What are your thoughts???

[Love Donkeys]

I free-range 30 Speckled Sussex, 28 hens & 2 adult roosters. The chickens are always locked in their coop at night. The coop is the only place they can get their grain, it makes a good incentive for them to return to the coop.
We have plenty of places our chickens can run to if they see predators. For example, under trucks, tractors, porches and barns. The birds also hang around with the Donkeys. The only problem with free-range is putting up with the poop that the chickens leave every where.

 

[Mrs. K]

IMO - take it for what it is worth. If you have predators, they will find you. Often times, once they find you, they come back. This is a question you have to come to terms with. Will you be devastated if you loose a bird, if so - don't free range.

The way I do it, and I DO have predators. I have a set up, coop/run in which my flock can stay in with peace. There is a lot of room for the flock I have. I do not try and make up for too small of coop/run by free ranging.

• I do not free range every day
• I don't free range at the same time every day - sometimes they are let out early, sometimes for the afternoon, and sometimes not at all.
• I don't free range on cloudy, or stormy or high wind days - gives too much advantage for the predators.
• I do have a year old rooster - some roosters do well at predator awareness, and some do not. Not all roosters are good roosters. But if you have one, a year old one is when they start getting good at this, not before.
• If I get a hit, I go into lock down 24/7 for several days, even weeks - giving time for the predator to move on.
• My run is totally enclosed chainlink fence with a skirt on the ground of chicken wire. It has worked for coyotes, coons and eagles for me.

Everything loves to eat chicken, I love to let mine out, it is a paradox that can be tricky to live with. I have been wiped out or nearly wiped out a couple of times. Each time I got better.

Mrs K

 

[Snakebiteholloway]

Hi All,

We picked up 10 hens of various types from my aunt last week. They have been raised free ranging and getting egg layer AM and PM. We live on 10 VERY OPEN acres. Built them a decent size coop to keep them safe from predators. I am feeding egg layer AM and PM with a few treats like mealworms and apple. We wanted to free range them during the day and coop them at night but I am not sure anymore. We have hawks and since they have been home, I have seen coyote sign. I know they will lay better if they continue to free range. I want them to be happy and safe. Thoughts? AND if we decide to let them range, how long until they know, "this is where you live and lay eggs now?"

Free ranging with predators never really works imho. Tried it 3 of the 7 years I've lived on this big place we have. Constant predation loss but also the girls start laying everywhere willy nilly even though they were coop&run for MONTHS, even years, b4 free range!
Also, the more they are out, the farther they start spreading. Eventually they get lost or get too far out and get picked off by mr. Bitey, who is very wily and patient and observant. The farther they range the more predators will notice them and be drawn in.
Chickens lay. Its what they do. If the feed is right and they are safe there may be a brief transition time where they get reaccustomed to new surroundings, maybe less eggs for a bit, but that would happen even if they free ranged. Just from moving.
But less eggs temporarily sure beats less chickens forever!

 

[Snakebiteholloway]

IMO - take it for what it is worth. If you have predators, they will find you. Often times, once they find you, they come back. This is a question you have to come to terms with. Will you be devastated if you loose a bird, if so - don't free range.

The way I do it, and I DO have predators. I have a set up, coop/run in which my flock can stay in with peace. There is a lot of room for the flock I have. I do not try and make up for too small of coop/run by free ranging.

• I do not free range every day
• I don't free range at the same time every day - sometimes they are let out early, sometimes for the afternoon, and sometimes not at all.
• I don't free range on cloudy, or stormy or high wind days - gives too much advantage for the predators.
• I do have a year old rooster - some roosters do well at predator awareness, and some do not. Not all roosters are good roosters. But if you have one, a year old one is when they start getting good at this, not before.
• If I get a hit, I go into lock down 24/7 for several days, even weeks - giving time for the predator to move on.
• My run is totally enclosed chainlink fence with a skirt on the ground of chicken wire. It has worked for coyotes, coons and eagles for me.

Everything loves to eat chicken, I love to let mine out, it is a paradox that can be tricky to live with. I have been wiped out or nearly wiped out a couple of times. Each time I got better.

Mrs K

Nailed it!

 

[Love Donkeys]

I free-range my chickens, but we live in a rural area. My chickens have protection in the form of plenty of places to hide and our donkeys. I have lost 7 chickens over the past 24 years due to stray dogs and careless drivers and it broke my heart.
I understand the the problems you will have if there is hungry predators lurking around. Your chickens WILL range further than you would like. They WILL go beyond their safety zone, and you WILL be constantly worrying about them.
I believe you WILL make the right decision for your feathered friends.

 

[Penpal]

We used to have two red tailed hawks, one roosting the electric post across the road, the other in a tree. They never bothered the chicks or grown chickens. They learn what is food from what mamma hawk brings to them. Mice are food. Could be that when the chicks were allowed out they were so much bigger than mice or voles, wrong color, who knows.

Last year a couple of red tailed hawks decided to attack my chickens. I went after them with a broom and neither ever came back. So, it's going to depend. As stated above, if they don't get a meal they find a new place to hunt. We also have owls, but by nightfall the kids were/are inside.

I think having a dog, especially an intact male, helps to keep coyotes and coy dogs away.