Would my chickens be okay if I let them out all day

[Lynette]

Wow, zazouse, you have alot of birds!! The woods behind my house looks like that, but it is so dense, that would take forever to clear. Their coop is towards the front of my property where I can easily see it from inside. I am home pretty much 24/7 and if I wasn't home then I wouldn't let them out.

 

[lurkin1]

You are the only one who can determine the level of risk you are comfortable with. Our setting is a small town in a rural region. My chickens get let out about 7:30 each morning and go to bed by themselves at 8. I latch the gate about 8:15. All the neighbors have poultry that roams the yard all the time. Occasionally, we have a problem with dogs, raccoons, or a skunk. The possibility exists for cougar or bobcat because they roam close to town and sometimes come into town. I am ok with the risk and have only lost birds twice in 25 years. It was a pain to clean up and traumatic to the kids for a while. It's the same when we lose a sheep for an unknown reason. It's just what happens with animals sometimes.

 

[chicmom]

Hi Lynette!

Your yard sounds EXACTLY like mine. Our house is surrounded by a little over six acres of woods. We do mow the lawn and have a nice yard that's about an acre. I let mine free range after work, which is appx 5pm until it starts to get dark and they go into the coop on their own, then I lock things up. I do keep an eye out for hawks and such. Last year I lost one hen, and this year I lost a young rooster. I never saw what got them. I think one per year is pretty good as far as predators go.

My feeling is, they're so happy when they get to free range, that I think it's worth the risk. You can pen them up and they'll live a long life, but in my opinion, they're enjoying their lives alot more when they get to free range. I was letting them out all day long, but then they started to stray too far.....I came home from work and a couple of hens were in the neighbors driveway. Our woods does separate us from the neighbors on each side, and our yard is pretty big, but I think that was too much time for them to be out. So that's why I let them out after work.

I do have a flock of 19 though, which seems big for me. If you just have a few beloved hens, then you might not want to risk losing one......just do what you feel comfortable with.

 

[Lynette]

Well, I decided to open their door 20 minutes ago and let them out. I knew they would be happy to get out, so that is why I decided to try it. Plus I have 4 roosters and 9 hens, so I know I have too many roosters. The Sebright rooster is a jerk and 2 of the other roosters are afraid of him. I feel bad because they can't get away from him. The Sebright has been out for a couple of hours already because he was being mean to my Wyandotte rooster, so I kicked him out. I am going to try and find a home for the Sebright. I have to do what is best for the others. Anyway, I have the windows open so I can hear them and I keep watching them. My dogs also go out frequently, so they can help me too. Hope all goes well.

 

[sourland]

If you free range, you will eventually have losses. Fox, coyote, bobcat, mink, weasel, hawks, the neighbors dog will all attack during the day. It's the chance we all take when we free range. If birds start disappearing, lock them back up for a while in hopes (not realistically) that the predator will move on.

 

[mrsp523]

I have to agree with the majority who say let them go. They are so happy to just roam...as they should. I would rather know they had a happier/healther life that may have been shorter, than a longer miserable life stuck in the coop laying. But during the work week they dont get out until between 2-5p. Yet on the weekends they are out all day. Someone told me its not good to coop them up all day when other days they are used to being out all day, as it would stress them out?? Anyone heard of this??
We have had a fox come to our neighbors and snatch one of theirs right in front of him. I only say this to remind us all there is only so much we can do to protect them. I have my big old lazy dog walk the yard a few times a day to keep his scent around. I saw the fox in the field one day and he didnt get scared of me too quick (of course I am not the one looking down the barrel of a gun) We never let them out before 9 or 10am, and they go in their coop themselves before dusk.

I worry of the day I will lose one or more to a predator...but everyone says its part of raising chickens so I better get used to it.

 

[WhetzelMomma]

Quote:
This was my thought. I have chickens that free range from the time I let them out (usually about 9:00am) until they put themselves away at dusk, and I go lock them in their hen house. I have lost one chicken to a predator, and that was 100% on me, because I forgot to lock them until 1:00am and the hen was taken straight off her roost. Her night time trance is what made her vulnerable when I didn't have them locked. Since then, I've seen the fox that likely took her, but it's not gotten any more of my chickens. The only thing I've changed is making sure that my chooks get locked up AT DUSK.

 

[Tracy and the Girls]

I have 18 chicks about 13 weeks old - I let them out a few hours every day. Start slowly and them work your way up to an hour or so - then more. It takes a long time to rally them back in the pen - so plan accordingly if you have to go out on time! I am usually home when I let them out - they seem so happy when they are out and about. I dont have a fenced in yard - I do have a cat who I swear is protecting them!

 

[gritsar]

If you decide to free range you have to accept the fact that at one time or another you will have losses.
I free range full-time, from the time they are let out in the morning until they put themselves to bed at night.
They are locked in a predator proof coop at night.
Our wildlife around here includes - raccoons, possums, snakes, eagles, hawks, foxes, coyotes, bobcats and the occasional bear (one destroyed a beehive at the other end of the farm a couple of months back).
My birds have been free ranging since they were a few weeks old. They are smart about predators. For instance, you will never find one of them out from under cover during a hawks most frequent feeding times - late morning and early evening. They've also learned to pay attention to the crows, that make a ruckus whenever hawks or eagles are nearby. During a dog attack, my rooster did everything he could to draw attention to himself and away from the hens, giving the hens plenty of time to find hiding places.
My chickens are happy and healthy. They are living a great life. If and when I lose some to predators, my grief will be tempered with the knowledge that they had the best possible life.

 

[WhetzelMomma]

If you want to avoid chasing and hearding, I suggest leaving them out in the evenings if you want to start slowly. Then, when dusk comes, they will head back to the roost without you needing to help them. Chook farming is much easier if you go WITH natural instincts and don't try to fight them. At least that's been my experience.

ETA
I would also submit that chickens, whether you choose to free range them or not, come with risk of loss. I think it's smart just to know that. Even totally penned and "secure" chickens get killed. It comes with the territory.