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sari

Free Ranging whilst out at work??

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although I don't work, I did let my hens free range all the time. We had 2 foxwatches, where worked to a point. I think you might need to move them around, to confuse the fox.

 

I went along with the view that I'd rather my girls were happy 'living' rather than being cooped up - which they absolutely HATED !

 

2 Hens were taken by the fox, one at night time (hubby too late in closing the eglu door) & one daylight snatch by the sly fox. These were my casulties in 17 mths, which isn't too bad... :think: especially as one girl was an ex batt & really living on borrowed time.

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I let my chooks FR all day. At the moment I'm on mat leave so tend to be in the house. Normally as a nurse my shifts can mean leaving the house at 06.30 and not returning until 21:00, or on nights so asleep during the daylight hours. For me, I would much prefer they live a happy naturally free life and risk the predators that are a part of that, than keep them cooped up. With 16 chooks at the moment, there's no way I could have a WIR for them so it's their shed/coop and that leads directly onto the garden. Keeping them in wouldn't be an option as the shed doesn;t have a run and would involve large scale construction - something I cannot afford.

 

One day, Mr Renard will come and devastate my flock and my heart... it's almost a certainty not a possibility. It's some thing I had to think long and hard about, but I came to the decision that for me as a pagan, I couldn't keep them cooped up any more than keeping my cat in just one room, or never taking my son out and about. If I had the money I would build a HUGE WIR but hey ho, finances wont permit (or space!)

 

come on lottery!!

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Well, as the WIR shoul be finished this weekend, I am planning on keeping them in, when I'm at work...I know if I didn't work, I would let them out all the time......but am making a decision based on " factors" as Davis Brent would say...the WIR will be split level, and interesting, and they'll have FR in the afternoon....

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