Free range is easy

Free range is easy but something I can only do in the winter because they will not stay out of my garden.

Forgot to add ... nice pictures. (and thanks for posting them.)

 

my wife had just planted the garden & then guess what ...... one of our orpingtons thought it would be a cool place to scratch around.
she ran em off & i put up a 4' high fence that day around the whole garden. problem solved.



good luck
piglett

 

I free range as well and have agarden. I uses plastic deer fence to keep the chickens and ducks out and the fencing is only $20 for 110'.





Ducks under the kids trampoline



This last pic back in April, my husband and I just cut up the tree so they all had to check it out.

 

I let my bigger girls out to free range only when I am home and outside to supervise. We have too many dogs that roam our area, including one of mine that will eat them. I have to make sure the one dog is in the dog pen before letting them out. She is relentless, and I have not been able to break her of wanting to make a snack out of them. My cat loves the chickens and has been around them since they were a day old.

 

Plastic deer fencing! Brilliant! Thanks for sharing that idea! JA

 

Here is my Mama Barred Rock from two years ago. She gave me four boys and one girl. The girl was taken by a hawk, but the four boys are still around. The two yellow balls of fluff are now my big boys Hamish and Angus. Sons of Pepper!!

The other is my lovely Cocky Rocky. Tamsin is behind him, they are Araucanas. He has stopped traffic when he is taking some girls on a tour of the front yard. And he is top cock in the flock!!

 

Great pictures!

On a side note my farm is fenced and cross fenced. My garden is 2 acres and fenced but it has not stopped the deer nor the rouge chicken from getting in there and giving it good trashing. lol

So I opt to keep them in a run and the deer in the freezer.

 

Here are my free rangers, i love their freedom.. and they do too... however i sometimes have to follow them to see where the new "nests" are located.. lol

 

Look at that cute kitty imitating the chickens taking a bath

 

I let my chickens free range with the horses plus they have an extra area that the horses can't get to where I keep their feeders. The young white orpington, in the puddle, stood there looking around for about 5 minutes before she decided that it was safe to walk back out...lol!

 

Can you show a pic of the deer fence and where did you get it (especially for that price)?

 

Ace is the place: http://www.buyacehardware.com/deer-x-garden-fencing-75999.html

 

I got my deer fence at Tractor Supply, here is a pic I found on google. This is exactly what my fence looks like. I found it in the garden section. I also used some of it to cover my rooster pen so they couldnt get out. It unfold to be 7 feet tall and comes in 120' long rolls for $19.99

 

The heavier plastic "snow fence" type of temporary fencing (available in green or orange) is much easier to work with than this "netting" material and animals/birds/reptiles wont get tangled in the fence like it will in the "netting"!!! Earlier this week I had to cut a 4' Black Snake out of some "netting" I use around my coops to keep wildbirds out of the chicken feed/waterers....after several years of using these nylon "netting" materials I am beginning to dislike the stuff more and more.....can't tell you how many chickens have gotten tangled and cut their feet so bad they had to be killed. Just something to keep in mind....

 

+1 on that Buckeye!

 

What do you guys to about the predator risk? I have dens of foxes + hawks that come around often.

 

Grow_your_brew

What are chicken saddles?

 

I can't wait to get my chickens to free range... I am very concerned about hte dogs and am going to have to introduce the chickens to the yard slowly wiht just one or two dogs out while they get used to each other... I think its going to be a long process getting everyone together