What do you consider free-ranging

[luvmypets]

What do you consider free-ranging is it all loose or can there be a fence. I think we free-range and want to know if we do or not.

 

[ChickenLover172]

Yes, it can include a fence. If you have a fence around your yard, you can let your chickens run around in it all day. Of course, you would have to check on them some, but free-ranging allows your chickens to have a more balanced diet. They need to scratch around for bugs and stuff to keep them healthy. The more balanced their diet is, the more tasty their eggs are.

 

[luvmypets]

I agree with the diet our setup is this

 

[ChickenLover172]

That is a great set-up!

 

[luvmypets]

Thanks we havent lost a bird to predators in 2 yrs. also we put caution tape from the barn to the fence post to mislead hawks.

 

[luvmypets]

We let them out from there coop aka a horse stall

 

[Papas Chickens]

Yup thats free rangin lol. My German Rott goes and lays out with my girls when they range so any predators out there I dont have to worry about exept that pesky redtail hawk grrr.

 

[luvmypets]

Yup thats free rangin lol. My German Rott goes and lays out with my girls when they range so any predators out there I dont have to worry about exept that pesky redtail hawk grrr.

thanks for the clarification. As you said hawks are our main concern. Our dog shadow isnt very good at protecting our birds he just lays down in the duck pool and chills with them lol.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Free-range. This label indicates that the flock was provided shelter in a building, room, or area with unlimited access to food, fresh water, and continuous access to the outdoors during their production cycle. The outdoor area may or may not be fenced and/or covered with netting-like material. This label is regulated by the USDA.

http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/ams...ogram&page=NOPConsumers&description=Consumers

This is the USDA definition of free range. Technically "outdoors" can mean a small pen with no green stuff and so tiny compared to the coop that practically no chickens will use it. But they still have access to "outdoors" as long as a pop door is open. Some of the free range eggs you see at the store take advantage of this loose definition. Like most of the "labels", free range technically doesn't mean much if someone wants to cut corners.

My personal definition of free range allows fences but has to have access to growing green stuff at least part of the day, or at least outdoors if it is winter and green stuff is not growing. It doesn't have to be continuous but it does need to be reasonably available. If you leave them locked in a coop or coop and bare run some, that's fine.

 

[luvmypets]

We open the barn and let them out while we do our work and then we bring them back in. Thanks for the definition ridgerunner.