of people consider free range to be basically in their yards so the 'semi' part of my title is not really applicable. I always assumed free range implied no fences at all. Unless I'm reading this in an off way?

No, you're using it in the more correct way. I'm in a tiny city backyard and call what I do "yard-ranging."

True free-ranging always implies a certain level of loss to predation. That can be reduced by having "flighty", wary chickens who are quick to react to danger, and lots of places in quick running range. That's why I mentioned shrubs. Those with branches low to the ground are great for cover from hawks, etc. Think forsythia and other raggedy-shaped shrubs, not those clipped into lollipop shapes. Mine like to hang our under a large rhododendron (we're in the east), where they can see out a whole lot easier than I can see in. Other hiding places in open areas like yours might include pallets resting a foot or so above the ground. These sort of things protect against aerial predators; not so much against coyotes, pack dogs, and other predators who are on the ground. The ultimate defense against predators for free-range flocks are those types of chickens mentioned above who are always on the alert and quick to react if anything goes wrong. It's natural selection at work: over time, the smart ones will survive and reproduce, and the others won't survive and won't reproduce. One of my daughter's co-workers grew up on a farm and knows her chickens, but she has lost more than half of her free-range flock (including her rooster, who died protecting his girls) in the last several months to predators.

You might want to call your country extension office to talk to the poultry or small farm specialist for information more specific to your area. Or see if there's a local Facebook group, etc. for chicken keepers in your area. The realities for backyard chickening and true free-range chickening can be very different. Know the risks in your situation, know what you can do to reduce them, and get to a place mentally where you know that this will happen and that you can accept it.

 

[Drastil]

Racoons can't catch free chickens. I've had several racoon attacks at night and my chickens just fly away untouched. If you have the climate for it I would just let them roost outside in the trees. Get some gamefowl to mix with your production chickens and they'll be both invincible and productive

Chickens are the descendants of junglefowl and they do best in thick vegetation. If possible in your area I would grow bamboo (phyllostachys of some kind) because red junglefowl have a strong symbiotic relationship with it

If you don't want bamboo then other vegetation or even just occasional A-frames would also be fine

Free-ranging can mean just about anything. If you see eggs labelled as "free-range" in the grocery store that usually means they have a 3x3 fenced in square attached to their coop that they have the option of stepping into

Most people seem to think free-ranging means having a fenced in yard for the chickens to use. However other people truly have large farms or wild areas for their chickens to range

There's a very large spectrum of what exactly free-ranging can mean

Thank you so much for the reply, I was about to go on a stress induced ramble that probably is unnecessary. Hah... Anyway, I suppose my question is at what age could I let the chickens (once I have them) out of their brood kennel? Bc we do want them to have free roam of the yard which is enclosed by 2"x4" wire (can be seen on my attached pics) I live in northern Louisiana so summer is pretty hot (we will have kiddy pool out for them and obviously a large water dispenser for them) and winter can occasionally get into freezing temps (but not often and I intend to have a heated area available to them at that point whether it be a heat lamp outside or something else) I consider the size of our front yard large, especially for the number of chickens we intend to keep (starting with 6 chicks and hopefully some ducks)