runs and free ranging

[hisbride]

Can a large run be considered free ranging?

 

[Southern28Chick]

I have a 40'x50' fenced in chicken yard. I guess that can be considered free ranging. I know someone who's entire yard is smaller then my chicken yard and he considers his chickens free ranging.

 

[chickenwoods]

Lol, I used to let my birds free range COMPLETLY, I live way out in the woods too,i lost birds because my chickens would go 100's of yards into the woods and get killed by daytime predators.sometimes coyotes,bobcats,dogs,hawks....

I dont do that anymore,i couldnt see losing my hens to predators like that...

I bought ALOT of 4 foot chicken wire,and made me a 80yardx50yard chicken area. I still consider that free ranging.I dont know about 40' by 50' kinda small,but i bet it would still be considered free range because they have access to fresh vegatation,and bugs and worms and natural chicken food,instead of only getting commercial feed.As long as you didnt have 30+ chickens on 40'x50'.. But i can see 8-12 or so on that.

 

[Southern28Chick]

I have 24 chickens and 40 FEET by 50 FEET is not small. Even this website says you only need a minimum of 10sq ft per bird. My birds have a very roomy 83 sq ft each.

 

[tiffanyh]

Southern28chick--that is a lot of space. Im sure your birds are quite happy with it.

 

[Southern28Chick]

Quote:
Thanks, I can't see how 2000 sq ft isn't enough for 24 chickens!!!

That's just silly! My house is only 1850 sq ft

 

[chickenwoods]

Im sorry,

I didnt mean to upset you
I live on land that has been in my family since the early 1900's,i guess you could kindof call me a hillbilly,my family always let thier chickens have acres on top of acres,i guess more than they ever would of needed.

 

[Southern28Chick]

Quote:
No worries.

I would free range but I get really upset when my animals die and I don't want preditors to have easy access to my chickens. Figured if I didn't want to free range then I would give them the biggest yard that I could. I only live on a little over 3 acres, but give my time I'm only 24 and this is my starter home. I'm moving farther out in the country next time.

 

[foxtrapper]

Quote:
Without looking up the USDA verbage, any access to outdoors of any size is considered free ranging as far as certified organic poultry farming goes.

Myself, I wouldn't inherently consider a large run free ranging. It depends on the run and the number of birds.

A large bald dirt lot where the only food the birds consume is manufactured feed would not be free ranging to me. But if the run has greens and insects suplimenting the birds food, I would be comfortable with regarding it as free ranging.

 

[Southern28Chick]

Back to the topic at hand, like I said I DO consider my birds somewhat kinda sorta free ranging because they have a LARGE, GRASSY, BUG INFESTED, JUNGLE of a chicken yard that they spend all day long in. My chickens have so much vegitation and insects to eat that they barely eat any chicken feed. I think any time they are out in a yard with grass and bugs and sunshine.....that's free range to me.

Free ranging or not my chickens are very happy and that's all that counts!!!! They range freely in a large fenced in, top netted, momma with shot gun protected chicken yard.

This picture shows half of the yard. This picture was taken a couple of months ago during a drout, there's way more grass in there now: