Should I free range?

[Chickenlickengood]

I have 3 month old chickens that are housed in a small mobile coop. They also have a 16x16 run. I move the coop about once a week and they seem pretty happy. However, I think they would be happier if they free ranged. My concern is our fence. It is a 4 ft cattle panel fence with 6 inch squares. Can they get through the fence? I'm aware that there is a possibility of them flying over the fence, as well. They seem about full grown (size wise). But I can wait a few more months if they will grow more. Newby here, and just want what's best for my chicks

 

[nuthatched]

Are comfortable with the very real possibility of them being a part of the natural food chain?
If so, yes. If not, no.

 

[No Coop No Problem]

Does it matter if they jump the fence? Heavy breeds typically won't jump even a smaller fence than that. Light, athletic breeds could potentially jump it if something on the other side interests them

Clipping wings is also an option to keep them contained, though it's best avoided if possible because they need their wings to escape predators. I usually reserve wing clipping for special situations, such as an otherwise perfect chicken that loves devouring my garden

 

[Birdinhand]

Are comfortable with the very real possibility of them being a part of the natural food chain?
If so, yes. If not, no.

100%, That is putting it in the most straight forward terms. Everyone I know who has gone free range eventually has losses, might take years but often adds up quick when the predators finally get the hankering. I’ve decided not to and instead use deep litter, maybe 8” deep, giving them plenty of recreation. Also giving them a big run helps, adding some chicken fascinators like a swing etc is great.

 

[Anon112]

I let my chickens free range when I'm outside with them in sight. Even with that, I have still had some attacks from foxes, coyotes, and hawks. Most of the time I was able to rescue the chicken, but I have lost a few to predators that way when I wasn't fast enough.

It helps if they have places they can hide/fly up to. You'll also want to be mindful of the time (a lesson I learned the hard way), and not have them outside too early or too late because there is more predator activity at those times.

 

[Perris]

I think they would be happier if they free ranged. My concern is our fence. It is a 4 ft cattle panel fence with 6 inch squares. Can they get through the fence?

I'm sure you are right that they would be happier if free. Whether or not they could get through such a fence depends on what breed they are, as well as their size. Breeds described as 'flighty' get that moniker because they are rather good at running away and getting through small gaps, whereas breeds described as 'docile' get their reputation because they stay put mostly.

They seem about full grown (size wise).

A full grown Brahma (for example) would not be able to get through it. A full grown Campine (for example) probably would.

Newby here, and just want what's best for my chicks

You don't say what is on the other side of the fence. Do you just seek to contain them on your property, or is there a threat to their wellbeing on the other side of it?

There are inevitably losses with free ranging, especially when the chickens are naïve, but they get better at it over time. Losses from confined flocks also happen, and are much more devastating, when a predator gets into the coop and the chickens in it can't escape. If free ranging, only 1 typically is lost.

 

[Mother of Chaos]

...Breeds described as 'flighty' get that moniker because they are rather good at running away and getting through small gaps, whereas breeds described as 'docile' get their reputation because they stay put mostly...

Another word for "docile" in this context would be "snacky." My Buff Orpington would probably quickly become a pile of yellow feathers if we truly free-ranged.

Yard-ranging with supervision is as far as we'll go. It would be different of course if we lived in the country with acreage, preferably acreage with a LOT of low-branching shrubs and tree canopy. A friend has lost multiple hens to hawks, etc. because her land is mostly pasture, with no place to hide.

 

[BlueDawnRising]

My chickens are a little older than yours (5-6 months) but I was very nervous about free ranging. We live in the country with 80 acres of pollinator set aside around us. Hawks, coyotes, raccoons, possum, fox, dogs…you name it, it lives quite close to us and literally surrounding the coop. We built a movable hoop structure and had them in there until they were full grown. I decided to let them out one day as I was working in the run. They were SO happy to be out! There are 19 of them and they have a 36x12 foot covered run so I didn’t really expect them to be so excited! They ran and flew and did all the chicken things! Now, I try to let them out for at least a few hours each day that the weather is decent. I have decided that if/when the inevitable happens, I will deal with it, but their excitement to be out everyday is absolutely worth it and I wish I had done it sooner!

 

[Anon112]

My chickens are a little older than yours (5-6 months) but I was very nervous about free ranging. We live in the country with 80 acres of pollinator set aside around us. Hawks, coyotes, raccoons, possum, fox, dogs…you name it, it lives quite close to us and literally surrounding the coop. We built a movable hoop structure and had them in there until they were full grown. I decided to let them out one day as I was working in the run. They were SO happy to be out! There are 19 of them and they have a 36x12 foot covered run so I didn’t really expect them to be so excited! They ran and flew and did all the chicken things! Now, I try to let them out for at least a few hours each day that the weather is decent. I have decided that if/when the inevitable happens, I will deal with it, but their excitement to be out everyday is absolutely worth it and I wish I had done it sooner!

This is exactly what I do. They are in their run (which is a big run, so not horribly guilty if they're in there during the day) when I am not home. If I can be outside with them, I let them free range. I've found it's safest if I'm out there doing yard work because the noise alerts potential predators that I'm there. Just this past Thursday I was sitting in my hammock (it had been a VERY long day) and suddenly one of my roosters burst out of the tree line with a fox hot on his heels. As soon as the fox saw me, it went back in the woods.

It's a calculated risk having them outside (even with relatively active supervision), but as you say it is worth it because it improves their quality of life so much.

Over the last 5 years I have lost two chickens to predators. One because I made the mistake of going inside for more than a few minutes while two of my chickens were out. The other because the chickens were free ranging and some of them went in the woods out of my sightline (meaning I was also not in the sightline of hungry foxes).

In the 5 years before that, I lost many many more through my own errors: leaving them out unsupervised (I was home, but not outside) and leaving them out too close to dusk. The worst was a dusk coyote attack where I lost 7 or 8 hens. Only two were taken away, and the rest were just slaughtered. So upsetting and so wasteful.