Scared to let my first flock out!

[CCtheflockboss]

New flock owner... my babes are about 4 weeks, so they will be moving out of the house soon, and into their coop. My husband has built an amazingly strong run and coop (concrete floor and all), but lately I’ve been hearing more stories from people saying fox and other predators have been attacking them during the day time while they’re out free ranging. At this rate, I’ll never let them out if I’m not there! I don’t want anything to happen to them! Any tips or tricks to prevent daytime attacks? We live a mile from a town, and have houses around. Have seen only cats, beavers, and we’ve only heard a fisher cat once at night. But I’m sure there are fox and raccoons! Ahhhhh please ease my mind!

 

[Sonya9]

As far as free ranging I only let mine free range when I am home and only for a couple of hours in late afternoon so they go back in the coop at dusk. If anything tried to get at them I would hear it. I also have a large fenced yard in a rural area.

If they are out running loose all day it may attract predators.

 

[CCtheflockboss]

I had thought I was going to let them roam the yard during the day, when I was home or not, but I’m leaning more towards not having them out in the yard, except for what you say, a few hours when I’m either outside with them, or close by doing chores and such...

 

[nao57]

This is the beauty of electric fences.

 

[svh]

Free range equals (predator) losses. I was in denial of this until I lost 2 birds recently to a fox.

I free ranged my birds, from dawn till dusk, for 8 months with zero problems, then BAM !

The foxes found them.

Both losses were during the daylight hours. I live basically in the middle of nowhere ..... Heavily wooded, very rural. We have fox, yotes, coons, a few bears, and recently mountain lions predating this area. My closest neighbor is about 3/4 mile away. I figured I would have problems sooner or later.

Everything likes chicken !

Do I still free range ? Yes, but under more supervised conditions, and only for 3 or 4 hours a day, and only when me or the dogs are home, and out and about my ground.

I'm also in the process of erecting a 5' fence around a large area around the coop/run. This fence will be electrified for (relatively) worry free ranging.

It's a trade off, but I am willing to take the chance, as the ladies are MUCH happier out doing chicken things around the property, as opposed to being penned up all day.

Good luck !

 

[Flockincrazy]

New flock owner... my babes are about 4 weeks, so they will be moving out of the house soon, and into their coop. My husband has built an amazingly strong run and coop (concrete floor and all), but lately I’ve been hearing more stories from people saying fox and other predators have been attacking them during the day time while they’re out free ranging. At this rate, I’ll never let them out if I’m not there! I don’t want anything to happen to them! Any tips or tricks to prevent daytime attacks? We live a mile from a town, and have houses around. Have seen only cats, beavers, and we’ve only heard a fisher cat once at night. But I’m sure there are fox and raccoons! Ahhhhh please ease my mind!

They are to young to have unsupervised free-range as for the rest i would do the hot pepper trick I use ghost peppers but you can use the hottest pepper you can get your hands on smash them especially the seeds put them all around your coop and run redo every month or after a big rain

 

[Sonya9]

Interesting, I’ll need to look into this trick, the peppers. I am way too protective over these chicks, they won’t be out of my sight for a while!

Actually you are not too protective. Four weeks is still very young and these chicks know *nothing* about the outside world.

I have a hen raising 9 week old chicks in the coop. She has been teaching them everything they need to know since day one such as what is safe to eat, how to deal with different types of predators, where to roost, where to go when it rains, on and on. The chicks take those lessons seriously since their life literally depends on it. At 9 weeks they are just now starting to explore on their own for short periods of time.

You might want to start putting them out in the run for an hour or two when the weather is nice so they can have a little outdoor time scratching around and get used to it (I assume your run has netting over top). Ease the transition for them.

 

[Sonya9]

I’ve been taking mine outside for 2-4 hours per day to let them roam free! They are never too far from me, and they always are together. They’ve been eating all the bugs, and know to hide and protect themselves. They are insanely smart but I am not ever more than a few feet away from them at all times! They Love being outside! I just worry about the day when they CAN be totally alone, when they are older, I worry about their safety when I’m not there and they are out...

A fenced yard helps a lot, it isn't foolproof but it keeps casual predators from wandering in (i.e. dogs).

A rooster would also be good-- their job is watching for predators and warning their harem. If you have a small flock (under 8) you can't get a full sized rooster but you could get a bantam roo, they aren't rapey and are fine with very small flocks. They are also amazingly beautiful entertaining little guys. I have two OEG bantam roosters with my flock of 7 girls (and there are lots of roosters desperate for good homes).

 

[CCtheflockboss]

I'm not trying to scare you, but I was home for both attacks. Don't assume you will be able to stop anything from just hearing the commotion.

You might have an advantage if you have a yard, or clear sight of the birds. I don't have this luxury, as my woods come almost right up to the house, and my visibility is poor at best.

The first loss, I had no idea something was amiss till bed time ..... One short.

The second, I was in the garden, about 100 feet from the birds, who were in thick cover, and both the dogs and I heard the attack. Immediately the dogs went in, but it was too late.

I found feathers, but never recovered the body. The fox was in and out in seconds.

poor feather babies! I guess we do best we can to keep them safe, but we can’t always protect them! I’ll do everything I can to ensure their safety! We are surrounded by light woods, and can see our neighbors on all sides through a narrow patch of woods. And we are a few blocks from downtown area, so I would imagine the larger predators would be around, but who knows!

 

[NatJ]

I use ghost peppers but you can use the hottest pepper you can get your hands on smash them especially the seeds put them all around your coop and run redo every month or after a big rain

I would be afraid my chickens would eat that.

It won't hurt chickens. Capsaicin (the hot stuff in peppers) only burns the tongues of mammals, not birds. That's why it gets added to bird seed, to try to keep squirrels out without bothering the birds.