scared!

[chickchicks]

i let mine be brought up by a broody from day one and they stayed inthe run and housefor a month untill they were big enough to fight back as there aunty betty (the other chicken ) was beinga bit rough.

after the move they went around the garden with the mummy chicken and aunty chicken all day long happy as can be.

i did stick around to keep an eye on them for a little while but i was not needed !

 

[TheSpiceGirls]

It's a personal preference.

I live in the suburbs so cats and hawks are my main daytime predators. I leave my hens locked in their predator protected run all day long and let them out for 20-60 minutes when I get home in the evenings and stay out there with them.

But I know there are plenty of people who let theirs free range all day long.

I only have the two hens and they are definitely pets. They have names and I would be DEVASTATED to lose one to a predator. But if you have a flock and if one disappeared, it wouldn't be the end of the world, then give free ranging a try.

Make sure they have places to hide from predators like trees, bushes, etc. You can create safe zones too by leaning up a pallet or other wooden form against a fence, etc. Just get creative.

Just keep in mind that if you do lose one to a hawk, that hawk will likely return again and again knowing that there's an easy meal to be had at your location. So you may want to keep them locked up for a week or two if that happens.

 

[Blue]

Whether you let your birds free range unsupervised or watch them depends mostly on personal preference. Sure, some areas have more predators than others, but there is always a risk that birds could be lost to predators if they are out unsupervised. I've even heard of birds being taken by hawks and dogs while the owners were watching. The risk, of course, will be less if you're out watching your birds, but there's still a risk, albeit a much, much smaller risk, there. Some people decide not to free range at all because they don't consider it to be worth the risks. However, that brings up another good thing to consider, which is the safety of birds in a run.

Unless a run is a fortress, there's also a chance that predators could take birds from there. Granted, most people do take precautions around their runs, so the predators would most likely be the more determined type, while the type of predators that take free ranging birds are usually opportunistic. It's apparent from your first post that you want your birds to be able to free range, so you then just have to decide how you feel about losses. If you are very worried about losing birds, then it may be best for you to supervise the free range time.

I don't know if this will help, but here is what I do when mine free range. I only let them out on days when I or someone else is going to be home. This obviously doesn't eliminate the risk of predators, but it does make me feel better because I can go out and check on the chickens every once in a while to make sure they're doing okay. Besides going out to check on them, I'll also look out the windows and see if I can spot the chickens anywhere and keep an idea of what part of the yard they're in, or whether they're out in the woods, or in the field behind the house. Mine tend to stay close to the house or around the treeline of the woods, which are probably the safer places for them to be anyway - more cover.

 

[chicmom]

I live out in the boonies, on six wooded acres. (We have a dirt road.....) Anyhow, my flock does free range every day, and no I don't watch them all the time. Now, the bantams don't get to free range unless I'm outside, because they are easy prey, but the large fowl chickens and my turkeys all free range, without supervision, until dark, then they are cooped up. They voluntarily come in for the night because I bribe them with some cracked corn, which is a favorite treat of theirs.

They wouldn't be out much if I had to watch them all the time. I work full time, and now here in Ohio, it's getting dark around 7pm. I don't get home until 5pm.

 

[Blue]

Quote:
I used to be in the boonies, but the county paved our road several years back, and more people started moving in. Our house is still on about 5 acres with woods on three sides, so I still consider it rather country.

 

[manoknisanpedro]

Quote:
mmm i think they already know what to do

 

[wyododge]

Ours free range, we don't watch them all that much. They have areas that we did not cut weeds down, and they have the barn, tractor, fuel tanks, etc to take cover under. They have always been out since they were very small so maybe it is an instinct thing, but they take pretty good care of themselves. At least ours do.

 

[brownysfp]

Ours free range, too. They have their coops, a woodshed, the patio as retreats plus I've built hides out of fallen branches and dotted them around the meadow. Since I did this we haven't lost any birds. I do go several times a say and have a wander, make sure everything's OK.

 

[Nicole01]

Both my neighbor and I watch our own flocks free range. Her flock was attacked by a hawk, luckily she was there and got the hawk off. I've come across dogs.

If I hear hawks in my backyard, I'll keep them in. Lately, I've been hearing them hang around for the past few weeks. I've let them out once in the last 3 weeks. My coop and run has more then enough room for them.

 

[Ridgerunner]

As you can see, each of us does it differently. Mine normally free range, but I have a run I can keep them in when I want to. My coop is predator proof and I lock them up every night. If you do that, I suggest you look inside every night before you lock the door. I found a possum in there once.

My run is what I call predator resistant. It is hard to make a large run truly predator proof. I don't consider mine perfectly safe, but it will slow a lot of things down and stop several. I consider it a pretty safe place during the daytime. I do suggest a pretty decent sized run, a place you can leave them locked up for weeks if you want to. Most of the time I use mine has nothing to do with predators, but with training them where to lay or where to sleep.

There is always a risk if you free range. For those that consider them pets and the loss of one is truly devastating, maybe you don't want to do it. But some people consider free ranging, at least part of the time, as something their chickens need to do and are willing to take that chance. Purely personal preference. I won't criticize anybody for their decision. And some people take pretty extensive precautions, setting up portable electric netting to protect them from certain daytime predators, for example. Lots of different strategies.

Most, but not all, predators are more active at night. Some people that see a fox, raccoon, possum, whatever, out during the day think that it is proof that animal is sick with rabies. That is not true. I've seen plenty of healthy foxes, coyotes, and raccoons active during the day. There are several different things that can bring them out, hunger being only one of those things. And there are some mainly daytime predators, such as hawks and many dogs. They are not safe during the daytime, but a lot safer than at night.

I use a strategy of letting them out during the day and locking them up safely at night. Over a three year period, I had two losses. Then an irresponsible dog owner dropped two big male unneutered dogs out in the country for the good life. They got hungry and found my chickens while I was gone. They destroyed so many that I had to order chicks to fill in some holes for my breeding plan. You can go along for a long time and never have a problem, but tragedy can strike out of the blue.

I can't tell you what to do in your circumstances. If you do decide to try it, I suggest for the first few times you let them out about an hour before their bedtime. They won't wonder far and will want to go back to the coop to sleep. Hopefully you can spare the hour at that time to stay with them. Part of that is your peace of mind. As you see how it goes, you might decide to let them out more, or you might not. It does provide some protection for you to be out there.

But there is another reason for you to be out there and to only let them out for a little while before bedtime for a while. Chickens do not have a real good grasp on the concept of gate or door. They are not going to starve to death or die of thirst if they go an hour without access to their food and water. But you might have to help them get back home when it is time. Often, the first day or two I let mine out, a few get trapped on the wrong side of the run and can't figure out how to get to the gate. I have a small elevated coop in my grow-out pen. Some can't figure out door. You might have to help them actually get back to the coop, wherer they desperately want to be, for the first night or two. They figure it out after a while, but those first couple of nights can get pretty comical.