[NormandyMary]

I used to free range my birds and they used to have a grand old life. They would wander for hours only coming back at bed time. However, I lost so many to foxes, my nerves couldnt stand losing any more. So we built a nice run, bought a new house to go in it and got some more birds. Months ago, despite an electric fence, we lost 3 to Mr Fox. Since then with all the bad weather, their run is no more than a mud bath. Well, this morning when I let them out, I couldnt stand it any longer. I came back and talked it over with OH, and we decided to open up the gate of their run to let them out to sample all the lush grass that surrounds their pen. The gate has been open for about 6 hours now, and only 2, Jethro the cockerel and Miss Red have ventured out. Trouble is my heart is in my mouth worried about the foxes, but I have the "boys" (goats) running around too, so hopefully it will put them off, plus the fact that the local hunt is out and about today. Its so hard to know what's best for the chooks, but I feel that even though their run is large, its no life for them all penned up and its been praying on my mind for ages. I just hope they remember to go to bed when it gets dark!

[Beewyched]

It's so lovely to see them free-ranging - the only drawback is when they find new hidey spots to lay in.
Could you possibly let them out during the day & call them back to the run mid-afternoon with a corn "bribe"?  It'll give them the freedom to range & hopefully be safer behind the fence for the while before they're getting ready to go to bed 

[jaykay]

I thought that, let them out when you're about and then call them in with corn or something, then you get the best of both worlds. I think the goats would keep a fox away while they're about.

[MAK]

i started to let them out in the morning them call them when I ratteled their grains in a plastic bucket. They returned for their food and now I can leave them out all day and get them back in their enclosure with the same trick. They are under curfew just now as they keep jumping up for the raspberries.

[doganjo]

I do it the other way round - my dogs have the run of the paddock during the day, hopefully keeping Mr Fox at bay, and the hens get out to free range for a couple of hours before bed time and take them selves in for their supper.

[NormandyMary]

I had no need to worry, by the time I'd put the boys to bed, all the chooks had taken themselves to bed in their little house. From what I could tell, only 4 of the 6 birds decided to take the leap outside of their run, but Im sure they were told how lovely it was by the others at bedtime. Ill let them out with the boys when I know we are going to be in all day, just so that I can keep an eye on them.

[NormandyMary]

Im still letting the birds out of their run every morning, and I think the girls appreciate it, as Jethro doesnt seem to be "bothering them" so much and they are looking much healthier. I think that when they were all penned up, the boy was so bored he just jumped onto the poor girls' backs at every occasion so they were going bald. Add that to the two that are having a quick moult and you can imagine what they looked like. I think I'd rather they have a short happy life than a boring long one, and with the "boys" out with them Mr Fox will I hope keep away.

[jaykay]

I'm sure they're much happier being out and aboutn
Ha, I have a Jethro too but mine's my daft boy cat 

[NormandyMary]

Birds are still free ranging, but they dont roam too far from their run. Only now, just as it starts to get cold, they have all started to moult, and its a quick  moult too. Even Jethro has a bald bum! So Im not getting any eggs at all which is a great disappointment as I probably wont get any now until the spring. Ive usually been lucky with winter laying, but Im not holding my breath this year!