What are your opinions on free ranging?

[KRack]

I don't free range because I like my garden.

I don't free range because we share the property with my sister-in-law who would be FURIOUS if my chickens ate her beloved flowers and dug the mulch out of her carefully-tended beds.



I would be very upset to have someone else's chickens wandering into my yard to damage my garden and my SIL's flowerbeds even "only" once a month.

Not to mention the possibility that they might bring disease to my flock or that a neighbor's rooster might fight my roosters or try to lure my hens into his flock.

My neighbors love our chickens too. I thought it was odd! We told them we planned to put a fence up between us and them to keep our chickens in our yard, and they urged us not to. They're an older couple and enjoy watching them. I asked several times because it made me uncomfortable, but they seriously insisted. I did tell them that if they ever changed their mind, we have the fencing and will put it up.

 

[KRack]

We free range all day every day. We currently only have 6 hens on about 2 acres. They mostly stay in our yard and don't wander, which I found interesting. They'll occasionally go see the neighbors who live pretty close, but they only go to their compost pile which is close to our barn, and come right back. There's about 300 acres of woods behind us that they could explore, but they're seemingly uncomfortable going too far from home. We have a lot of outdoor structures that provide safety from hawks and eagles, and haven't had a predator problem.

 

[ashcons]

If I weren't in suburbia, I would, but just like I don't want other peoples' dogs or cats digging and pooping on my property or interacting with my animals unsupervised, I imagine my neighbors wouldn't like my chickens digging around their plants, pooping in their yard, and/or visiting their flocks (disease).

On a few acres, I would be confident about chickens staying in my "yard," but on a standard lot (1/4 - 1/2 acre), I know they'll be visiting Marge's prize roses for some dust bathing and I'll have poorer neighbor relations for it even if I take Marge some eggs. Even with clipped wings, I found out through prior experience that several breeds can still clear a 6 ft. privacy fence with ease.

 

[jreardon1918]

We have an auxiliary run that is just fencing. Hawks used that as their personal dinner plate. So for now that area is off limits. Can't keep losing hens.

 

[Genene]

I don’t free range because 1. I live in city limits with fairly close neighbors & 2. I am not willing to lose any of my flock to predators. They have a large run & seem perfectly content with food, water, their flock & boundries.

 

[Feather queen]

I'm free range all the way.
My chickens have a full farm to free range but they never go farther than an acre away from the chicken coop if that.
At around 5-5:30 they run back to the coop and are locked up for the night to protect them from foxes and other nocturnal animals.

 

[Kidwantschickens]

I only have an acre and a 1/3 so no free range for me but I used to do it that way. We will let ours into the fenced backyard when we're home and can watch but otherwise they're stuck in the run or coop.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

I free range one group 24/7/365, and one group during the days.

The rest are confined to runs the whole time.

 

[SubArcticFowl]

My hens get about an hour of supervised free range time in my 3/4 acre fenced backyard. The rest of the time they are in their covered, well fortified run. Foxes are a major concern for me and don't just show up at night.

 

[McChooky]

No way. I don't take risks that could cost them their lives.Being eaten alive is a horrible way to die.