I 100% disagree with advising against free range stating its dangerous to the flock. I live on a large farm, my 'girls and 2 roosters' have free range, put themselves to bed around dusk, stay close to home on their own and I never allow them to be butchered. They are layers and I sell their good eggs. The youngest girls and 1 rooster are 5 years old and the other girls and the other rooster are nearly 12 years old. They lay plenty of eggs, are my pets and know they may live out their lives until natural death. I talk to my flock, call many by name. I have never lost any to preditors and I do not baby sit them when I open the gate each morning. I lock the gate at night. During rain or winter storms I don't let them out but other wise they are allowed to roam the farm. I taught them to stay away from the road with a squirt bottle of water. They hate getting water spritzed at them. I would chase them closer to home, scolding to get back up the yard and spritzing water the whole time. It wasn't long until all I had to do was show the water sprayer and say, get back up here and they would come running back. Now they don't go near the road.
I 100% disagree with advising against free range stating its dangerous to the flock. I live on a large farm, my 'girls and 2 roosters' have free range, put themselves to bed around dusk, stay close to home on their own and I never allow them to be butchered. They are layers and I sell their good eggs. The youngest girls and 1 rooster are 5 years old and the other girls and the other rooster are nearly 12 years old. They lay plenty of eggs, are my pets and know they may live out their lives until natural death. I talk to my flock, call many by name. I have never lost any to preditors and I do not baby sit them when I open the gate each morning. I lock the gate at night. During rain or winter storms I don't let them out but other wise they are allowed to roam the farm. I taught them to stay away from the road with a squirt bottle of water. They hate getting water spritzed at them. I would chase them closer to home, scolding to get back up the yard and spritzing water the whole time. It wasn't long until all I had to do was show the water sprayer and say, get back up here and they would come running back. Now they don't go near the road.