What are your opinions on free ranging?

[Perris]

a predator struck here yesterday. All my birds were free to scatter and hide. All survived. Many if not all would have been killed if they had been trapped inside fencing.

 

[McChooky]

Reminds of an article I read about electric fences (they were popular back in the 60's) The chickens could run in and out of the "fence" when predators got after them.The 1st strand was high enough off the ground to let a chicken pass under the wires.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Reminds of an article I read about electric fences (they were popular back in the 60's) The chickens could run in and out of the "fence" when predators got after them.The 1st strand was high enough off the ground to let a chicken pass under the wires.

Evcen when they get zapped, if motivated enough, it doesn't stop them from going thru - and the less comb the chicken has, the less they seem to care about the electric wire. Feathers are remarkably good insulators.

 

[McChooky]

Evcen when they get zapped, if motivated enough, it doesn't stop them from going thru - and the less comb the chicken has, the less they seem to care about the electric wire. Feathers are remarkably good insulators.

Free ranging in a fence that allows chickens to pass thru or fly over won't trap chickens that can't fly. I can see why they were popular once.

 

[Florida Bullfrog]

I free range my main flock 24/7. They have access to a coop that remains open all night. Most of the flock roosts outside of the coop either up in trees or (in the case of hens with fresh bitties) on the ground under farm equipment or in bushes. I let bitties grow up in that manner and I let the weak ones die. My birds are mostly small gamefowl and junglefowl hybrids, but I let the free range flock cross breed and there are also many layer crosses running around. I am in the middle of deep woods with most of the predators the Florida woods offers. The first layer of defense are the chickens themselves and beyond relying on the instincts and abilities of the chickens, I have free range dogs that keep the worst predators from coming too close to the homestead.

I do utilize coops for breeding and for keeping more than one mature cock, otherwise the game cocks would kill each other free range. I also enjoy very small bantams and would keep a coop of them for my pleasure as pets regardless.

 

[1cock2hens]

I don't even have a coop, I haven't for years, my birds are strictly free range 24/7

I do have 15 acres though and the property around me is uninhabited. I've had no losses since August of 2020

 

[townchicks]

Free ranging is not an option for me. I live in a suburban neighborhood with fenced yards. My chickens have access to a portion of the yard, and get to do all the chickeny things, scratch around, eat bugs and weeds, sun and dust bathe, chase lizards and butterflies, etc. I think they have a good life. If I had acres to work with, I still think I would not free range. These girls are pets to me, and I want to keep them safe. If you want to free range, you have to be able to accept losses. That's not in me.

 

[McChooky]

I don't even have a coop, I haven't for years, my birds are strictly free range 24/7

I do have 15 acres though and the property around me is uninhabited. I've had no losses since August of 2020

Dad woke up the whole house when predators got after his chickens at night. (we had to go to school the next day with little or no sleep) I wouldn't keep chickens this way for love or money lol

 

[1cock2hens]

Dad woke up the whole house when predators got after his chickens at night. (we had to go to school the next day with little or no sleep) I wouldn't keep chickens this way for love or money lol

I live in a tiny house with a 20 month old and a 10 month old, not a problem right now, my boy can sleep through literally anything. The rooster literally roosts on the other side of the wall where he sleeps and he doesn't ever bother him.

 

[McChooky]

I live in a tiny house with a 20 month old and a 10 month old, not a problem right now, my boy can sleep through literally anything. The rooster literally roosts on the other side of the wall where he sleeps and he doesn't ever bother him.

Count yourself lucky ! Predators always hunt where they've made a kill or they'd starve.