Thinking about free ranging

[IslaBean]

Maybe try letting a couple out at a time to see how it works. 50 is a lot of chickens to have running around in your yard. But I know my girls love free ranging. They always wait by their door in the morning.

 

[Mrs. K]

The other way of making more space is to downsize the flock for the winter. Cull some of the older birds.

 

[aart]

The other way of making more space is to downsize the flock for the winter. Cull some of the older birds.

Exactly....tho free ranging might help take care of that.

 

[bobbi-j]

I agree with Mrs. K and Aart. Sometimes chicken math needs to include subtraction.

How big (in feet by feet) are your coop and run?

 

[IslaBean]

The other way of making more space is to downsize the flock for the winter. Cull some of the older birds.

I don't think this is your best solution.

 

[aart]

I don't think this is your best solution.

If you don't have enough space for the birds you have, it is a good solution.
Culling does not necessarily mean killing.

 

[Folly's place]

Both addition and subtraction generally need to happen. That's part of good flock management. Currently I have a beautiful white cockerel 'in stir' because he's way to rowdy with the pullets, and even the hens. In other words, he's a jerk! Also, two bantam cockerels will be moving to a friend's flock, because they are extras here, and a fox killed her nice bantam cocks last week. Her birds are now locked in, and my little guys will move in a very few days. I wouldn't inflict 'junior jerk' on her hens!
Many flock issues will occur without enough space, or because of one or two bad actors in the group. It's got to be fixed!
I agree that chickens are much happier when they can get out there and grub around in the dirt, eating stuff. Mine are out as much as possible, but there are times when they must be in. Having enough room is critical! Mary

 

[Photokitty]

I don't think this is your best solution.

I have many people telling me to cull birds. I am going to have a huge garden run for about 20 of the chickens and the other 30 will have an expanded run into the pasture for them in the spring, I have to get the cows out first to be able to work on it, we brung them home 3 weeks early or else it would have been done.

These birds are 2 years old and under, the ones I got this year as my original flock are under 8 months old. At most some might be 3 years old. That is not a reason to cull them. I actually gave 5 of my larger chickens away yesterday they were either barred rocks or dominiques but it got a HUGE rooster and 4 of his hens out of the pen.

The run is around 35 ft long, 14 ft wide, the coop is raised 18 inches (it takes up 7x7) so they can go underneath it. Then there is an extension that is 9ft by 7ft off the main run. So in total 553 square feet. They have 42 ft of roost space in the coop and 9 nesting boxes. About 75% of the flock is bantam or very small standard size. They (the roos) all have their own harems and there is almost no fighting except for breakfast. I have 45 chickens and 8 ducks, the ducks have their own coop in the run since they can't go up the ramp (something I didn't know since they were in the coop at their old place along with 5 goats).

ETA: The ducks are getting the other half of the garden lot next spring so they won't be in that run either in the spring.

I put them out in a temporary run and two (roosters of course) kept flying over the fencing. They didn't head to the porch, more like down near the clothesline (following under our trees around the fence line). They seemed to really like just the little extra room, or the green grass.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

I'm considering letting the chickens free-range..... I have a few concerns though:

1. I have hawks... They [the chickens] have plenty of trees around their coop for covering....
2. Will they poop everywhere?? My husband seems to think they will poop on the car, but it is pretty far from the coop (about 100 yards). He also doesn't want them pooping on the porch, again the porch is about 10 yards away.
3. I have some... interesting roosters, not roos, but I have sebrights that roost in trees, which is why I have bird netting. It wasn't because of overhead attacks, it was because they want to roost HIGH, they roost in the top gable of coop.

As the accompanying video shows, Trees and other "cover" will not dissuade a hawk from attacking your chickens. Hawks and other chicken predators are opportunistic feeders. What this means is that if a hawk can get at or to your chickens the hawk will use that opportunity to feed on your chickens.

 

[aart]

I have many people telling me to cull birds.

Yeah, we are all concerned about crowding of the birds and the subsequent ill health and behavioral problems that might ensue.

the coop is raised 18 inches (it takes up 7x7)

Coop is 7x7?
Sounds like the coop is filled with roosts.....6 of them, 14 inches apart??
That coop size is your limiter, despite a decent sized run.
Unless you have some good shelter from the weather in the run,
you could have some serious cabin fever issues come winter.
Not sure how harsh the winter weather is where you live tho,
I know WV can get pretty bad...hope for a mild winter.
Best of cLuck to yas!