# Free range chickens



## bob (Feb 27, 2013)

Do any of you free range your chickens


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## 7chicks (Jun 29, 2012)

Only under supervision of one of us and the german outside to watch over them. Would have lost our sweet Sophie last fall to the neighbor's dog getting lose and chasing her down if we hadn't been outside. She came running straight to us just a sqwaking. Bless her heart. We'd be too heart broke if something got one of our girls so if we can't be nearby and have the dog out, they stay in their fenced in roofed in run where they're safe. Ours are for pets though so we keep pretty close tabs on them. Not worth risking losing one to one of the many hawks, owls, or eagles we have here.


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## Roslyn (Jun 21, 2012)

Mine are free range, but in a fenced area. It's about 1/16 to 1/8 of an acre all put together, but many only see the fence as something to fly over. It's an old fence and I will be replacing large chunks of it this year. I have a busy road out front and one chicken still knows there is something over there and so she has to be fenced or she will lead the whole flock into the road.


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## Apyl (Jun 20, 2012)

Mine free range, unsuprvised, and unfenced. I do not feed commercial feed during the late spring thru early fall, since they have plenty of food free ranging. 

pic is last Spring


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## thesmallholding (Feb 22, 2013)

Ours free range also, we let them out in a morning let them do there own thing all day then put them in the perch area at night, we very rarely get hens that don't go in but we always search the garden on a night for them
Anyway


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## kaufranc (Oct 3, 2012)

I am with Apyl. Ours free range all day unsupervised . Hoping our rooster will keep the in check. Our silkies are the only ones that don't roam free . They have their own little fenced in area.


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## doubleoakfarm (Jan 1, 2013)

Our hens free range from mid morning until they go in at night. By leaving them in until later in the morning the eggs end up in the nest box rather than the barn, woods, garage, grass, etc. 

The layers are big enough that hawks don't bother them and they are in before the raccoons and others are active. 

Our bantys stay in chicken tractors that move to fresh ground each day. They would get carried off otherwise. 

We do have to fence the garden both for deer and chickens.


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## ChickenAdmin (Jun 4, 2012)

Mine roam wherever they would like.


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## ThreeJ (Jun 28, 2012)

I try to keep mine back by the barn... but they end up in the front yard, back yard, garden, corn field, in the road, and across the road. So yes they do free range.


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## robopetz (Oct 16, 2012)

Mines free range in my house when I'm home, then into the room if I'm not.


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## kaufranc (Oct 3, 2012)

Lol, Robo!


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## RiverOtter54 (Feb 7, 2013)

7chicks said:


> only under supervision of one of us and the german outside to watch over them. Would have lost our sweet sophie last fall to the neighbor's dog getting lose and chasing her down if we hadn't been outside. She came running straight to us just a sqwaking. Bless her heart. We'd be too heart broke if something got one of our girls so if we can't be nearby and have the dog out, they stay in their fenced in roofed in run where they're safe. Ours are for pets though so we keep pretty close tabs on them. Not worth risking losing one to one of the many hawks, owls, or eagles we have here.


mom!!! Helpppp!!!


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## farmhand (Feb 5, 2013)

The biggest problem with free ranging chickens is free range dogs.


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## UncleJoe (Jun 23, 2012)

Yes and no. There is one group, a rooster and 5 hens, that are free range. This group helps keep the lawn bugs down and cleans and fertilizes the garden in the fall. Another group, again a rooster and 5 hens, that are contained in a fenced and roofed run. This group is our main egg suppliers. Then there is another group of 4 roosters from last summers hatching that have their own space. That's dinner.


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## fuzziebutt (Aug 7, 2012)

We couldn't. There are too many dogs in the area to allow my own pets in my own yard the run of their own yard.  If I was outside, I let them out with me, and they flocked around then, but just for an hour or so. Cryin' shame you can't enjoy what you have because the neighbor freaks think it is cruel to fence in a chicken eating dog. When the barn burned, I had no where to keep them, and I gave them all away. sigh.


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## Energyvet (Jul 25, 2012)

Mine free range all day.


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## Susanr822 (Feb 27, 2013)

Mine are lucky to free range all day. No problems so far at all.


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## ChickenAdmin (Jun 4, 2012)

farmhand said:


> The biggest problem with free ranging chickens is free range dogs.


When I was a kid we had a problem with the Chows across the street. It taught me a lot about life though.


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