Why I’ll Never Free-Range My Chickens Again

[animalyodelers]

I'd love to let the animals I've spent hundreds of dollars on, who provide me with a source of nutrition when I'm broke before payday (eggs) out at their own choosing all day.

Here in Suburban America, my neighbors cats, the hawks, eagles, coyotes, and o'possums would love me. Maybe I should kill and eat one of them instead?

Seeing as how I'm not a vegan, I support chickens living life as they choose as much as I support any animal living as it chooses. Cows and pigs don't skip off to slaughter, bees don't love all their hardwork being stolen... I could go on for hours. If you are a vegan, I think that's great. I'm not.

Also, humans don't live life as they truly would chose either. Ever thought about what you would do without any societal constraints like money, taxes, etc? We're all in a cage, only some have bars.

Weird meat-eating hippie rant over

 

[animalyodelers]

I'd love to let the animals I've spent hundreds of dollars on, who provide me with a source of nutrition when I'm broke before payday (eggs) out at their own choosing all day.

Here in Suburban America, my neighbors cats, the hawks, eagles, coyotes, and o'possums would love me. Maybe I should kill and eat one of them instead?

Seeing as how I'm not a vegan, I support chickens living life as they choose as much as I support any animal living as it chooses. Cows and pigs don't skip off to slaughter, bees don't love all their hardwork being stolen... I could go on for hours. If you are a vegan, I think that's great. I'm not.

Also, humans don't live life as they truly would chose either. Ever thought about what you would do without any societal constraints like money, taxes, etc? We're all in a cage, only some have bars.

Weird meat-eating hippie rant over

Oops, not over.

If you free range, that's awesome. Not judging on that. Just saying I can't afford to let my chickens die every day, which they would here. I don't let my dogs run around the neighborhood either. Two legged predators would also happily take either the dogs or the chickens.

 

[Dona Worry]

My chickens have limits to their free ranging. They also have a run they are very happy in. Most days, I open the door to the run at sun up (or never close it at all if the weather is mild) and open the big door for free ranging in the afternoon, around 1pm or so.
They forage about for a couple of hours, and go to bed.
Some days, there are a lot of hawks around. Or I heard a fox in the night. Or the weather is rotten. Those days, I leave them in the run.
Some days I leave for work late, around 8am, and let them out to free range then.

 

[Dona Worry]

I wonder if you would also respect the right of a chicken making its own decisions regarding incarceration, or freedom.

Next time one of the chickens here makes an error in judgment I’ll be sure to remind it how lucky it is to have an infallible human as it’s ‘protector’.

Isn't it you that likes to micromanage when and how much the chickens eat so they don't get fat?

 

[Squishychicken]

Upon gettin my flock I had maybe 15 birds. Free range them till a hawk attack. Then a few years later decided to build a pvc pipe tractor. This worked till the hurricanes strong winds blew it in the air then slammed it down cracking all the supportin beams. So now I simple freerange whilst supervised for maybe an hour I heard around 51 chickens and ducks using 2 long sticks. No it is not fun but it gives me a chance to do chicken chores that take hours whilst letting my birds get bugsand not get eaten by hawks

 

[4 Georgia Hens]

This past year we have started to free-range our chickens. I have found that they are happier and healthier. We do homeschool which means we are home pretty much 24/7 and can keep a close eye out for any predators. But, when we leave for the day I usually lock them up in runs.

 

[alexa009]

My chickens have limits to their free ranging. They also have a run they are very happy in. Most days, I open the door to the run at sun up (or never close it at all if the weather is mild) and open the big door for free ranging in the afternoon, around 1pm or so.
They forage about for a couple of hours, and go to bed.
Some days, there are a lot of hawks around. Or I heard a fox in the night. Or the weather is rotten. Those days, I leave them in the run.
Some days I leave for work late, around 8am, and let them out to free range then.

Do you supervise your chickens when free ranging? You can't always predict when there are hawks about circling here and there. It only takes a matter of 2 minutes for them to pass through and kill one of your chickens and you would never know.

 

[Rocky-Acres]

It’s been two years since the hawk attacks that decimated my small, free-ranging flock. I’ve finally just this month bought a new coop and restocked my flock.

I respect the right of all chicken-keepers to make their own decisions regarding free-ranging, but as for me, after what we went through, I will never again free range my hens. I have invested in a top-quality and large chicken tractor that keeps them as safe as they can be made safe while still allowing them access to fresh grass and bugs.

I’ve just blogged about my new, anti free-range stance and I’d love to get your feedback on what I have to say. You can read my blog at BigGoodThing.com

Your doing the right thing. Mine are supervised for an hour or so daily to free range. They are happy campers. They have a large run with buried wire and netting on top. At night they are locked up. Fall leaves are fun for their pen too. They think they are free ranging.

 

[animalyodelers]

Isn't it you that likes to micromanage when and how much the chickens eat so they don't get fat?

Yes, and this person also likes to post very opinionated things in a confrontational manner to cause drama.

 

[Dona Worry]

Do you supervise your chickens when free ranging? You can't always predict when there are hawks about circling here and there. It only takes a matter of 2 minutes for them to pass through and kill one of your chickens and you would never know.

Nope, I just let then out on days when I think it is less risky for them. I call it risk management. I know I'll probably loose some to predators eventually.