Predators and free ranging

[WVduckchick]

knowing you have all those predators, choosing to still free range, i guess you realize you will lose some, eventually all of them.

Depending on how much area you have, you could try electric fencing, or train the dogs? But definitely make sure they have things they can hide under or around, run to when they see something. A good flock master rooster makes a big difference too, in my opinion. They are much more alert than most hens and will also try to fight for their girls when necessary. Also choice of birds can make a difference. Some free range better than others. Some are quick and alert, some are slow and trusting. You will lose the slow pokes first. Human presence often helps too. Spread your own scent around, walk the area often, cut down on the predators opportunities.

I had a small flock of golden comets at my farm. I liked Brahma roosters for their masters. At one time had 10 girls, plus a couple roosters along the way. Down to my final girl now, she lives at my house. But i had some happy girls for a long time.

Good luck!

 

[Kwarner12]

Does anyone clip their chickens wings when free ranging or is it better not to so that they can get away from predators by flying into a tree

 

[andreanar]

Electric wiring or electric poultry netting for fencing is a great idea! It isn't that hard to set up either, even I can follow the directions LOL. With free ranging, you need to be prepared to lose birds. With only 6, it is possible that you can lose your whole flock in one day. I free range and have to be prepared every day that something bad could happen, but for me its the right choice to see my girls happy and doing what they love. I am only free ranging for a few hours before sunset right now, as they are all at POL, and I don't want them laying all over the land!

 

[jvls1942]

You have a great potential tool in that dog of yours.
take the time to teach it to not chase your chickens.
then most of your pred problems will be over.
including neighbor's dog..
we have a pair of Maremma LGD.
we have every pred you can name except mt lions.
free range the chickens .
we have a river running half way around our property and beyond that are miles of forest.
we have not lost a bird in 8 year.
the dogs do not bond with the chickens per se, but just their presence is enough to deter the preds.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

If it's a heavier chicken they won't be able to necessarily "fly" away...but full wings will give it an advantage.

We have guinea fowl and I trimmed their wings so they couldn't roost on the joists of the coop over my head last winter. We've have a predator, very confident it's a fox...slowly picking away at the guineas the as they venture farther away away from the yard. It appears the guineas that have been taken have been the ones with trimmed wings.

We have poultry netting on hand for such an event, this is our first time using it. The remaining guineas will occasionally fly out of the fence. But then they will also fly back into the fence if something was to rush at them. We will keep the fence up until the foxes have been taken care of. I may keep it after as well but the flock will be allowed to free range again.

The red dot is where the last guinea was taken from. I was in the yard at the time. Foxes are very brazen.
View attachment 1121696

Back in my misspent youth I belonged to a fox hunting club. On Trade Days and First Mondays my fox hunting buddies and myself looked for guineas to buy. They were then released free range on our fox hunting club land, you know the better to feed mama and baby fox.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

It really depends on your environment and luck.

But, in my opinion, with the environment you suggest, you will absolutely have to do something about the risk with the neighbor's dog. More flocks have been decimated by an uncontrolled neighbor dog. I would not let the birds free range until that situation is under control unless you are willing to go out to dead birds.

I have hawks, raccoons, opossum, and an occasional coyote....with some fox in the area to boot.

I do not live right next to heavy woods. (That makes a big difference in your risk factor.)

At first, I had no losses. For several years I had no losses.Then the wild animals figured out we had chickens. I inadvertently left a coop open. That's when the killing started. I've gone to locking them up tight at night if I want birds.

I have friends who have had their flock cleaned out 3 times over by a coyote, in a similar set up as yours.

I have other friends who lost their flock twice, and can't keep a rooster more than a few months if they let them free range.

Mine free range on my 1/3 acre. I have lost generally a bird a year to hawks. I won't free range my bantams or any grow outs any more until they are full sized as those were picked off too easily. I lost small birds almost as fast as I set them out.

In farm land, the poultry savior is electric fence or netting and livestock guardian dogs.

Some dogs will do the job. Others will not. I've had a string of dogs, and know how to train dogs, but not every pet makes a good livestock guardian.

So my recommendation to you is talk to that neighbor or call Animal Control then put up electric netting and lots of hawk netting or be prepared to lose some birds on a regular basis....maybe not right at first...but soon.

LofMc

 

[aswartzalso]

My dog a boxer passed last year from old age. Since then I've had two Fox attacks. Nothing came in my fenced yard with the dog. My free range area is fenced with picket fence and some wire but I think the Fox have found us and can get in. I hate keeping them in their run but when I'm at work that's what I been doing. I wasnt going to get another dog but does seem like I may do it. A Heeler sounds like might be a nice breed for protecting and easily trainable not to kill my chickens. I don't want the bigger livestock dogs most recommend. Hmmmm.

 

[Mama Runner]

We live in Kentucky and our neighbors dog is a pain. We have Ducks and when we bought our Ducks we bought a pair of Broad breasted Turkeys.
We free range our flock from 5am till dusk. Our Tom Turkey Dinner is the flock protector. He will go after anything. We always keep the laundry room window open as well so we can hear if we are in the house. We trained everyone early on where to go. They normally stay right around the house and if they wander to far The turkeys will herd them back toward the house, screaming the whole way. We also never let them be for more than a half hour or so. I'm normally in and out all day.
We also have many many places they can hide. If a hawk comes they will take cover under the porch in front or under the Apple trees in back.

If no one is home they know they have to go back to bed in their coop.
I would try it even if you only do it when you are outside.
I am a big advocate for free range. I always try and put myself in my animals shoes and I for one would not like to be in jail or locked up all the time.

 

[heartfire9]

We free ranged ours for a good six months before we lost half our flock to a large pack of coyotoes. It was devastating so we got an electric fence. However; getting chickens to go into the fenced area was worse than trying to herd cats. So now I am building a tunnel from the side of the coop out to fenced area. We have a very large coop for our 11 now, so they have been mostly inside except for when I can be out with them in the evening before dark. They have done ok being inside, but not the best for them or the eggs having only 30 minutes or so outside a day. So hoping to finish tunnel, pop door arrangement in the next few days.

 

[KentuckyRooster]

I have an Aussie mix and would say the same. At first she wanted to chase and play with the chickens, but now they are her flock. She was concerned and got me and showed me when one escaped so I could catch it, she didn't chase it or scare it at all. She lets me know when a neighbor dog is on the way over. She knows the command "go check the chickens" and will do a lap around the coop. Even dogs that initially want to chase/eat/play with your hens can be taught to focus that energy into something productive. Good luck! Currently I too am living in fear of a new neighbor's "free range" unfriendly dogs. I am working on taking photos of the dogs all around the neighborhood in places other than their own yard. I will be presenting my evidence to animal control soon.

Most dogs except for the worst of chicken chasers or killers can be taught otherwise. Mine wanted to chase them for sure, she didn't realize they were stock and thought they were for her to run after. But it was easy to break her of with some persistence. All my dogs wanted to chase them actually except one. And they all are fine now. So it's not actually -that- hard. People just refuse to TRAIN THEIR DOGS TO DO ANYTHING

That is why working animals are so rare now. I have a stock dog and a service dog. 2 working animals. The rest of the world is lucky if their dogs know how to sit on command.