To Free Range, or Not to Free Range...

[Princessferf]

I have 11 RIRs and I allow them to free range as much as possible. I generally let them out before I leave for work in the morning and I close them back up when the sun goes down. They automatically go back into the coop when it gets dark. I just do a headcount to make sure they're all inside and then close them up for the night.

I am fortunate that our coop is partially covered by a large willow tree and there are two large pines very close to the coop, too. This provides camoflauge from above. The girls wander quite a bit but we have trees scattered throughout our property which they can easily "fly" into for a bit of protection.

I have never had a problem with any sort of predator, yet. I feel fine with allowing them out.

The decision to free range is absolutely a personal one. Everyone's situation is unique. My thoughts are that if you have a situation where safety is a question, the portable "tractor" type grazing option is perfect... plus it helps protect your gardens!

 

[chicknmania]

There are a lot of risks with free ranging. But ours are so happy, how could we pen them up now? We have lost a few to predators...but then, you're going to lose some to disease, illness and lots of other things too. We don't have time for supervised free range and have too many to do that easily anyhow...they do go in the barn at night and we can close them up to protect them pretty well from night predators. I always tell people that a rooster or two is a huge help as far as protecting your flock from predators...they do a good job of protecting ours and it is cool to see two or more roosters acting as sentinels and stationing themselves with a group of feeding or dustbathing hens...one roo facing in one direction, the other in another direction. One thing about free range though...the chickens will be persistent in digging up your gardens and eating young plants...I don't like them eating our frogs, snakes, salamanders and wildflowers in our woods...but that's just a cross that we bear, I guess.

 

[coopist]

I've had chickens for years, and they've always been a free-range flock. I have a devoted herding dog that watches over them, and they have a good bit of cover so that they can hide from aerial predators if necessary (usually isn't). I don't have much trouble with predation. The flock is healthy and happy, but I would not free-range them without a protector dog.

 

[DDRanch]

Coopist, are those Delawares in your pic?

 

[Marlinchaser]

Mine freerange, I have warning guineas, and 3 good roos(you cant count a frizzled free loading banty cochin as a good roo) that give warnings. They are let out when the sun comes up, and they put themselves away at night. No preditor losses during the day, but when someone doesnt return to the coop at night, that is a different story.

 

[coopist]

Quote:
Anne, yes, they're Delawares.

 

[chickenannie]

I don't know how old your chickens are, but I would say they are definitely more susceptible before they are full grown. My Buff Orpingtons, when they were little, found a 4 ft diameter boxwood shrub next to their coop and if a hawk flew overhead, the roosters and guineas would shout a warning and the chicks would run underneath and squash themselves into the boxwood shrub as far to the middle as they possibly could, even though it looked way too small for them to hide under. It was funny to see 25 bright yellow chicks all jammed into the shrub, but they felt safe and hidden under there. They usually took their naps under there too because it was safe. Now they're way to big to fit.

 

[tberggren]

How do you make cover for your chickens to get under?

 

[banter]

We have natural cover. Bushes, tall grass, a forested area and they also dive under the deck!
I too give treats and always call them when I do-they always come running! We put them in (or they come in) at sundown every night. I just saw a humongous Red Tail Hawk today!
I will have to monitor them closely if it's around out when the snow melts in a few months here (LOL!).

 

[DDRanch]

Providing cover for my girls, this is what I have done.

I have a redwood dog house that I have sitting some 20 feet from the coop and pen that I fill with some straw. The girls love hanging out in the houses particularily in the heat of the day, when they are out. I also have a 3'x3'x3' small house, with screened door that my hubby built for one of my broody hens last year. I painted the little house in the same colors as the coop and shed, so the whole area is beginning to look like a chicken village. My friends think I have too much time on my hands.......

After the hawk attack last month, I will move another redwood dog house to the back of the coop in case someone needs cover and can't get to the front of the pen/shed. That's where the hawk made the kill.

Anne