To free range or not?

[Vicker]

Over the past 20 years, I've lost more due to predators getting in the coop than during free ranging. Putting up crow decoys and adding black chickens have prevented any further hawk attacks. Shoring up fencing prevented any further roaming dog attacks. I also have a livestock guardian dog that patrols the property and prevents coyotes from coming up.

 

[Love Donkeys]

We have free-ranged for more than 50 years in 4 different states. I do not name my birds and I always have only breed. Right now we have all Speckled Sussex. Every night I do a head count when I close up my walk-in coop. Tonight, I came up 2 short and I looked for them for about an hour with no luck, hopefully they will be there in the morning waiting for their crumbles....
It does hurt when I loose one of my animals to predators. When we had a Meat Goat herd, (200+ does & 6 bucks) we ran 4 LSGDs with the herd 24/7. The Coyotes or the Bald Eagles would snatch the kids, it's just a fact of nature. You do the best you can for your livestock, that's all you can do....
What we despise is the neighborhood dogs roaming free and killing livestock for fun. If the dogs come on our property they will never leave, no second chance....
We wish you love and happiness with your chickens....

 

[FreeRangeFaith]

Free range. But be wise as a serpent and innocent as a dove. Protect the flock like a Shepard guarding a sheep

 

[dearmeghann]

We do a little of both. I wish we could free-range our girls all day, but we have wild dogs in the neighborhood, and who knows what else would be interested in them during the day. Definitely hawks.

We have a covered run and a run that is somewhat covered that I plan to get some shade cloths installed. The semi-shaded run has a couple of grazing boards. The girls don't seem that interested in the few pieces of fodder that are poking through. I feel like I'm the most excited about those haha!

After work and during the weekends when we're home, the girls get to free range. They used to be confined to a temporary fenced-in area, but now they get to beebop around our property (almost an acre). We are constantly checking on them, mostly to make sure they're not going into our neighbors' yards, but also to have our presence outside. We have outside cats, so I'm not sure if that keeps curious beings away during those times, but we've been lucky!