The downside to free range

[Howard E]

Never know how far these threads are going to go, but since it has gone this far and has swerved into a discussion of "free range", I'll suggest this link.....

http://www.plamondon.com/faq_freerange.html

Robert is a BYC forum member and sometimes participant. I really enjoy his writings and the books he publishes........and a guy who has gone down the road a lot farther than most of us ever will...........

As we speak, I am in the process of setting up a two wire electric fence as he suggests a person do. This is around a garden that currently has sweet corn in it that is just starting to silk. If it will keep raccoons out of that (they are notorious around this neighborhood for tearing up sweet corn patches), I trust it will keep them away from chickens as well.

 

[waddles99]

It is a known rule of thumb that an acre can support 50 hens free ranging. Why not just fence in an acre or half an acre and keep 50 or 25 hens, respectively?

 

[ChickenLegs13]

You don't have to keep them caged up. You can build a huge pen on 8 acres that would be almost the same as free ranging.

For what it is worth, a free range chicken will forage on up to about 25 acres of land if that chicken has access to that much territory and needs the food that free ranging brings. But every morsel of food that you feed your chickens reduces the need for those chickens to forage this freely.  So in reality no chicken that is fed can ever be considered 100% free range chickens. 

I relocated some unwanted roosters to one of my secluded cow pastures. I provided them no feed, water, or shelter and they had unlimted woods, swamp and fields to roam in. They were true free range feral chickens. They stayed in the woods and never ventured into the open areas. They apparently had abundant forage because they stayed within 3 acres of where I released them.
Interestingly enough, they survived natural predators for 6 months then fell victim to free ranging dogs that lived 1/2 mile up the road.

 

[OurFirstLadies]

We are new to chickens altogether and designed our coop and run to 4 sq ft and 12 sq ft per bird, respective to inside and outside space.
I bought 10 chicks this spring at a couple of days old and added 6 more a month later. My nearly 3 mos old birds sleep in the coop at night but are in their pen from 7 am to 2 or 3 pm when we let them out and supervise free ranging with the help of our Maremmas from thst time till they put themselves up at 7 or 8. We leave the door open to their pen and coop at all times so they can return as they choose.
Once they are full grown and hawks less tempted, they will have their choice of the full two acres from 7 am till dark and we will trust the maremmas to do their jobs.

We are loving our new chicken life so hopefully we are doing it right!

 

[chickengeorgeto]

I relocated some unwanted roosters to one of my secluded cow pastures. I provided them no feed, water, or shelter and they had unlimted woods, swamp and fields to roam in. They were true free range feral chickens. They stayed in the woods and never ventured into the open areas. They apparently had abundant forage because they stayed within 3 acres of where I released them.
Interestingly enough, they survived natural predators for 6 months then fell victim to free ranging dogs that lived 1/2 mile up the road.

I have had escapees live on the lam before for 2 or more years without my ever laying eyes on them. An yes it is highly possible for a rooster to make a living in a cow pasture, especially since cow manure is a chickens' breakfast of champions.

 

[marlin263]

Hello. First time posting. I am new chicken coop owner. I have 12 chickens in two large coops. I want to free range. My backyard has a resaca. I already put chicken wire all around the fence. There is no way chicken can walk out. Now how will I get my chickens back in the coop?

 

[BruceAZ]

Hello. First time posting. I am new chicken coop owner. I have 12 chickens in two large coops. I want to free range. My backyard has a resaca. I already put chicken wire all around the fence. There is no way chicken can walk out. Now how will I get my chickens back in the coop?

you can lure them in with treats and then lock them in the coop/run for the first few days

once they learned that it's their sleeping area.. they will go back in on their own

my chickens are outside on day one so only take them 1-2 days to learn

my chickens will go out of the coop around 5:15AM .. and stay in the run until i let them out to roam around the year around 6PM each day as i clean out the coop/run+ refill feeders. etc..

around 7:38 PM or so they will go back in the coop themselves

it's easier for you if they can do these things on their own.. since i can't be waking up at 5:15AM to let them out of the coop each day etc.. i just need to let them out at 6PM and close up the run at 7:38pm..

free ranging has its downsides-- especially if you have a small yard that your pets and humans also use.. so expect to step on manure-- be sure to check the bottom of your shoes each time going inside the house

better yet.. use a 2nd pair of shoes when you are in the yard or chicken area.. it's a good biosecurity measure

 

[marlin263]

Thank you. Good info

 

[ChristopherMic]

I Suggest Getting Scarecrows, This Will help with Hawks, Foxs, etc. And when you get the ScareCrows, get a few portable Radio's and put them on the Scarecrows so when the animal hears noise, they wont come near the chickens.

 

[ChristopherMic]

I also suggest getting some type of bushes and plant them through out your Property, this will help because if they see a predator they will not be out in the open and they can hide.