question about free ranging

[ejb3810]

Hawks are opportunists. I have much experience with them, as in additional to LF and bantams I have kept racing pigeons for a long time. The pigeons are more likely to be taken than even bantams. That said I do lose many chickens to hawks each year. My birds free range from sun up to sun set, when they are locked in for the night. In my experience the Kestrel is not a factor even with the pigeons. I have had Sharpshins kill pigeons and attack wild birds at my bird feeders. They are not large enough to carry a pigeon off. My primary hawk of concern is the Goshhawk. They are large and can easily kill even LF chickens. They are a surprise attack predator, and they in most cases do not circle way up high and drop on their prey. They come in at tree top height or lower very fast and catch the prey bird by surprise. I would assume that a Coopers hawk or Redtail would hunt in much the same way. Once the hawk has found a location with a food source they are going to come back regularly, and I am convinced that as they migrate they can recognize buildings that are associated with a meal source. I do not advocate killing them. They are protected, and the fine for killing one can be $10,000. The only sure protection is a pen that is covered with wire.

 

[gryeyes]

My flock ranges freely from sunup to sundown. They have an automatic chicken door and all are in the coop at night before it closes. (Well, except for 4 chickens who insist on roosting on the porch rail at night.)

There is a lot of cover for the chickens, ducks and geese. The first place they run is onto my porch. The second place is into the tree and bush cover. The third is under my car (if I am at home, which I have to be, in order to observe this behavior!). All is dependent upon how close they ate to these safe places. About 15 - 20 chickens and the pair of geese nap ON the porch a lot; probably like the cover during their vulnerable nap-times.

There is one very large bush by my driveway I have taken to calling "the chicken bush" because so many of the younger pullets hide in it, sleep in wallows they've made under its longer branches, and perch on many of the branches. It looks like the bush is chock full of chicken fruit.

Hawks check out my flock at least daily. The several roosters call the alarm and everybody disappears. An owl has been interested, too. For that reason, I do worry about the four porch-railing chickens roosting there. But they choose to roost there every single night, so I have stopped putting them in the coop when I get home from work in the dark.

I may lose them someday, or any others of the flock, but these birds are SO happy ranging freely over my nearly two-thirds of an acre. The geese are wonderful alarm systems, too!

 

[vclark321]

My girls end up free ranging all day, thanks to my mastiff who can open their pen!

. I have less tree canopy now, but still over 50 trees to provide concealment. I also live 1 block off a lake so most birds of prey fish, but that could change since they drrain the lake. Ducks are the usual winter fare. I gave up on keeping them penned up when they seem to enjoy pounding on the downspout outside my window while I sleep! Buggars! I have 2 dogs that stand guard also & I think it works. (Knock on wood!)

 

[petdr96]

I may just have been lucky...but so far, although we have hawks in the area, I havent lost any birds to them. They are out in the morning, sometime between 7 and 9 most days, and then back in at dusk. I have 2 roosters (which need homes) and maybe that is why? I'm in suburbia and only have 3 hens right now, they are out in the fenced backyard which is about 1/4 acre available for them to roam. There are lots of hiding places in the yard also.

 

[6RandomBrownLayers]

I usually let them out at 7:45, before I go to school. I usually get home around 5 or 5:30 and they are in the coop waiting to be closed up. I don't have too many predators that come around in the day. The crows seem to drive off any hawks so they're not much of an issue. I've heard that you can use corn to attract crows to keep hawks away.

 

[vclark321]

That must be why I have a lot of crows in my yard. I just did not put the 2 together! Peanuts forr bluejays & the crows come too. They like the crracked corn for the chickens as well & the chickens get their exercise chasing them all around the yard! It makkes sense now. (Light bulb on) I learned something new today!