If you can add 1 inch chicken wire to at least the stock wire, that would give them some protection, although a critter looking for dinner will dig under or climb over a fence. Some animals will attack during day light too.
I feel free ranging needs to accept that there will be some loss, at some point. But that also happens to people who keep their chickens more enclosed.
Another factor is that if the chickens have access to a porch and outdoor furniture, they will spend time there, resulting in poo'd on floors and furniture. So you might want to fence them out of your dwelling area.
Georgia
--- On Tue, 6/1/10, Shalonne Halstead <shalonne@gmail.com> wrote:
From: Shalonne Halstead <shalonne@gmail.com>
Subject: [CHICKENS-101] Free Range? Yes or no...
To: CHICKENS-101@yahoogroups.com
Date: Tuesday, June 1, 2010, 4:49 PM
Hi,
I was hoping I could get some advice on whether or not I should free range. I live in rural RI on a 3/4 acre piece of property. The back yard (where the coop will be located) is fenced in - some stockade and some chain link. Not critter proof. Area predators are coyotes, foxes, racoons, possoms and hawks. I have not seen any of the four legged animals in our actual yard. I do see hawks flying. We have several big evergreen trees and a couple of deciduous trees in our yard. I think trees provide protection from predators? We have RI Reds, Araucanas, Barred Rocks and Black sex-linked. They are all the same age born around 5/15/10. There are 12 chickens. We have no other pets. We will have a garden but it will be fenced in separately.
I would really like to free range them because I think they will be happier and healthier (other than if they get eaten) and that the eggs will taste better...But, I can make them a really nice large run if that is the best option. It will just be very expensive...
Thanks in advance!
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