Except for having hawks and coyotes and no telling what else waiting to eat my chickens (one less snake I might add), they could run loose and free range . . so long as they stay off the Highlander. Come to think of it, with that luggage rack on top, I think it could be a perfect roosting spot. For their own safety we keep them in a covered run but these chickens are such determined little critters. Yesterday I went out the garden and looked up and the chickens had climbed up a crooked tree and were jumping down . . on the outside of their pen. Vince fixed it to where they couldn’t climb the tree but when he started to go back to lunch this afternoon, I looked out and two chickens were running around in the yard. He put them back in the pen and fixed where he thought they had gone under. When I went out there a few minutes ago, three of them were out.
I threw out some scratch so they would be busy eating and I could easily catch them.
The chickens that remained inside the fence could not figure out how to get out and they were quite unhappy and very vocal that some of the chickens were free and had scratch!
I caught all three of them, though Bertha doesn’t like me one bit and having me pick her up did not make her very happy. I think I found another spot where they’re getting under the fence and I fixed it. If they can get out so easily, something could get in just as easily and eat them up so I suppose letting them run loose isn’t so bad. When I started this blog post, they were all inside the fence. I’m not even going out there now but my guess is . . same three are out again.
Shirley Albertson Owens (sao) says
You have so much fun!!!!
sao in Midlothian, VA
kwiltnkats says
What they say must be true. The grass is always greener on the other side! Loved your video by the way.
Krista says
Bet you didn’t know you were getting Houdini chickens 🙂 At least they don’t seem to go very far when they do get out.
Sharon Spingler says
Take a 2 x 4, put it along the bottom of the chicken wire and pound some long nails into it and into the ground. They can’t get out and nothing can get it…..at least under it.
Ranch Wife says
They’ll probably be fine since you put them in at night, but skunks like baby chickens too. I found out the hard way. 🙁
Cindy C says
I have always let mine free range. I have not had a problem with predators. An outside dog helps to keep coyotees and wild dogs away. We just had to always lock them up each night and let them out EARLY each morning. The only that that would get in the coop was chicken snakes. One a year. I’ve not had hawks get my chickens, but some friends have. It might depend if they have a place to run and hide. The roosters will yell an alarm and they all start running to get safe quickly.
Lucia Butler says
When we had chickens, some dogs dug under the fence and massacred the flock. My husband and father attached chicken wire around the bottom and extended it out just below the ground for about 18 inches out. No more dogs getting into the pen, and I imagine no more your chickens finding a way to get under the fence.
Lucia
Brandy M. says
Judy,
I can’t believe how big they’ve gotten already. Wow!
They’re the fastest growing animal I can think of!
🙂
Penny J Holliday says
Judy ~ When we moved here our neighbor told how his very large horse was standing alone in his unsecured pasture & was attacked & killed by a pack of 5 coyotes during the daytime. We have mini horses(some are only the size of a lrg dog), large horses & several dogs. We also have to worry about coyotes. All of our wire fencing to contain our animals & to keeps predators out is buried in the ground at least 2 ft w/ concrete footings. All horses are kept in their stalls inside the barns at night as are the dogs are brought inside, also. When our horses are in our pastures during the day they are guarded by a large great pyrenees dog.This system has worked well for us the 8 yrs that we have lived here. Penny in So CA
Tamera in ND says
When we made our chicken run, we had to bury some chicken wire several inches under the fence because the chickens would dig until they had a hole and get out. Also, as others have mentioned, there might not be as much of a predator problem as you think. You might want to get some guinea hens. They will warn chickens of any potential predators, but they’re NOISY, lol. You have to like the sounds they make, or they’ll drive you CRAZY! 🙂
Mary says
I think chickens are born escape artists! We had chicks in an open brooder in our cookhouse. They were almost ready to go outside, but the nights are still a bit cool for them. My husband came home yesterday to find the brooder empty and the chicks exploring the cookhouse. They are now in the outside pen with a heat lamp at night.
Erin says
Wow they have grown! You are doing a fabulous job with them! They must be in that “toddler” stage! Determined to find a way! Mind of their own!