free ranging questions

[McChooky]

These tips from Gardening with Free-Range Chickens For Dummies can help teach your chickens to come to you on commands.Being able to lock my chickens up fast saved them when a bob cat ambushed them in November!

 

[Birdinhand]

Every single person I’ve known including myself who has free ranged their chickens eventually gets hit by a devastating loss due to predators. I mentioned this to a friend who said, well, we’ve been free ranging for years without a problem… within months every single chicken they had got killed, it’s a matter of time. If you are willing to handle that loss when it comes, it may still be worth it, but don’t kid yourself about the above reality.

 

[No Coop No Problem]

Every single person I’ve known including myself who has free ranged their chickens eventually gets hit by a devastating loss due to predators. I mentioned this to a friend who said, well, we’ve been free ranging for years without a problem… within months every single chicken they had got killed, it’s a matter of time. If you are willing to handle that loss when it comes, it may still be worth it, but don’t kid yourself about the above reality.

Hasn't happened to me yet. I've been doing this for years without any difficulty. Every single time I hear about a "devastating loss" it takes place inside of a coop from a surprise predator breaking in

Chickens react to predation by flying away the majority of the time and coops prevent this response from working

 

[McChooky]

Every single person I’ve known including myself who has free ranged their chickens eventually gets hit by a devastating loss due to predators. I mentioned this to a friend who said, well, we’ve been free ranging for years without a problem… within months every single chicken they had got killed, it’s a matter of time. If you are willing to handle that loss when it comes, it may still be worth it, but don’t kid yourself about the above reality.

My chickens have predator proof coops and runs with an apron but I still free range them occasionally because it makes them so darn happy! Yesterday was the 1st time mine were out in months and they're cutting a shine this morning!

 

[McChooky]

Hasn't happened to me yet. I've been doing this for years without any difficulty. Every single time I hear about a "devastating loss" it takes place inside of a coop from a surprise predator breaking in

Chickens react to predation by flying away the majority of the time and coops prevent this response from working

I wouldn't want to live in a cage all my life even if it meant living longer.I think my chickens might even appreciate their freedom even more.

 

[No Coop No Problem]

I wouldn't want to live in a cage all my life even if it meant living longer.I think my chickens might even appreciate their freedom even more.

That's the same way I feel. I would rather live 50 years free and then be eaten by a tiger rather than live 90 years in prison

I think most chickens feel the same way given how they try escaping all the time (from what I hear)

Chickens are tough and adaptable animals if people give them a chance. The only thing they can't handle is big empty fields, because they're the descendants of  jungle fowl

 

[McChooky]

That's the same way I feel. I would rather live 50 years free and then be eaten by a tiger rather than live 90 years in prison

I think most chickens feel the same way given how they try escaping all the time (from what I hear)

Chickens are tough and adaptable animals if people give them a chance. The only thing they can't handle is big empty fields, because they're the descendants of  jungle fowl

I free range my chickens at random times and intervals for various lengths of time.Many predators plan attacks and watch our chickens a while before ambushing them.

 

[16 and me]

I free range my chickens at random times and intervals for various lengths of time.Many predators plan attacks and watch our chickens a while before ambushing them.

Unfortunately, my chickens have access to the road, and way too costly for me to fence it off. Additionally, I have coyotes that den on the property in the summer when the grass in the back field gets long. I caught one eyeing my chickens at 11:30 am last year. I was inside and the birds were free. The only way I knew it was there was because I heard the rooster's warning, looked out the window and saw all the hens heads up and still. I scanned the sky and the property and there he was. I ran at it screaming and flailing my arms & it took off. The birds resumed their foraging.
I would love to let them live free, but I have to balance their freedom with reasonable precautions. They free range everyday, less on workdays, but pretty much sun up to sundown 3 days a week. If there is an iminent danger, I'll pen them til it passes, but I couldn't in good conscience keep them penned up constantly, perhaps they'd be safe from predators but the boredom, & possibly stress-induced illness may hasten their death.

 

[McChooky]

Unfortunately, my chickens have access to the road, and way too costly for me to fence it off. Additionally, I have coyotes that den on the property in the summer when the grass in the back field gets long. I caught one eyeing my chickens at 11:30 am last year. I was inside and the birds were free. The only way I knew it was there was because I heard the rooster's warning, looked out the window and saw all the hens heads up and still. I scanned the sky and the property and there he was. I ran at it screaming and flailing my arms & it took off. The birds resumed their foraging.
I would love to let them live free, but I have to balance their freedom with reasonable precautions. They free range everyday, less on workdays, but pretty much sun up to sundown 3 days a week. If there is an iminent danger, I'll pen them til it passes, but I couldn't in good conscience keep them penned up constantly, perhaps they'd be safe from predators but the boredom, & possibly stress-induced illness may hasten their death.

I almost lost a hen in Nov to a bob cat so I hadn't free ranged them all winter (until yesterday) They threw a fit today wanting out poor things

 

[McChooky]

That's the same way I feel. I would rather live 50 years free and then be eaten by a tiger rather than live 90 years in prison

I think most chickens feel the same way given how they try escaping all the time (from what I hear)

Chickens are tough and adaptable animals if people give them a chance. The only thing they can't handle is big empty fields, because they're the descendants of  jungle fowl

We keep our cats locked up to protect them from bob cats and coyotes (I have a tabby Siamese and others we've rescued) We built a couple catio's & attached them to the house. My dogs don't sound alerts to bob cats because we have cats