The day we said goodbye to free ranging! 😕

[No Coop No Problem]

If its coop massacre it's the owner's fault for not securing access into the coop, just the same as loosing one to free ranging (chicken keepers fault letting them free range).

Every group of prey animals in nature experiences predation. This is simply the nature of life as part of an ecosystem. However healthy animals are able to sustain a healthy population despite predators catching the old and sickly

My own flock more than doubles in size every single year, despite sharing the land with foxes and other predators. I think they managed to catch 3 chicks total in 2024

Personally I would rather have a tiger eat me at 50 then live to 70 in a prison

 

[Golden Comet Mama]

I had two of my favorite ducks get killed in my not 100% predator proof coop for them. I was depending on Nite Guard devices that was supposed to keep predators away. They worked for 4 years and then a coon got in one night and killed my favorite Wood Duck and one of my Khaki Campbells. I went out the next day and spent almost 4 thousand dollars on new sturdy coops so that this would not hopefully ever happen again. I was not done with coops forever but trust me, I bought good ones to keep my flock that I love safer. Some people may think I am nuts for spending that much money but I work every day and am entitled to keep my beloved birds safe.

Yes you are

 

[Luv Ducks]

Every group of prey animals in nature experiences predation. This is simply the nature of life as part of an ecosystem. However healthy animals are able to sustain a healthy population despite predators catching the old and sickly

My own flock more than doubles in size every single year, despite sharing the land with foxes and other predators. I think they managed to catch 3 chicks total in 2024

Personally I would rather have a tiger eat me at 50 then live to 70 in a prison

You are very fortunate. If I had not bought the 6 new pens that coon would have come back and got the rest of my flock in no time at all. I live in a housing development and they are quite happy not free ranging because they never have and don't know what its like. I just don't tell them, lol.

 

[aliris]

You could try a hybrid setup maybe where you let them out to free range when, and only when, you're around?

Life's a series of tradeoffs. And death....

 

[Luv Ducks]

You could try a hybrid setup maybe where you let them out to free range when, and only when, you're around?

Life's a series of tradeoffs. And death....

We have a lot of hawks and the neighbor had a chicken picked up by one when he was 6 feet away in broad daylight. He threw his shoe at it and then it dropped it. He afterwards rehomed them all because of not being allowed to let them free range and feeling sorry for them. They became someone's dinner but not the hawks.

 

[Golden Comet Mama]

You could try a hybrid setup maybe where you let them out to free range when, and only when, you're around?

Life's a series of tradeoffs. And death....

I agree thinking of doing that

 

[BigBlueHen53]

We have a lot of hawks and the neighbor had a chicken picked up by one when he was 6 feet away in broad daylight. He threw his shoe at it and then it dropped it. He afterwards rehomed them all because of not being allowed to let them free range and feeling sorry for them. They became someone's dinner but not the hawks.

I had hawks take chicks not 10 feet from me, they don't care. They know I can't catch them. Human supervision of chickens is a joke to hawks. Free range and assume the risks, or don't. To each their own, no judgment. What's right for you is right for you and it's nobody else's business.

 

[McChooky]

Nothing says you have to keep them locked up 24/7.I free range my flock a couple days a week but only for a hour or so ( max is 4 hrs)
I rely on my predator proof coop and run to keep my chickens safe. I also supervise them when they're out (they're never out if I'm gone).

 

[Perris]

Chickens are not helpless prey animals entirely dependent on their human keepers for survival. We typically exaggerate our importance in their lives, and sometimes they fight back. I had to rescue this kestrel from the smallest hen in my flock (an Araucana) when she was broody and the kestrel thought it would have one of her chicks for lunch. Big mistake. I found him on his back, feet in the air, trying to keep her from killing him.

Popped him the broody crate for an hour or so to regain his composure. When I let him out, he flew off and didn't come back.

If you confine your birds and a predator gets in, they will all be traumatized if not killed. If they are free to roam, most will escape and will not be traumatized by the attack. And they get better at it with experience.

 

[Daisy June]

Hey guys so today we had to say goodbye to free ranging! So today we saw a hawk while our chickens were free ranging and it was right over them. 3 of our big hens went back in the coop and into the house. But our rooster stayed out along with our two smaller hens but the two smaller hens were under our porch. But we saw feathers and one of our hens was gone. We went and looked for her and it turned out she was under our porch too! But sadly we have decided not to let them free range anymore!
Any Thoughts?



Thanks For Reading!

I understand your worry. My chickens free range for a couple of hours each day, so I can be home during that time. My flock is not large (6). I just purchased a moveable mesh coop that, hopefully, will keep the chickens safe and me from worrying. Although, they will still only be out when I am home. One thing you could do is put a large fake owl up on your fence or around your coop. Another is put out a large, noise windsock flag. My chickens go outside after the dogs have their run, which should remind any interested hawks that there are dogs around.