Many people ask if it’s safe to free range their flock. As with most questions, there is no simple yes or no. To really answer this question you need to understand the pros and cons of free ranging your hens.
First, let’s define ‘free range’. For most of us, we have an idyllic picture in our mind of hens wandering over the yard on a beautiful sunny day, free to go wherever they want, right?
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Just wondering: iPhones from China, are those Free Range?
ReplyDeleteAfter having my birds "free range" over a 1/2 acre for the past 6 years, I busted a chicken hawk on their pen yesterday. It was getting ready to swoop down on one of my hens. I stepped out of my shed and told him to beat it. He just flew over the henhouse and thought he'd fool me by landing on the round pen rail. Since I didn't see him fly off into the distance, I stepped around and saw him sitting there, so threw a rock at him. That caused him to fly off and as he did a bunch of swallows came over from the neighbor's and started chasing him.
ReplyDeleteI've had chickens disappear over the years. Could have been a hawk, or even a coyote as they'll climb right over my chain-link fence. Neighbor's dogs have been the most destructive, though. Whenever one of my chickens decides they can fly, they inevitably land in the neighbor's yard and become dog chow. Lost 3 turkeys that way. My own dang fault. I should have clipped their wings.
I don't know, free ranging sounds ideal for the birds but predators will get them. Even with a couple aggressive roosters it's just a matter of time.
ReplyDeleteJD
Dogs, coyotes, coons, bobcat and now I have hawks taking aim at my flock.
ReplyDeleteFor now the girls have a 50x30 run. Working on overhead for them.
If you are going to free range you better have a lot of chickens. I speak from experience. Everything is out to get them.
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