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

[sdm111]

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.

I believe the free range ones that survive most are the coward for lack of a better word. The strong, confident courageous ones will stand thier ground and most likely be killed by whatever predator it may be. Fox, dog hawk etc. On the other hand the cowardly ones will run and hide to live another day. Just my opinion but I do believe it

 

[Susietay53]

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!

I keep mine in the coop most of the day, then let them free range 4-5 hours in the evening. Have plenty of pasture for them to graze and peck, and all our eggs are deep orange yolks. All hens stay very healthy and all come into coop when the sun sets each evening.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

I believe the free range ones that survive most are the coward for lack of a better word. The strong, confident courageous ones will stand thier ground and most likely be killed by whatever predator it may be. Fox, dog hawk etc. On the other hand the cowardly ones will run and hide to live another day. Just my opinion but I do believe it

My pheonix flock echos that for the most part. They're not afraid of the farm animals and some aren't afraid of me (which I do love), but other people and unfamiliar animal shapes (cats, dogs, raccoons, ect.), and they'll do their best to get out of there.

 

[Florida Bullfrog]

I believe the free range ones that survive most are the coward for lack of a better word. The strong, confident courageous ones will stand thier ground and most likely be killed by whatever predator it may be. Fox, dog hawk etc. On the other hand the cowardly ones will run and hide to live another day. Just my opinion but I do believe it

I would say that nature often distinguishes between what males of the species do with one another for mating rights versus what the same males may do when faced with a superior predator.

Take a whitetail deer for instance. Whitetail bucks in effect have a game drive that encourages mature bucks of similar size and ability to fight to the point of inflicting mortal wounds on each other. Younger bucks will run away from a superior buck. That’s by design, ensuring the strongest bucks are the dominant forces in the gene pool. Yet, the strongest buck that will whip all rival bucks will simply run from a pack of wolves, not attempting to fight them unless cornered.

Red jungle fowl cocks have their spurs for the same reason whitetail bucks have their antlers; for the strongest males to fight, vanquish their rivals, and pass their genes on. This is why spurs only come in long and sharp at or around year two and beyond and why stags have little nubs. Nature is favoring the most mature males to win fights. But that doesn’t mean the top red junglefowl cock in the woods is going to flog an attacking tiger. He’s going to run or fly away.

All the game drive amounts to in gamefowl is the natural fight drive of red jungle fowl cocks that has been harnessed by selective breeding in different ways by different cultures to match their preferred methods of cockfighting. The hardest, bravest, gamefowl cock in the world is still going to run from a large predator more often than not. His bravery in the pit has nothing to do with how he handles a predator. Notwithstanding that I believe the game drive ties into a rooster’s willingness to attack a hawk. I think seeing a hawk on a hen invokes a similar instinct to seeing a rival rooster mating a hen.

Consideration is a little different for hens, which do throw themselves at attacking predators to protect their chicks as a matter of course. But it often works.

 

[Demarvell]

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.

Same thing here in S.E. Idaho. High mountain desert with everything you have and the danged raccoons. So far my chickens are only about 3 months old, and have a dirt bottomed pen that they are learning to scratch and dust in. My coop is insulated so they can go in and stay warmer or cooler as the case may be. It is predator proof.

 

[Demarvell]

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.

I have about the same size pen. How high are your outside perches?

 

[Raptor Chicken]

I agree with what was said by a poster on the first page, I seriously doubt that many folks on this site truly free range their chickens. I think most folks have some kind of confined space, regardless of the size.

Me personally, I have a 6x10 run attached to the 6x6 coop for 6 hens. My attached run is the recommended minimum for the amount of birds I have but we have an "extended" run thats 24x36. They get let out into that fenced in area every day when I get home from work and pretty much all afternoon on the weekends.

Its not free range by any means but the chickens are happy and we're getting 5-6 eggs a day. I don't see how I'd get anymore production egg wise by free ranging them.

 

[GCrumb]

Growing up, free-range was pretty much a wide wooden ladder in the barn, leaned against the wall somewhere as a roost, with a bank of nest boxes and a water-fount. Chickens could get out of the barn and back in through various gaps or the doors provided for the goats and sheep. There wasn't a fence on the place that'd stop a chicken. They'd roost on interior pen fences and hide nests in hay, and one that liked to lay in a horse-manger taught the horse to eat eggs... They got scratch and kitchen scraps and ran around eating anything they could find, spilled feed and weed-seeds, mice, insects.

The ones who lasted longest were the ones who learned to forage in the barn or the door-yard, keeping near people, dogs and other livestock, and never to go back amid the scrub or onto the prairie. After a few years there'd just be a few old die-hards and we'd order more chicks. Maybe we did better when we had a Komodor, I don't remember.

When four of my penned-in current chickens were in a 10X20' run they would rush the gate and act like they were very eager and hopeful for some time loose. I expanded it to 30X20 and now they don't care, even after I added four more chickens. They'll come out if we let them, but aren't in a rush and are busy scratching around inside the run, so I think they find it adequate. There's probably some amount of space that's enough for behavioral health but less than 'free range'.

 

[GypseRse55]

My chickens and ducks free range everyday. The chickens put themselves up at dusk, the ducks go out to the pond. There are no fences to keep them in. We live on 6 acres in the country. We have predators also, fox, coyotes, hawks, owls, raccoons just to name a few. My birds are happy, I’m happy because they take care of bugs and snakes. It’s a win win for us. Location is central Texas.

 

[GypseRse55]

My chickens and ducks free range everyday. The chickens put themselves up at dusk, the ducks go out to the pond. There are no fences to keep them in. We live on 6 acres in the country. We have predators also, fox, coyotes, hawks, owls, raccoons just to name a few. My birds are happy, I’m happy because they take care of bugs and snakes. It’s a win win for us. Location is central Texas.