Hey all. Recently my husband has been more involved in the chickens than he claimed he wanted to be. He not only is planning a larger coop/run so we can get a few more chickens but he made a comment the other day after discovering we have a rooster in the flock (they're all still young, 3 months) He has always told me we would have to get rid of any roosters, (my neighbors don't want me to keep him either) but My husband brought up free ranging the chickens, and keeping the rooster. I originally wanted to free range, but I'm worried about predators. We have a neighbor with an out of control dog who routinely tries to attack us in our own yard (they have no fence, no invisible fence and do not keep their dog on a leash) She has attacked outdoor cats in the area. Not to mention, we live in an area that is densely wooded and we have a large population of Raccoons, Coyotes, Foxes, hawks, owls... There was even reports of a Black bear seen in the area a few years ago, but I've never seen one. You name it.. We have it.
Any advice for keeping the small flock safe from predators if I do decided to free range? I currently have 6 chickens, 5 hens and 1 rooster. (I already have dogs, but they're not trained guardian dogs.)
Any advice for keeping the small flock safe from predators if I do decided to free range? I currently have 6 chickens, 5 hens and 1 rooster. (I already have dogs, but they're not trained guardian dogs.)