Pros and Cons of Free Ranging

[aart]

wild monkeys

I cannot imagine having to secure a coop and run from monkeys...must be worse the raccoons....wait, are monkeys carnivorous?

 

[Kris5902]

Any time in life if I make a coop I will add some biosecurity what I learn in.BYC many chickens died due to attacks from hawks or raccoons

Here in my country the fear is Big Eagle , wild monkeys and Wild Cats

So whenever I build I add the micro net and cover the entire run

Eagles and cats make sense to me, I would never have thought of monkeys as chicken predators! (Not mocking you, just surprised by it) I imagine protecting against monkeys would be very challenging due to their intelligence and dexterity. It’s amazing how varied and international this chicken community is, and the different challenges we have.

 

[Saaniya]

Eagles and cats make sense to me, I would never have thought of monkeys as chicken predators! (Not mocking you, just surprised by it) I imagine protecting against monkeys would be very challenging due to their intelligence and dexterity. It’s amazing how varied and international this chicken community is, and the different challenges we have.

Yes, cats are so much wild in India especially in Delhi we add a net door , windows in our home to let it lock so they won't come inside they are no1 baby chick killers here

We heard so many times that money attacks in farm it's horrible how they create a big loss to the owers they didn't leave any most are injured or shock I hate attacks on chickens

 

[aart]

Yes, cats are so much wild in India especially in Delhi we add a net door , windows in our home to let it lock so they won't come inside they are no1 baby chick killers here

We heard so many times that money attacks in farm it's horrible how they create a big loss to the owers they didn't leave any most are injured or shock I hate attacks on chickens

What kind of cats....domestic pet cats?
What kind of monkeys?
I'm very curious!

 

[Saaniya]

What kind of cats....domestic pet cats?
What kind of monkeys?
I'm very curious!

No pet cats the wild one street cats they are horrifying.
And yes wild monkey especially in.village areas

 

[Anna Ranieri]

Just wondering, could you not sit out with them at times while you free range them and then keep them in the run while unattended? I realise it's cold and uncomfortable to sit out in such weather but personally I find it well worth doing. I wear 2 pairs of socks a pair of Wooley tights and thermal leggings under two pairs of tracksuit trousers, I also wear a vest under 2 thick tracksuit tops a thick dressing gown and a coat, plus boots and on terribly cold conditions I also wear a wooly hat, gloves and put a blanket on my lap too. I realise this is a huge amount of clothing however it keeps me warm, especially with icy cold blustery winds we often get here in the UK. This way I can sit out an guard my flocks whilst they enjoy their time free ranging. I also use a yard light for a couple of hourd after dark so they can stay out longer and they really enjoy the time.
I also covered my run with tarpaulin, across the top and three quarters along the sides and across the back of the run, doing this does darken the run somewhat but the benefits out weigh that factor and my flocks are accustomed to it and do just fine. The run stays dry and having three quarters of the sides, the back and top covered protects them from the strong winds we often get here. I did a test a short while ago and am very pleased with the results, we had winds up to 80 miles per hour and outside the run the wind was tossing our garden furniture around as though it were made of paper but in the covered part of the run was completely still, I lit a match to test it and the flame didn't even flicker at all, plus in the quarter of the run without covered sides the wind was minimal. Is a very inexpensive way to cover a run, also. Just a suggestion which works well for us. I hope you find a resolve which suits you and your flock

 

[bruceha2000]

I will probably need an automatic door there though because the big garden is at the opposite end of the farm from where I’m building our house

Good plan. We have an auto door on the stall coop in the barn. No need to get out early to free the girls from the coop. And they are closed in automatically if no one is home when it gets dark. Mine is a PulletShut and opens/closes with a light sensor. Very inexpensive option.

I cannot imagine having to secure a coop and run from monkeys...must be worse the raccoons....wait, are monkeys carnivorous?

I was going to post the same thing. Can't imagine keeping monkeys out other than full on metal fencing for sides and top and locks on the gates.

 

[Saaniya]

What kind of cats....domestic pet cats?
What kind of monkeys?
I'm very curious!

Monkeys are omnivorous & carnivore both maybe they eat everything they like just like us

 

[SueT]

I let my chickens free range part time. They get to go out in afternoons after eggs are laid. We have occasionally lost birds to predators, and when that happens, they get locked in run for several weeks. We have averaged losing 2 a year, and I have raised replacements each year. I prize the pasture raised eggs, and so I take the chance. I feel like the birds are happier, cleaner, and healthier when they can be out on grass.

 

[dalasgalas]

I am using an approach with a group of roosters where their destructive forces they put on vegetation is put to use. The roosters are housed at night and most of most days in a 10' x 10' chain-link dog kennel. There destroying of vegetation is a form of weed management preparing ground for gardening next spring. The approach is used after the growing season where vegetation is not able to grow back before I can employ soil remediation. The pen is periodically moved to new ground. Moves are short and orientation of pen is conserved so roosters can figure out how to get back in. When roosters are out during the work week, it is only for an hour or so just prior to sun down. On weekends and holidays they are released at dawn so they get at least two whole days of free-range time per week.

There are places I do not want them to visit while in free-range mode, namely the poultry yard and the road. Feeding stations and cover patches get their attention in an area that is roughly 2 acres. The area is also patrolled heavily by dogs and even my kids so predator issues are not a major concern.

A pair of game chickens also occupy the same range and managed in a similar manner although they are housed in one to those rather flimsy prefabricated coops that has been mounted to a sled so I can move it as well. The coop is moved in parallel to the larger dog kennel. The game rooster must be placed back into coop by hand each night, otherwise he would roost on the roof.

Free-range time help the chickens get their greens-fix and provides windows for me to move their containment units.

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I like that picture of them all hauling a$$ across the yard.