Free Range Chickens!

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To any anyone homesteading today or backyard chicken keeper, this term has a whole different meaning. To us, it means our flock is allowed to be outside of a confined area for all or part of the day. It may be within a fenced pasture, in your backyard, or out in the open fields. But the flock is allowed to move around in nature at will.

I was born and raised on a farm, and I’ve had my own flock for more than 30 years. When I say my birds are free ranged I mean they are allowed free access to the great outdoors. They have a large chicken yard to roam around in before I open the gates for free ranging. I feed my chickens once a day. They are allowed to come and go as they please from their chicken yard most of the day.

If it’s breeding time for the hawks, I feed the flock in the morning and let them out a little later. They’re allowed to roam until they put themselves up to roost at night. From late fall through winter, I let them out in the morning and feed them around 5 PM to put them back in their yard. I do this because of the chicken predators roaming the farm during these hours of the winter. As with everything, it’s relative to where you live, how you live, and what you want for your flock.

Free ranging your chickens in the winter is a little different, especially if you live in an area with a lot of snow. Chickens will stay close to the coop and will not scratch through deep snow for food. We don’t get much, if any, snow so my flock has the opportunity to free range most all the winter. Except on the worst of days, I open the gates and let them do as they please.

When the winter weather keeps your flock confined to a chicken pen and run, keeping your chickens entertained makes things easier on them. Many people who have backyard chickens as a hobby, have chicken swings for them, some tie special toys in their coops or runs and others offer them special treats. Now, I’m an old fashioned sustenance farmer and don’t go in for those things. I offer them special things like hot oatmeal, baked squash, or pumpkins when it’s really cold. I put bales of hay in their yard to give them something to scratch through, that’s about it.

Chickens are equipped to handle some cold weather and even some snow and ice, but they are susceptible to frost bite, especially on their cones and wattles. Providing them a snow free area to scratch around in is appreciated, I’m sure.

There’s always the question, Do chickens need heat in the winter? As you know, I’m not for forcing anyone to think like me (that would be scary), or to do things my way. As my grandfather taught me, “There’s as many ways of gettin’ a farm job done as there’s farmers. Ya gotta be willing to listen, help, and learn from ’em, even if it’s just to see what not to do.”