What are your opinions on free ranging?

[Silexian]

Mine only get to free range in the afternoon/evening through the week. On the weekends they are out almost all day long. Whether from a predator, an accident or an illness. It seems like at least a couple are lost every year. I live out in the country to give myself some space. I am not going to keep them constantly confined either.

 

[Pghelp]

I love free ranging but that happens only under my supervision. Too many experiences with predators and we’re in an urban area. Roaming cats and raccoons are the worst, but we also have a pair of red shouldered hawks who nest nearby every year. When they’re teaching the juveniles to hunt anything can happen! My girls have a huge enclosed run but I let them out almost daily.

 

[1cock2hens]

I once had a hawk go after a hen, she let out a horrible sound and 2 if my other hens jumped on it flapping and kicking and gave it the opportunity to get away, the hawk was left stunned in my yard while the chickens all retreated.

I'm currently keeping australorps, favorallas mixes, bantam cochin(with 4 chicks), oegb, a Phoenix rooster and several game hens( one with 6 chicks) free 100% of the time

 

[Samroo]

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 have built a large run about 47'x12' and have seven birds. We try to let ours out everyday but we are not perfect. We do it later in the day because of the Hawk activity seems to die off after 4pm. We have neighbors who have lost their entire flock from dogs, coyotes, and hawks, because they free range them all day long. We trained our birds (I should say spoiled them) with mealworms and treats. When they are out we just shake the bag and they all come running and we put them up. We do not have a rooster and we stay out with them while they are foraging. We listen and pay attention to them for alerts and such. Our birds love to get out and they are easy to put up when we are ready.

 

[Hip Hillbilly Acres]

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 am hoping THIS will be our scenario when I get my first birds in August. Doing all the reading and planning now.

Plus, with all I am hearing and reading about famine and starvation coming upon us within the next three to six months free range may be the only way I can afford to keep a few chickens. We'll see.

 

[Padfoot22]

I agree there is a difference between free ranging in a large backyard with a fence and a farm with no limits. The large back yard does have its benefits by keeping them from wandering too far into neighborhood shrubs or woods that can be hard to round them back up. It can have just as many predators as the big open unlimited spaces considering dogs and coyotes can dig under yard fences. When someone has an open farm with many acres it’s awesome to allow chickens to free range. What works best is what type of property you have to work with.

 

[TDC]

I free range. Lose a couple to predation each year. Unavoidable, unfortunately.

/edit to clarify.
My (usually 80 or so) birds have two open houses, and open run of roughly 2200 sq ft, almost two acres of pasture, and another near three acres of thinned woods inside my electric fence. With great frequency, they hop, dodge and limbo the electric fence and its gates, and enjoy the acre cleared for my home and the rest of this corner of my 30 acre property. They don't leave my property.

...and nobody elses birds enter my property. If they did, they would be put down as quickly as I can manage, and then burned in a very hot fire. I take my biosecurity pretty seriously, for someone who free ranges.

If one of my babies wandered into your yard and you cremated it, instead of taking it home, I'd spend the rest of my life making yours miserable.

 

[630004]

We make a different area for the chickens each week so no part of the yard gets destroyed by them. so far we have lost 1 chicken that a critter managed to get through the electric netting. No problems since we keep the chickens away from heavy tree cover.

There are hawks in the area but the crows do a pretty good job of chasing them off. The chickens are also pretty good at taking cover if they see one.

the chicken coop has an automatic door opener that lets them out and locks them in at night. i would not keep chickens if I had to lock them in a small space. seeing the enjoyment ours get when we move them around it would be a huge downgrade for them locking them in a small area. I also would not want to have a dedicated cover area of the size I would want as it would trash the yard.

 

[Brooks_]

If one of my babies wandered into your yard and you cremated it, instead of taking it home, I'd spend the rest of my life making yours miserable.

If one of mine potentially compromised the biosecurity of another, I'd be disappointed that it wasn't eaten-at most.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

If one of my babies wandered into your yard and you cremated it, instead of taking it home, I'd spend the rest of my life making yours miserable.

As you seem to have no respect for my property, its unlikely you will care that the intrusion of your birds costs me my certification, and thus, shuts down my business until I can arrange recertification - and that's best case. Worst case, your bird brings something onto my property that costs me my flock.

Against those risks, I will do what the law allows. As a neighborly courtesy, I won't send you the bill that the law allows. The first time, anyways.