To Free Range or Not

[Donna R Raybon]

Best compromise to free range versus a run would be to use electric netting and/or mobile 'tractor' for protection. The mobile pen can be used when you can be there to keep an eye on things and moved several times a day. The birds will be quite happy tearing up new ground safe from attack. For more info on poultry netting go to Premier 1 website. They are a real working farm and have tested/used all that they sell. I have used netting and it works if properly maintained. Bee keeper here use it to keep black bear out of bee hives. Hawks and other flying predators it does not work. It can be moved every few days to give access to fresh pasture. We used it with a portable coop made from a trailer.

In your circumstances I would use sets of portable hiding places within the fenced area that I could move. A friend of mine used saw horses and plywood/roofing tin. Birds were shaded and sheltered from showers as well as hawks.

And, a coop and run still leave birds vulnerable if not checked often and well maintained. It really is a constant battle.

 

[BullChick]

I free range, and don't count. It was easier to not count last week before processing though.

It sounds like you have a low daytime loss rate. That being the case, free range and (if you can't stand knowing) don't count the birds. If you can count your flock, you don't have enough anyway. So, maybe the real solution is to get more birds!

 

[Pendragonz]

I had an orpington, one of four hens that was brooding. With no rooster it was sad. I ended up getting chicks and she stopped. I got too many but that is a question for another day. They are cute and growing quickly. Soon I will have to decide to let these join the adult hens as free range or keep them in a pen? I know I shouldn't worry so much and after all they are just chickens, but I do. I find myself going out several times a day and calling them. Sometimes they respond and I give them a little canned corn that they love but sometimes they don't. So then I spend time walking the property looking for them. I think how much more I will be if I add eight more to this. I try to balance that with, "are they happier as free range"? Any advice appreciated>

I've got the same considerations, and decision to make. My current batch of chicks are 5 weeks old. I'm building a coop this coming week on my days off. They will get moved to that when it's done and stay in that for couple weeks to learn where home is. However, after that I'm trying to decide whether to let them free range, or have a run set up. Good luck with your decision.