What are your opinions on free ranging?

[U_Stormcrow]

I agree I don’t think goat is like venison. Sometimes goat reminds me of beef, and sometimes its very much its own thing. I’ve never had it home prepared. I’ve always had mine in Indian food in a hot curry. I have had home cooked lamb chops. Lamb is hit and miss with me. Sometimes it will have fat and the fat can be funky.

Old goat fat is very funky. Young goat is like strongly flavored lamb. and the most popular goat feed on my property is wild blackberry - yes, they would eat your blueberries down to the trunks. Fortunately, they've not discovered my few bushes. After blackberry, the current favorite food is goldenrod if you can believe it!

Will keep an eye out for mini cows - I'm fond of beef.

Also, goat tallow makes decent soap - don't waste the milk, make cheese.

 

[Franklinridgefarms]

I agree I don’t think goat is like venison. Sometimes goat reminds me of beef, and sometimes its very much its own thing. I’ve never had it home prepared. I’ve always had mine in Indian food in a hot curry. I have had home cooked lamb chops. Lamb is hit and miss with me. Sometimes it will have fat and the fat can be funky.

I like lamb and mutton too, you are right about the fat. Getting a bite of mutton fat can flat out ruin your day.

 

[Cheeki Chick]

Hello everyone! I was wondering what everyone’s opinions on free ranging nowadays are? There was a time where there was no other way of raising chickens, but I know that has changed. Especially during the midst of avian influenza. So what are your opinions?

Personally, I am all for free ranging, and can’t imagine raising a flock any other way. I believe my flock would pick a short happy life of freedom, versus a long life of enclosure. But this is just my personal opinion! So I was curious of what you guys thought!

Thanks for everyone that takes my poll!

I agree. Truthfully, we moved almost 18 months ago and I don’t even have a coop. I have open roosting, a tarp tent covers food and water and there are places to get out of the weather. Many of my chickens roost in the trees. It’s just like when my grandmother had chickens. I’ve had fewer loses from both predators and sickness since my chickens have been totally free to just be chickens. They’re hardy and healthy and when I don’t have 10 hens in different stages of broody, I get almost 100% egg production daily.
There have been no avian flu cases in my area and now that the weather is getting hotter I’m even less worried about it.

 

[Perris]

One of the best articles on BYC is about free-ranging:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/bees-key-points-to-successful-and-safe-free-ranging.65895/

 

[MTKitty]

The idea of free-ranging definitely appeals to me. But predators (juvenile bobcat showed up just last week) and daily egg hunting don’t rank high on my favorite activities list. So, my flock has ~ 800 sq ft of yard and a coop that is closed nightly. I do plan to expand their yard to about 2,500 sq ft this year

 

[rbregn]

Our chickens have all the land they want. Our garden is fenced from the deer, rabbits, and other critters. 95 percent of the time they are within 50 yards of the house. Sometimes they will go on a walk about. They know where the good treats are and always come running when they see us. I won't have it any other way, neither would they.

 

[LivLovLrn]

We are planning a run for our chickens. It will give them plenty of room to roam but with protection around and above. Too many hawks here to allow them to truly free range and I don't want to lose any of my babies! (no roosters at this point)

 

[Folly's place]

@Florida Bullfrog , much as I agree about small cattle breeds, your bull in the photo doesn't look much like a cow!!!
Well bred Dexters are a good choice too, although more in the 1000 lb. size range. Poorly bred Dexters are really bad, speaking from experience...
And our flock has been locked in since late January, thanks to AI. Otherwise, they are able to wander our spruce hedge and the pastures daily, and are in their coop at night.
Our first chickens roosted in our pole barn until we wised up, due to MANY losses to raccoons and opossums at night.
Mary

 

[michaelbell317]

Hello everyone! I was wondering what everyone’s opinions on free ranging nowadays are? There was a time where there was no other way of raising chickens, but I know that has changed. Especially during the midst of avian influenza. So what are your opinions?

Personally, I am all for free ranging, and can’t imagine raising a flock any other way. I believe my flock would pick a short happy life of freedom, versus a long life of enclosure. But this is just my personal opinion! So I was curious of what you guys thought!

Thanks for everyone that takes my poll!

We do a combo. They free range the yard during the daylight hours, but we lock them up securely in the coop at night. We don’t have much for predators in town, but there are cats, raccoons and I’ve seen one fox in the yard. Our dog helps to keep others away and doesn’t bother the chickens at all.

 

[Florida Bullfrog]

@Florida Bullfrog , much as I agree about small cattle breeds, your bull in the photo doesn't look much like a cow!!!
Well bred Dexters are a good choice too, although more in the 1000 lb. size range. Poorly bred Dexters are really bad, speaking from experience...
And our flock has been locked in since late January, thanks to AI. Otherwise, they are able to wander our spruce hedge and the pastures daily, and are in their coop at night.
Our first chickens roosted in our pole barn until we wised up, due to MANY losses to raccoons and opossums at night.
Mary

As he shouldn’t, considering he’s a bull and not a cow. I should have said “mini-cattle.”