The day we said goodbye to free ranging! 😕

[Rick589]

We’ve seen a hawk hanging around from time to time, otherwise we really don’t have much of a predator issue. But, we have a secured run and we let the chickens out for a few hours toward the end of the day to free range while we supervise because of the hawk, and just not wanting them to drift too far. We’d like to have them out all day but with the hawk and us not necessarily being available all day to watch them we found this to be, at least for now, a good compromise.

 

[Luv Ducks]

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.

So true, we have to do what fits our situation or what makes us satisfied with the animals we care for.

 

[Sic]

There are breeds that do better than others in a free range environment, that have more predator awareness. But we have a lot of predator pressure, especially bald eagles. I rely on my dogs, they deter predators just with their presence, they alert on both aerial and ground predators.

 

[Down Under]

I'm a little late but I have always wondered if an Army Surplus Camo Net would help with aerial predators.

 

[EmmaDonovan]

We don't free range. I would love to but there are far too many predators here. Competition for food is stiff in the desert and everything loves a chicken dinner. Hawks are everywhere. Coyotes, bobcats, and mountain lions can easily jump six foot fences.

 

[BDutch]

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!

Im a little late too.
I have bantams and a few years back we had a buzzard who took one of girls when they were out free ranging. I locked them up for a few weeks. The buzzard came back a couple of times but gave up after 2 weeks.
The girls went out to free range again for a few hours if I or husband are home. The chickens are always so happy if they are set free.

Health
And just as important: its so good for their health and well-being to free range that I keep doing it. Chickens who are locked up are more vulnerable for diseases. Chickens that free range can eat extra’s to complement their commercial feed, have more exercise, less stress and even can do self medication if you have good soil and a lots of herbs growing in your garden.

In the past 10+ years I had several chickens who went missing. On the other hand, I only had two sick hens that died with health problems (both a rare breed, they probably had in-breeding issues).

If the predator load was even worse, I would still free range , but only under supervision. And maybe choose breeds in the future that are better equipped to free range (camouflage colours , slender build and flighty).

I'm a little late but I have always wondered if an Army Surplus Camo Net would help with aerial predators.

I read about using army camouflage netting on a Dutch forum. It’s not secure but it seems to help.

 

[McChooky]

Our fence goes from the house out 35 ft to the coop and run then another 200 ft past it. Unfortunately that's where something grabbed 2 of hens last year so I locked them up today when I saw them back there. My electric fence quit a year ago after my cousin grounded it out.I think he may have burned the unit up. My dogs are trained to watch the chickens and keep predators run off but they're both inside dogs so the chickens only free range in fair weather lol

 

[McChooky]

We don't free range. I would love to but there are far too many predators here. Competition for food is stiff in the desert and everything loves a chicken dinner. Hawks are everywhere. Coyotes, bobcats, and mountain lions can easily jump six foot fences.

View attachment 4076413

Lordy lordy ! I'm not sure I'd step out there ! Just kidding !

 

[McChooky]

We don't free range. I would love to but there are far too many predators here. Competition for food is stiff in the desert and everything loves a chicken dinner. Hawks are everywhere. Coyotes, bobcats, and mountain lions can easily jump six foot fences.

View attachment 4076413

Bless your heart ! I wouldn't turn mine loose either! Poor chicken wouldn't last 5 minutes !

 

[FlockVillemaire]

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!

Plant more trees!!! My two just-matured young roos are doing a bang-up job of keeping my flock safe, despite regular hawk circlings. But excellent cover counts for more than I could imagine! Of course tall mature trees are the best. Some grow faster than others.

I do worry and carefully count them every night, but my amazingly diligent boys give me some small sense of safety. Also, when you replace hens, you can add especially predator wary breeds to give additional early alarms they can all hear. I recently read about one, but already forgot its name. Perhaps it was the Cream Brabanter?

(Up to now, we have not had to deal with coyotes or bobcats.)