The Great Debate: Free-Range vs. Coop-Raised Chickens

[petscosset]

Hey fellow chicken enthusiasts!

I've been pondering a question that has sparked quite a debate among backyard chicken keepers: Is it better to raise chickens in a free-range environment or in a coop?

On one hand, free-ranging chickens have the freedom to roam and forage, leading to a more natural lifestyle. They get to experience the joy of scratching the ground for insects, basking in the sunlight, and exploring their surroundings. It's argued that this promotes better physical and mental health, resulting in healthier and happier chickens.

On the other hand, coop-raised chickens are kept within the safety of a confined space, providing protection from predators and other potential dangers. They have a consistent food supply, clean shelter, and regulated access to fresh water. Coops also make it easier to monitor the chickens' health and ensure they receive proper nutrition.

So, which approach do you prefer and why? Are you an advocate for the freedom and autonomy of free-ranging chickens, or do you believe in the controlled environment of coop-raised chickens? Share your experiences, opinions, and insights! Let's have a lively discussion and learn from each other.

I can't wait to hear your thoughts on this matter. Don't hesitate to leave your comments below and join the conversation. Together, let's delve into the world of backyard chickens and shed light on this ongoing debate!

 

[Shadrach]

I couldn't help noticing that you've implied certain factors in the two types of keeping arrangement are mutually exclusive.
A sloppy propostion leads to a sloppy debate.
There are very few keepers here on BYC that keep their chickens free range by any sensible definition of the meaning. This may have something to do with the name and nature of the site; Backyard Chickens.

Let me take the proposition that confined chickens are safe for example. There have been a lot of posts (possibly because this is a backyard keeping site) where predators have broken into a coop or a run and killed chickens.
On the other hand, there are comparativlly few posts where free range chickens have been predated possibly because so few keepers here actually keep free range chickens.

Backyard: a defined area of land attatched to a dwelling.
Free range: Unrestricted by physical barriers.

So, if a backyard is an acre in area but fenced, the chickens are not I would argue free range.
If the backyard is fenced in a manner that prevents the chickens from leaving the area and it has an area of two hundred square feet, is that a large run?

From a poll on BYC a few months ago the majority of keepers do not neatly fit into either definition. The majority range their chickens in a confined space that is considered seperate to the coop and run structure for varying lengths of time.

 

[Tahai]

I have a 5 acre property in the country.

Flock 1: Ducks - I had an electric poultry net fence. The battery died while I was at work. Fox had a gourmet meal.

Flock 2: Chickens (smarter than ducks, supposedly) After the 2nd year with them and no further predator attacks, I free ranged this flock. There is nothing more beautiful and soothing, in my opinion, than content hens clucking and scratching along the shrubbery. Then I cam home from work one day to a massacre. 14 dead hens, feather and bodies scattered from one end of my property to the other. 3 missing hens I never did find. 4 survivors who took shelter in my garage.

Flock 3: That was the end of unsupervised free range. I built a 2nd and larger run onto my chicken coop - about 50x100, I surrounded it with 6 foot chain link fence my brother had salvaged from a job. I set my alarm on my phone to go off 30 minutes before sunset so I could make sure they were shut in. I got some new chicks. Things seemed to be fine for about a year or so. Then I noticed missing eggs. Then I came out one evening to find a racoon in the coop. Then I came home to a puff of feathers (raptor of some sort). Then another puff of feathers. Then a half eaten carcass (coon) . So I bought bird netting. It worked for a bit, but those coons are like water. They will find a way. By the end of that next year, I was down to 3 hens again.

Flock 4: I tore down the 50x100 foot run and confined them back to the original run (12x12). I got a few more chicks. I took that chain link fence, and I put it ON TOP of my run. I put down a chain link dig skirt. I sealed up any point of entrance I could find. I went through 10 bags of zip ties, sealing up any gaps where the chain link overlapped. I fine tooth combed that run. It worked for about 3 years. I could finally relax and not go into hyper attack mode any time I heard a chicken squawk. (yes, chicken keeping with predators is a constant state of fight or flight for the chicken keeper ) Then the eggs started disappearing again. I thought I had an egg eating hen, so I put out more oyster shell. The hens were acting skittish. I put out a game camera...nothing. Then I came out one evening to find a coon in the coop again. NO CLUE how it got in to this day. I moved the game camera. no luck. Then I came home to a coon in my coop eating a broody hen while she was on her nest. That was it. I rehomed my last hens, and took a break for about 5 years.

Flock 5: Present Day - I said if I did this again, I was starting from scratch and building fort knox. I have built it. My hens will not wander. I don't want them to even view the door as something they want go through. They have 10 X 20 feet in the run, and I've added several outside perches to increase usable space for them. Plus they have the coop. Also, we have waterfowl in the area, and I'd rather not take chances with HPAI.

 

[Florida Bullfrog]

I free-range 24-7 in an environment that is likely more predator dense than most keepers here. I strongly reject the proposition that successful free ranging depends on having low predator numbers. “I can’t free range because I have too many predators” is almost always the factually incorrect answer. A more proper answer is “I can’t free range because I raise chicken breeds not suitable for it, and I do not do my part to persecute predators so that when they enter my farm, they’re skittish and afraid to linger long.”

Natural selection used to be the dominant force in determining which chickens survived to create the next generation. Human selection was secondary. In the last 100 years, human selection has become entirely the driving force behind shaping chickens. In that sense, I decry the modern trend towards coop keeping.

Although I don’t actually care how a person raises their chickens. I more lament the loss of knowledge that chickens more normally lived free range throughout their domesticated history. I fault no one for keeping their chickens in a Fort Knox coop. What is a pet peeve of mine is when coop keepers declare their way is the only way to raise chickens and that chickens are incapable of living otherwise.

I often use domestic dogs to analogize the actual abilities of domestic chickens. We all understand that some dog breeds are meant to be soft house pets and others are built for harsh working conditions more akin to how wild wolves live. Chickens are the same. Its just that the wolf-like chickens have been forgotten over the last 50 or so years and that most common chicken breeds today are all the equivalent of lap dogs.

Along those lines, there is a common misconception that domestic chickens have been slowly evolved towards weakness over thousands of years. In reality, the morphing of rugged free-range breeds into soft coop breeds has happened twice, and both times it only took a couple of centuries of selective breeding. The Greeks and Romans made the first coop breeds from gamefowl (fighting chickens). When Rome fell, there was no more global economy to cheaply feed coop birds. The coop doors flung open and only gamefowl and those coop birds that could revert to a wild state survived. Through the Middle Ages, chickens lived free range around human settlements. Only since the modern era have we been remorphing them back into coop breeds, and our modern coop breeds haven’t passed the test of time.

 

[Somewhere_In_The_Clouds]

Mine get some of both too. They sleep in pens and have access to a small paddock all day.

 

[saysfaa]

...So, which approach is truly better for our chickens? Let's hear your thoughts! Do you believe in the freedom of free-range or the security of a coop? Share your experiences, opinions, and tips in the comments below. Let's engage in a friendly and informative discussion that helps us make informed choices for our beloved chickens.
...

What is truly best for our chickens is to have a mixed age, mixed sex flock large enough to self divide into several tribes. All with free assess to the farmyard of a working diversified farm next to a forest with a well trained pair or trio of livestock guard dogs to provide predator protection.

This providing the habitats of the following: forest, edge, meadow, hedgerow (the farm having wide hedgerows instead of simply fences), orchards, grain fields, gardens, barns and pastures.... including for dairy animals for the milk and milk products, meat, spilled feed, increased varieties of insects, May as well have a nice pond or small lake too, and a stream.

In a nicely fertile area, of course, with mild enough winters for them to forage all year or big enough barns for them to forage extensively inside. Hey, this is ideal so may as well have both. May as well put it near the ocean for a ready source of fresh seafood too.

What I can reasonably provide without going bankrupt or losing them or losing my husband is a 10x14 shed with abundant ventilation, a roost area, a nesting area (approximating being under a bush with nesting materials to arrange into a bowl shape), and places to: dust bath, sun bath, scratch, get out of sight of flock mates, and get out of the weather. Also, abundant clean water, calcium, grit, and feed including regular options of fresh food of various kinds. For 4 hens.

It is not best for the chickens but it is much, much, much better than most chickens get. Even many backyard chickens.

 

[Firsttimehens1234]

Hey fellow chicken enthusiasts!

I've been pondering a question that has sparked quite a debate among backyard chicken keepers: Is it better to raise chickens in a free-range environment or in a coop?

On one hand, free-ranging chickens have the freedom to roam and forage, leading to a more natural lifestyle. They get to experience the joy of scratching the ground for insects, basking in the sunlight, and exploring their surroundings. It's argued that this promotes better physical and mental health, resulting in healthier and happier chickens.

On the other hand, coop-raised chickens are kept within the safety of a confined space, providing protection from predators and other potential dangers. They have a consistent food supply, clean shelter, and regulated access to fresh water. Coops also make it easier to monitor the chickens' health and ensure they receive proper nutrition.

So, which approach do you prefer and why? Are you an advocate for the freedom and autonomy of free-ranging chickens, or do you believe in the controlled environment of coop-raised chickens? Share your experiences, opinions, and insights! Let's have a lively discussion and learn from each other.

I can't wait to hear your thoughts on this matter. Don't hesitate to leave your comments below and join the conversation. Together, let's delve into the world of backyard chickens and shed light on this ongoing debate!

My hens get a bit of each and that works great for my flock.
I have a small flock of 6 hens and a rooster. They have a coop and a big run where they spends their winters in and then in the summer I make a “free range” run wich is a run about 100 feet that grows in the winter and spring and then when it’s summer they go to there in the day and I take them to the coop in the night.
My hens are very tame so it’s easy for me to call them but I would be a little bit more cautious if they were not tame
I have not had any parasites yet or have experienced a lot of sickness in my flock.

I am also a very worried chicken mama so I really want to know where they are all of the time and make sure they are safe but at the same time I wanna give them the best life so that’s why they don’t free range 100% of the time
also I have a hunting dog who would eat them any chance he got

 

[BDutch]

It depends highly on where you live what your options are.
Climate, garden and predator risks are the main reasons too make a choice that will fit in your situation.

I live in a mild climate with a reasonable low risk for predators during daytime and we have an low cultured organic garden.
My 6 tiny bantams (+ chicks now) have a small coop with a small run with a roof. Here its safe and they stay there during the the night until the sun is shining bright. A automatic pop door leads to a run with a few bushes and a strong net cover on top. Behind that is a smaller run (same) with a super mini coop I can close off from the rest. Handy when I have chicks or when I need A suck bay.
If I am at home we let the chickens free range for several hours*. Otherwise they stay in the run(s) that is not safe enough for nightly predators but okay during daytime.

*But not the chicks, having cats coming in the garden.

 

[Callender Girl]

Birds that were completely free-ranged here would quickly become free meals for many predators -- including, but not limited to, coyotes, minks, owls and eagles. So, everybody is locked into a coop at night. The coops have attached wood-and-hardware-cloth runs.

The coops are close to the house, within visual range and earshot, in a portion of the property bordered by fences to keep them: 1) out of traffic from the road that runs along the south side; 2) away from my veggie garden, fruiting plants and flower beds; and 3) out of the sheep and goat pastures where they might get run over or gored. None of the fences would keep out a determined predator. Some overhead protection is provided by several mature trees.

They are released from their coops in the morning to forage, sun bathe and generally behave like chickens (along with the ducks and geese), but only when I am home and able to monitor the situation. The geese are not guardians in any sense of the word, but they do sound an alarm, for example, when an eagle flies over. Even the youngest chicken knows to take cover when that happens.

As I am usually home during the day, the poultry spends most of the daylight hours in relative freedom and safety while giving me some peace of mind. Most happily exchange their freedom for dinner at night, even if some have to be coaxed inside with special treats.

In my mind, it's the best compromise.

Except in winter. Winters here are brutal and, for the most part, while the ducks and geese will gladly leave their coops regardless of temperatures or precipitation , my chickens are happy to stay out of the wind and weather within the confines of their houses.

 

[Acre4Me]

Over discussed topic. Have the space? Then you can possibly free range. If so, you’ll likely lose birds to predators at some point.

Natural: ummm…we all live in houses, wear clothes and conveniently buy products to eat or use. That’s not *natural* but necessary. Chickens are prey animals, that is natural. Everything loves chicken, that is natural, but it sure is inconvenient to lose your egg laying flock.

Mental health: give me a break. Chickens are prey animals. Everything (in their mind) can and will kill them. A plastic bag? Yup-killer. Long boot laces? Absolutely a killer. Flip flops? Run away as far as possible…. Can a prey animal ever really be in a positive state of mind/great mental health? Everything can kill them is what their instincts tell them. Sure, we can give them a comfortable life…but I’m not worried about their “mental health”, I’m more concerned about making sure they don’t get ripped apart while alive by an actual predator, and that they have fresh water.

Seeing chickens roaming around is a very pastoral scene. But, not everyone can make that a reality, and neither choice is wrong.