Free ranging pros and cons?

[Phoenixxx]

I have 8 ten week old bantams. They have and 8x8 coop and a 10x10 run attached to it. They have been in the run for 3 weeks and have killed all the vegetation. I have been giving them lawn clippings a few times a day which they love. I am tempted to let the out into my fenced in back yard to forage. I am petrified of the predators. I live in Massachusetts and we have everything. I was planning on being with them the whole time. Hearing peoples stories of predator attacks while they are right there has me concerned. I'm ok if my chickens died from an illness or old age. But I can't handle the thought of a predator making off with one of my babies.

Am I doing them a disservice keeping them in the run? Would my presence be enough of a predator deterrent? I don't know which way to go on this.

I've lost more to predators breaking into the coop and the birds not breaking out in time than I ever have while the birds were loose in the yard. I've never had any taken while I was physically outside. Also, fancy breeds like houdans and silkies will always be the first to go in either case as they are vision-impaired due to their hairdos. My houdans and houdans crosses were all excellent fliers but they never saw the threats in time to fly away.

 

[AKchicken1]

8 cons over the weekend. Oh well, the fox kits will eat well.... For now.

 

[misbhaven]

8 cons over the weekend. Oh well, the fox kits will eat well.... For now.

sorry to hear that a 2 foxes have been making their rounds here...I only lost 4 this weekend 2 chicks totally disappeared free ranging in the yard could have been cat, hawks dog who knows they were 3 week olds, 1 Lav orp pullet about 8 weeks fox through a run.. and my wheaten Maran roo in the next coop over injured himself the morning of the fox attack......so for me even odds 2 free ranging/2 inside just this week.. and no of course the fox etc couldn't eat kill my cheap white rocks all more expensive breeds...

 

[AKchicken1]

We lost 8 of my best producers, of course. The other ladies are a bit traumatized still, egg numbers are way down. We have 30 plus new hens to add to the flock in another month or so, so all is not lost. Just dissappointing. Good luck with your predators!

sorry to hear that a 2 foxes have been making their rounds here...I only lost 4 this weekend 2 chicks totally disappeared free ranging in the yard could have been cat, hawks dog who knows they were 3 week olds, 1 Lav orp pullet about 8 weeks fox through a run.. and my wheaten Maran roo in the next coop over injured himself the morning of the fox attack......so for me even odds 2 free ranging/2 inside just this week.. and no of course the fox etc couldn't eat kill my cheap white rocks all more expensive breeds...

 

[misbhaven]

well the fox hasn't been back ...all the males peed all over dogs ,boys, men..put a big pile of saint Bernard poop in a walmart bag out by the coops after we walked him all over so he could mark along with my boxer ,we have coyotes as well they stay far away f they can smell him...the only good thing about big intact male dogs..a scared kitten got in my growout pen ran in there when it was raining maybe 5 or 6 weeks old i bet it won't be a chicken eater I had to rescue it from the silkies I have as nursemaids in there it was almost a whole different food chain...I watched just to see it huddled with the kiddos for warmth until the older ones realized it wasn't a chicken ...

SO for those in this debate .....the chicken that was ate was pulled through a welded wire dog kennel holes are pretty small for most things i don't have coons as i live in the land of no trees no habitat for them really... it was as much the birds being dumb that day they decided to sleep on the ground not perch right in the corner basically saying come eat me...however the noise got my SQ roo (cottage hills)in the next pen going that he fatally injured himself trying to get at the fox...so that one attack cost probably $200-300 lost egg sales if not more etc...then i had to buy i grown roo best i could get was a black copper grown hatchery had to buy a pair...so i would at lest have pure birds but not pure color for eggs except for the new hen.and pray I hatch a roo out the eggs that will still be fertile from the last Roo and wait 6 months for him to grow up.
Those white rocks free range every day all day never been touched and they will nap in the middle of the yard...bantams run all over also every day ...But i also have had a bird killed by a neighbor dog in my yard, well into my yard, the so called wild creatures aren't the only ones who want to eat your birds..
if you want to know i you have preds close . set a few bags of trrsh out where an animal can get them if you find them ripped open then chances are something you don't know about lives close....

 

[missnu01]

I have 4 acres mostly wooded that the chickens have free reign of all day everyday. I would suggest having a rooster or 2, I have had only a scant few chickens go missing during the day time while free ranging, but where our property sits there's no way for hawks to be a problem, and whatever other animals are rout there in these woods don't seem to mess with my chickens. Once my chickens are adults they are fairly safe. I don't like that they can wander around and mess up everything. I fence them out of my garden spots, but I could have more garden spots if I didn't have to fence them all in. I would also love to plant some pretty ornamental plants around the house, but that would be pointless. I don't like that they poo on my steps. I do like seeing then out in the yard and woods. I do like how I have no issues with bullying or crowding, or fighting, no disease, lowered feed costs...
I do have to keep fake eggs in the nesting boxes because if not they do sometimes lay wherever they feel like

 

[aljeffers]

I had the same problem happen in my run. I now let my flock out several times a week to free range in my fenced back yard. I live in Tennessee, and like you we have a lot of predators. When I first started letting them out someone was always with them until they were put back in. I now let them out, and do a head count every 30 minutes or so. It all comes down to you, and your flock. Do what you think is best for them and you. If this is your first time with chicken's like me, you are learning as you go. Good luck.

 

[sled483]

I had the same problem happen in my run. I now let my flock out several times a week to free range in my fenced back yard. I live in Tennessee, and like you we have a lot of predators. When I first started letting them out someone was always with them until they were put back in. I now let them out, and do a head count every 30 minutes or so. It all comes down to you, and your flock. Do what you think is best for them and you. If this is your first time with chicken's like me, you are learning as you go. Good luck.

I've been letting them out for a few hours everyday now. They love it. I have fenced off parts of the backyard to contain them a little more. I have an above ground pool with an attached deck and I didn't want them over there. I tried letting them out yesterday around 11:00 and they weren't really crazy about the idea. They stayed really close to the run. So then later at 4:00 I let them out and they had a ball. So far so good. I'm still nervous but not as bad as before.

 

[AKchicken1]

Eventually, some birds will die if you have any predators at all around. Not the end of the world. But it will happen. If you're ok with that, which we are, somewhat, then have at it for sure. Another unfortunate down side to a predation event is, for us anyway, reduced production from the hens that didn't get whacked. Stress I guess.

 

[Traphill]

joybelles you could also consider letting them out for 2 to 4 hours a day. I have an acre fenced with lots of woods and cover and I let mine out each day for a couple of hours and longer on the weekends. They are very happy and really look forward to when we get home from work for their time out. I have a extensive garden and put rocks or wire around new plantings to protect from scratching and that works for me.... poop..yes there is poop but I just wash it down with hose into my flower beds. My dogs would hurt my chickens so they come in the house while the chicks have their time out.....works for me. Enjoy chickens are the bomb!