To free range or not to free range

[Newfarmer36]

I have a 500 square foot pen and 5 Golden Comets scratched up and ate all the grass and weeds in 2 1/2 months. View attachment 1229433 . The lawn was established over fifty years. GC

I guess maybe it just depends on how the chickens are??

 

[Welshies]

I guess maybe it just depends on how the chickens are??

Probably the grass and types of vegetation. I know mine are kept on very dry grass with a fairly wet dirt, with clover, rosebushes, and anthills mixed in.
I'd think if they had a run in a leaf covered forest bottom it would never go bare.
In short lawn grass, it might...
I guess it's sort of a gamble.

 

[Newfarmer36]

Probably the grass and types of vegetation. I know mine are kept on very dry grass with a fairly wet dirt, with clover, rosebushes, and anthills mixed in.
I'd think if they had a run in a leaf covered forest bottom it would never go bare.
In short lawn grass, it might...
I guess it's sort of a gamble.

Could it also be if bugs and things were easily found for them in the area of the run? Or if they have to dig more to find any?

 

[Amer]

We free range, but to us this means.....

• Locking them up at night
• When we lock them in for breeding, they may get agitated.
• In the winter, we keep them inside due to subzero temperatures
• Predators. We have only lost one bird to them, since we live in an area where predators are scarce. That is the reason we run the risk of free ranging.
• Only for the breeds that can handle it.
• Catching them.

Why we like it:

• Gives them a variety of food.
• Cheeper, no artificial light, we also need less Windows.
• With us living on an acre with fields around and an enormous shed in the middle, and a mound and an old concrete cow yard it would be difficult to separate it into breeding pens for different breeds. We just have a chicken tractor and some cages that we separate the chickens out in to a different times of the year.
• Cost. It costs less to free range. The cost of feeding, fencing, and lightning/windows is less.

Honestly, I would only recommend free ranging to those with few predators, little land, are willing to lock them up at night, catch them, and if you live in a temperate climate, not during winter. Our chickens enjoy it, but you also have to pick the right breeds. All large fowl, except white Cornish cross fare fine. Some delicate bantams have trouble, and free ranging with its dampness, can cause feather footed chickens to wreck their feathered feet. It's just one of those things that works well for me that I wouldn't recommend to others.

 

[Welshies]

Could it also be if bugs and things were easily found for them in the area of the run? Or if they have to dig more to find any?

That would also affect it. But so would flock size and your density. A small run with a large flock would be bare in less than a year no matter how good and dense the food supply was.

 

[aart]

What kind of grass makes a huge difference...turf grasses(think lawn like(have very short root systems. Other grasses('prairie' type) have very deep roots.
My area was turf grass.

 

[GC-Raptor]

I guess maybe it just depends on how the chickens are??

Yeah, some chickens are better at foraging.

You need to do some investigating if you want to preserve your lawn.
My girls have dug holes a foot deep.

. GC

 

[Newfarmer36]

What kind of grass makes a huge difference...turf grasses(think lawn like(have very short root systems. Other grasses('prairie' type) have very deep roots.
My area was turf grass.

I have the grass with deep roots.

 

[Amer]

Yeah, some chickens are better at foraging.View attachment 1229448 You need to do some investigating if you want to preserve your lawn.
My girls have dug holes a foot deep.View attachment 1229447 . GC

My lawn was fine, but under bushes there are bare spots, and planting new grass is painful with chickens.

 

[aart]

With me having 2 chickens being added to my flock today, do I need to let the others out of the coop and put the new ones in for a while until they get used to it without the others? Or should I leave all them in there so they can get to know one another? Also, my chickens(bc of the previous owners) are used to free ranging. These are not. So how does that work? The chickens have managed to find a way out of their run so they're getting out that way and some by jumping out. Clearly, im gonna have to fix that but until i can get to the tractor supply place, which will be tomorrow evening, I don't want the chickens that I have to get agitated bc theyre in the coop for a long time and i dont want the new chickens to run off if they're out of the coop Like the others.

Lots of different ways to integrate, but here' some tips and links.

Integration Basics:
It's all about territory and resources(space/food/water).
Existing birds will almost always attack new ones to defend their resources.
Understanding chicken behaviors is essential to integrating new birds into your flock.

Confine new birds within sight but physically segregated from older/existing birds for several weeks, so they can see and get used to each other but not physically interact.

In adjacent runs, spread scratch grains along the dividing mesh, best if mesh is just big enough for birds to stick their head thru, so they get used to eating together.

The more space, the better. Birds will peck to establish dominance, the pecked bird needs space to get away. As long as there's no copious blood drawn and/or new bird is not trapped/pinned down and beaten unmercilessly, let them work it out. Every time you interfere or remove new birds, they'll have to start the pecking order thing all over again.

Multiple feed/water stations. Dominance issues are most often carried out over sustenance, more stations lessens the frequency of that issue.

Places for the new birds to hide 'out of line of sight'(but not a dead end trap) and/or up and away from any bully birds. Roosts, pallets or boards leaned up against walls or up on concrete blocks, old chairs tables, branches, logs, stumps out in the run can really help. Lots of diversion and places to 'hide' instead of bare wide open run.

This used to be a better search, new format has reduced it's efficacy, but still:
Read up on integration..... BYC advanced search>titles only>integration
This is good place to start reading, BUT some info is outdated IMO:
http://www.backyardchickens.com/a/adding-to-your-flock