Would you free range after LT?

[ThatTeowonna]

Last year, I had to cull my entire flock due to LT. Actually, the State's chicken vet did it. My chicken yard was on quarantine until I followed all protocol. Thirty days later, Chicken Doc reinspected and released my yard from quarantine. I moved my chicken coop to the other side of the yard as a precaution and got 12 new chicks a few weeks later. Fast forward five months and they are thriving. They are laying and happy in my newly installed 8x15 coop. The run is actually 8x9 and they have plenty of room. But I really want my chickens to free range in my back yard. The previous flock did it and we had no issues with predators.... only the unfortunate LT issue that likely came in on a new chick that I did not quarantine (but there is no way to be sure).

A few months ago, I asked Chicken Doc if it was ok to free range. She said Yes. Still a little fearful, I asked her again and she reconfirmed it is ok to let my chicks out in the yard because I had followed all protocol (burned leaves, cleaned equipment with bleach, etc.). Plus, with the warm weather, the virus would not survive for all the months that have passed.

So, here is the question. I am off tomorrow and can observe my chickens all day... watch for predators, which is a minor concern for me. My main fear is LT. With my history, would YOU let your new chicks free range? Why or why not?

 

[Folly's place]

My birds free range, and we have losses sometimes. If predator losses of any sort aren't tolerable, then don't do it.
Here we loose one to three birds most years to hawks; the bantams or youngsters are vulnerable. Once we had a daytime fox attack. He killed ten nice laying hens, a very bad day.
Our worst ever was one of our own dogs, when our dog fence failed. She killed two thirds of our birds in an hour or so. Awful!!! Free ranging dogs are a very big risk anywhere, having our own pet do it wasn't an improvement.
A predator who takes one at a time is a lot more manageable than having so many killed at once!
Some folks have had so many daytime predator issues that they never free range, and that's a good decision. Here we still free range, because except for those two bad days, over nearly thirty years, occasional hawk visits have seems acceptable risks for our birds.
Mary

 

[JacinLarkwell]

I get the fear of encountering it again. But I would think it's worth the risk if you know for sure that there is nothing contaminated.

 

[Brooks_]

I don't know anything about LT, but based on your description of the situation, I would allow them out for the free time that I do now.

 

[AntiqueB]

I get the fear, too. But if you got the OK a few months ago, I think it's probably safe.

 

[ThatTeowonna]

My birds free range, and we have losses sometimes. If predator losses of any sort aren't tolerable, then don't do it.
Here we loose one to three birds most years to hawks; the bantams or youngsters are vulnerable. Once we had a daytime fox attack. He killed ten nice laying hens, a very bad day.
Our worst ever was one of our own dogs, when our dog fence failed. She killed two thirds of our birds in an hour or so. Awful!!! Free ranging dogs are a very big risk anywhere, having our own pet do it wasn't an improvement.
A predator who takes one at a time is a lot more manageable than having so many killed at once!
Some folks have had so many daytime predator issues that they never free range, and that's a good decision. Here we still free range, because except for those two bad days, over nearly thirty years, occasional hawk visits have seems acceptable risks for our birds.
Mary

Thanks, but my question isn’t about predators. My question is would you free range after LT, which is a respiratory disease.

 

[Folly's place]

Sorry, misunderstood the question.
I'd follow expert advice about this.
Mary