What do you do while you are at work?

[JanetS]

My chickens stay in a run. No free ranging. We have to many predators.

 

[JackE]

I let them out everyday, into their 100X100' electrified safe area. I got away with freeranging for almost a full year, before a daytime visit from a fox about wiped me out. They also have places to hide from airborne attacks in the enclosure.
Jack

 

[gryeyes]

My flock ranged freely on my property (two thirds of an acre, fully fenced and lots of cover) when I was at work. I am now retired... I chose to retire a bit early because I hated not seeing my chickens during winter except on the weekends because I left for work before dawn and got home after dark. Checking on them every night disturbed them but I wanted to do a head count.

I've only lost two chickens out of fifty due to predators; a young pullet made a secret nest in a Rosemary thatch on the property behind mine - she got out through a small hole in the fence I hadn't seen. A hawk took her one day. The second was another youngster out late - those "tweenagers" push the "coop up" time into dusk - and an owl got her.

All in all, their free range experience is so good for the flock. I may not have as much of a retirement pension from my early retirement, but I have enough to do better than just survive. And I can watch my flock every single day.