Secure run and free ranging practices

[gtxcreations]

I am curious to learn if you free range your flock when you have a secure run. Do you let your flock out during the day to free range? If so, do you have a manual or auto-door from the run to the yard? Thanks for your input!

In my setup, I have the food and water in the secure run (outside the coop), but manually open and close the door to the secure run during the day to let the hens out for more space. I actually have a smaller, fenced in area that the hens hang out during the day, and later in the day I may let them out for full access to the yard. Before, they had full access of the yard, but the receding grassline and uncontrolled landscape changes made me limit their yard access.

 

[perkolator]

I have 1.3ac and used to free range daily and wish I still could, but no longer do that due to heartaches from predator losses.

My setup now is a secure covered run attached to coop, with auto door to a larger secure but uncovered run. Door to exit large run for free-ranging, is manual only. If they do get free-ranged, it's in the evenings or on weekends when I'm outside doing yardwork all day, even then I've still had losses recently from bobcat while I'm in another part of the yard.