To free range or not?

[Mark94]

Hello chicken lovers!
So here's my dilemma, free range or not? I have 10 chickens, 9 months old. I have never let them free range, not even when they were babies, they did have grass and everything in their run before they ravaged it all to the ground tho, the run is 8m with 3.5m. My concern about free ranging are diseases, I'm terrified of chickens coming into contact with wild birds or my hens eating something that is contaminated with droppings. Ever since day 1 I've been practicing biosecurity, the cause of that was my old flock I used to have. They were a wreck, they had few diseases, in winter they used to gurgle when breathing, cough, sneeze, 1 of them had a swollen face... it was a terrible experience. I don't know how they got it, might be from free ranging daily, from sparrows visiting the flock, or 2 birds I introduced not so sure but it came to the point I had to cull them and start all over... I'm new to all this and that first experience was a really bad one. I may be overreacting and I know it's kind of cruel to be holding them in the run all this time but I thought, it's better than picking up something nasty and watching them suffer. But what I did notice, one of my hens has started eating feathers off other hens, their feed is good, I doubt it's protein lack, she's literally doing it in a calm way, so I thought they might be getting bored... Predators are not a concern where I live, we have hawks but even in the run my rooster does a good job.. Since it's almost spring, there's plenty of grass and my property is coming to life but also, migratory birds are coming back from Africa so there's a concern too lol. I'm unsure whether I should let them out, explore, let them be just chickens or keep them in the run? Suggestions, opinions, advice anything would be really helpful!

 

[Sally PB]

@Mark94, free ranging is always a trade off. There is the risk of disease, there is the risk of predation. But the birds surely enjoy it.

As far as disease goes, your chickens could probably get it in their run just as well as out of it. Some diseases are in the dirt, some are from the droppings/dander/feathers of wild birds, and either could make their way into the run eventually.

If you build your run to minimize your predation possibility, you eliminate one risk. I would not rely on your rooster to always be able to keep the hens safe. But he can be a help, for sure.

Because I have so many possible predators and only four chickens, I don't let them free range. If your flock is big enough that you can deal with the losses, and you can guard against predators, go for it!

Another option: Some people do a limited time free range, say, for an hour or two before dusk. Or when they are going to be out near enough to the flock to intervene if there is a problem.

 

[Mark94]

@Mark94, free ranging is always a trade off. There is the risk of disease, there is the risk of predation. But the birds surely enjoy it.

As far as disease goes, your chickens could probably get it in their run just as well as out of it. Some diseases are in the dirt, some are from the droppings/dander/feathers of wild birds, and either could make their way into the run eventually.

If you build your run to minimize your predation possibility, you eliminate one risk. I would not rely on your rooster to always be able to keep the hens safe. But he can be a help, for sure.

Because I have so many possible predators and only four chickens, I don't let them free range. If your flock is big enough that you can deal with the losses, and you can guard against predators, go for it!

Another option: Some people do a limited time free range, say, for an hour or two before dusk. Or when they are going to be out near enough to the flock to intervene if there is a problem.

Thanks a lot for your reply! That's what I used to do with my old flock 1-2h of free ranging before dusk and they would all go to bed on their own. The only predator here where I live is a hawk, or a wandering dog, either way I've never left my previous flock on their own, I always find work to do around.

 

[Mtnboomer]

I 100% free range my adult brahmas. I am not concerned over disease at all.
Diverse food boosts immune systems and the transferrable problems from wild birds can happen even in a run.

#1 concern is predation. I have a very healthy and diverse predator population to deal with and yes i do lose 1 bird a year on average. However, all of my losses have come from the middle of the day on days when I AND my dog were both gone. I have never lost a free range bird at night. Key is to make predators perceive too much danger during daylight hours to risk an attack forcing them to return at night when your birds are secure inside a coop.

There are always risks but the benefits far out way those risks especially when you take proper precautions. IMO

 

[Mark94]

I 100% free range my adult brahmas. I am not concerned over disease at all.
Diverse food boosts immune systems and the transferrable problems from wild birds can happen even in a run.

#1 concern is predation. I have a very healthy and diverse predator population to deal with and yes i do lose 1 bird a year on average. However, all of my losses have come from the middle of the day on days when I AND my dog were both gone. I have never lost a free range bird at night. Key is to make predators perceive too much danger during daylight hours to risk an attack forcing them to return at night when your birds are secure inside a coop.

There are always risks but the benefits far out way those risks especially when you take proper precautions. IMO

I see, I guess I can't keep them 'locked' forever, that would be absurd. It's tragic to be living in an area where there are predators, I'm so lucky that I don't have many where I live. Thank you for the help!

 

[Mtnboomer]

I see, I guess I can't keep them 'locked' forever, that would be absurd. It's tragic to be living in an area where there are predators, I'm so lucky that I don't have many where I live. Thank you for the help!

Don't think of it as tragic. Think of it as diverse and pretty cool. Sure it requires us to take certain steps to protect our flocks, pets, and property but I think its awesome when i walk out the back door and see a black bear cross our field. It can be unnerving when they are on my deck and annoying when they first wake up un the spring and get in the trash, but thats the signal that winter is over and i have to start using the "bear box" again.
I am still waiting to see a bobcat in person. I get them on my trail cameras regularly but have never seen one with my own eye. They are beautiful.
The only predator that i dont tolerate are coyotes. They quickly overrun an area and kill a lot of wild game not to mention livestock. Luckily here in VA its open season year round.

 

[Mtnboomer]

Hello chicken lovers!
So here's my dilemma, free range or not? I have 10 chickens, 9 months old. I have never let them free range, not even when they were babies, they did have grass and everything in their run before they ravaged it all to the ground tho, the run is 8m with 3.5m. My concern about free ranging are diseases, I'm terrified of chickens coming into contact with wild birds or my hens eating something that is contaminated with droppings. Ever since day 1 I've been practicing biosecurity, the cause of that was my old flock I used to have. They were a wreck, they had few diseases, in winter they used to gurgle when breathing, cough, sneeze, 1 of them had a swollen face... it was a terrible experience. I don't know how they got it, might be from free ranging daily, from sparrows visiting the flock, or 2 birds I introduced not so sure but it came to the point I had to cull them and start all over... I'm new to all this and that first experience was a really bad one. I may be overreacting and I know it's kind of cruel to be holding them in the run all this time but I thought, it's better than picking up something nasty and watching them suffer. But what I did notice, one of my hens has started eating feathers off other hens, their feed is good, I doubt it's protein lack, she's literally doing it in a calm way, so I thought they might be getting bored... Predators are not a concern where I live, we have hawks but even in the run my rooster does a good job.. Since it's almost spring, there's plenty of grass and my property is coming to life but also, migratory birds are coming back from Africa so there's a concern too lol. I'm unsure whether I should let them out, explore, let them be just chickens or keep them in the run? Suggestions, opinions, advice anything would be really helpful!

One other thing, you said the grass was beginning to green there. My birds LOVE the fresh grass when it comes up. Occasionally, 2-3 maybe over the years, have gotten a little over excited and ate so much grass that they got an impacted crop. Ive been able to save 2 but the other was euthanized.
All my free range birds have access to free choice feed in addition to all the seeds, insects, veggies they find in our woods, fields, and yards. So i don't know it was a personality thing where those individuals just really liked the grass or what, but it is something to look out for.
My birds are livestock to me and are replaced often for eggs and meat. So we are talking 2-3 birds out of 100 in the last 3 yrs. Not a huge concern just something to keep in mind.

 

[SarahGfa]

they are less likely to get diseases if they can spread out over a larger space. Chickens always carry some germs and worms, but good immune systems fight it off. They only get sick if they are exposed to a concentrated amount, which is more likely in a run.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

I free range mine constantly, have come to accept the possibility of predation and potential disease. Put me in @Sally PB 's camp, with one addendum/clarification.

Fowl Pox, while generally not fatal, moves very very slowly thru a flock, and persists in the environment even after the last chicken has thrown the disease - the virus can remain viable in the scabs falling off into the run, bedding, grass, pasture whatever for some period of time. So, in essence, if you've had it once, its on your property forever.

That's not to say don't free range, however. FP can also be carried by mosquitos from surrounding flocks several hundred feet, so whether your birds are inside the run, or outside free ranging likely won't make any difference to that disease vector. It can also be carried by numerous wild bird species. We can't get it, and there are numerous bird species that have their own varieties which can't be transmitted to chickens, and vice versa.

Essentially, there are no guarantees, only degrees of risk. Perfect safety is a dangerous lie, it means only that there is some risk(s) you are perfectly ignorant of. You have to make a personal assessment of the risk you are willing to tolerate, in the conditions available to you, then re-evaluate as new information becomes available.

I choose to free range, after evaluating my risks, and my tolerance for them.

 

[SegiDream]

I let mine out to free range the big fenced in backyard lol. I kind of expected them to start jumping the fence to explore by now but so far they are content to stay in. They have a safer run area of 25x50ft and I can ALWAYS bribe them back to it with treats.

I "free range" based on sunny days only, and not during storms, not on gloomy rainy days, and no high wind days, the sun has to be fully up in the sky so no very early mornings and no late evenings when darkness is on the horizon. I also do what I can to encourage crows to hang around they help sound the alert and will often chase off a hawk. If a hawk is sighted or heard the chickens go in the run period. My backyard boss rooster is lightning fast if any hen seems to be in distress and sounds the alert if he spots a predator. He will also stand guard by the door to the coop. He is a very good rooster, isn't overly friendly or overly aggressive and stays on the alert. He is also a hatchery brahma rooster.

It's a little pricey but you might want to invest in something like an electric poultry fence. It's movable so you could give the chickens the benefits of free ranging with a little security. Aerial predators will still be an issue. Another option would be to make a hoop house or or A frame tractor that you can move around.