What are your opinions on free ranging?

What is your opinion on free ranging?


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Let me make a point and maybe stir the pot a bit:

I would assert any argument that starts as “I can’t free range because I have too many predators” is an invalid argument unless you qualify it with “… because I have too many predators AND I raise breeds that are not predator resistant. I acknowledge that there are many breeds of chickens in the world that are highly predator resistant and would thrive in my predator-rich environment, but I choose not to raise those.”

If you don’t believe there are chickens out there that can out-thrive and reproduce faster than coyotes, hawks, and whatever predator gauntlet they’re thrown down can harvest them, then that just tells me there’s a bunch of chickens out there you need to learn about.

There’s no such thing as your location having more predators than the right chickens can handle.
Maybe so, but I will continue to do things the way we do. It’s nice to be able to have some good productive egg layers, and not have to worry about a whole laundry list of varmits picking them off.
I speak from the experiences of being a livestock farmer of multiple species for 30 years, and growing up on a farm before that. With cattle and especially young calves and cows giving birth, coyotes and black buzzards are a constant threat. Yes there are breeds that are more protective than others, when it comes to coyotes. There are points of vulnerability that they will use to attack. In the case of buzzards most of the time the sheer numbers of them encircling a cow and newborn calf end with them killing the calf and the cow exhausted from trying to fend them off.
I tried many different ways of predator (coyote) control when I had sheep and goats from electric fence, to llamas, donkeys, and Great Pyrenees. All worked to an extent but all had faults and eventually I had to give up trying and no longer have sheep and goats.
As a child I remember we lost chickens, ducks, geese, peafowl to predators. Due to less hunting and trapping, as well as more predatory species there are many more threats to animals now than back then.
My way of thinking is I’m not going to purchase and care for animals/birds only to have them killed in short order by any number of predators.
There may very well be breeds of chickens that are better at evading predators, and if anyone can make the free range thing work then that is great.
 
Let me make a point and maybe stir the pot a bit:

I would assert any argument that starts as “I can’t free range because I have too many predators” is an invalid argument unless you qualify it with “… because I have too many predators AND I raise breeds that are not predator resistant. I acknowledge that there are many breeds of chickens in the world that are highly predator resistant and would thrive in my predator-rich environment, but I choose not to raise those.”

If you don’t believe there are chickens out there that can out-thrive and reproduce faster than coyotes, hawks, and whatever predator gauntlet they’re thrown down can harvest them, then that just tells me there’s a bunch of chickens out there you need to learn about.

There’s no such thing as your location having more predators than the right chickens can handle.
The critical caveat is that most are unwilling to lose any bird to predation - even in the process of selecting for a flock well suited to their conditions. and as we all know, many predators do not satisfy themselves with a single kill, or even a single meal.

Its become rather expensive to feed the local predators with the a flock of backyard chickens large enough to be stable in the face of predator pressures in addition to the pressures we owners place upon them when we take birds for our own table.

and yes, I free range acres - but I won't pretend that my situation is typical.
 
Maybe so, but I will continue to do things the way we do. It’s nice to be able to have some good productive egg layers, and not have to worry about a whole laundry list of varmits picking them off.
I speak from the experiences of being a livestock farmer of multiple species for 30 years, and growing up on a farm before that. With cattle and especially young calves and cows giving birth, coyotes and black buzzards are a constant threat. Yes there are breeds that are more protective than others, when it comes to coyotes. There are points of vulnerability that they will use to attack. In the case of buzzards most of the time the sheer numbers of them encircling a cow and newborn calf end with them killing the calf and the cow exhausted from trying to fend them off.
I tried many different ways of predator (coyote) control when I had sheep and goats from electric fence, to llamas, donkeys, and Great Pyrenees. All worked to an extent but all had faults and eventually I had to give up trying and no longer have sheep and goats.
As a child I remember we lost chickens, ducks, geese, peafowl to predators. Due to less hunting and trapping, as well as more predatory species there are many more threats to animals now than back then.
My way of thinking is I’m not going to purchase and care for animals/birds only to have them killed in short order by any number of predators.
There may very well be breeds of chickens that are better at evading predators, and if anyone can make the free range thing work then that is great.
Predators set up dens where there's a good food source and always hunt where they've got the easiest meals in the past .They teach their young to hunt in the same places. If you live in a rural uninhabited area you're going to have more predators than someone in the city(more coyotes,coons,bears, bob cats,etc) My neighbor & their parents have raised chickens 70 years but losing more chickens now than ever before because predators have fewer people hunting them.
 
Let me make a point and maybe stir the pot a bit:

I would assert any argument that starts as “I can’t free range because I have too many predators” is an invalid argument unless you qualify it with “… because I have too many predators AND I raise breeds that are not predator resistant. I acknowledge that there are many breeds of chickens in the world that are highly predator resistant and would thrive in my predator-rich environment, but I choose not to raise those.”

If you don’t believe there are chickens out there that can out-thrive and reproduce faster than coyotes, hawks, and whatever predator gauntlet they’re thrown down can harvest them, then that just tells me there’s a bunch of chickens out there you need to learn about.

There’s no such thing as your location having more predators than the right chickens can handle.
Point taken. I DO raise some of those breeds, but not all of the breeds I have are those breeds. And even if ALL of the breeds I have were "predator-resistant," out-thriving and reproducing faster than the many predators that live where I live doesn't jive with my purpose for having chickens.
 
Let me make a point and maybe stir the pot a bit:

I would assert any argument that starts as “I can’t free range because I have too many predators” is an invalid argument unless you qualify it with “… because I have too many predators AND I raise breeds that are not predator resistant. I acknowledge that there are many breeds of chickens in the world that are highly predator resistant and would thrive in my predator-rich environment, but I choose not to raise those.”

If you don’t believe there are chickens out there that can out-thrive and reproduce faster than coyotes, hawks, and whatever predator gauntlet they’re thrown down can harvest them, then that just tells me there’s a bunch of chickens out there you need to learn about.

There’s no such thing as your location having more predators than the right chickens can handle.
Totally understand and respect your opinion. I live in an area where roosters are not allowed, and there are fox, coyote and hawks. I can’t let hens reproduce on their own, with no rooster, and it wouldn’t be cost-effective to keep buying pullets, so my girls will have lots of fenced area to forage around in. But I couldn’t make the free-range thing work.
 
Another clarification that might be worth noting. there is "free" range where they are confined to a large yard, but have barriers stopping them from entering other properties, then there is true free range where they go anywhere and everywhere. Hopefully they know their way back.
I have about 3/4 an acre that I let mine free range on and have a coup they go up in at night! but my turkey's and peacocks free range completely ! they have an old barn they roost in at night and hang out at night
 
I have about 3/4 an acre that I let mine free range on and have a coup they go up in at night! but my turkey's and peacocks free range completely ! they have an old barn they roost in at night and hang out at night

also have never lost a hen or rooster to a predator! I have lost two beautiful Peacocks to a cyoyote , I think
 
My husband is a farmer and the summer is when I plant my huge garden. So right now (FL resident ) they get about two hours in the evening when my sprinkler runs to free range, as my coop is next to my garden. In the winter however they are free range during the day. I let them out in the morning and up at night. They truly enjoy it. March and April are the only months they don’t free range since the garden is so freshly planted.
 
Free ranging has been the only way that I'm able to keep my multiple roosters. If they didn't have that time to get used to one another, I don't think I would have been able to keep them all happily and safely. With that said, I like my birds to be locked up at night. I had a hawk attack my smallest free ranging rooster on Feb 4th. Avian Influenza was also showing to be bad in NC around this same time. So my birds haven't free ranged since February 4th. It's not always been easy and I have to keep a close eye on every one. I will be just as happy as my boys will be once they're able to free range again 😍
 

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