Free Range-looking for advice

[farmerjan]

Wow, that would be incredibly disheartening!

It was more than just disheartening..... it was past ridiculous. And many of the eagles in this area are chipped so you can't SSS. Listened to some neighbors that just thought the eagle was soooooo beautiful.... and then complained when I was getting $5 doz for free range pastured hen eggs.... yet they also said it was such a shame that more people didn't have chickens that weren't in a pen.... and they are in a subdivision that has so many restrictive covenants that you can't have even "pet chickens"..... .

Couldn't shoot the miserable eagle... and I finally quit raising and selling eggs.... The whole idea was to have them out at pasture following the cattle around and helping to spread the cow patties and eating fly larvae and such in the piles...

 

[JanetMarie]

I'll only free range chickens. Have had a fox one year that killed most of them. We fenced approximately 1.5 acres with electric to get rid of the fox problem. One neighbor is close and one trio would visit her, which she loved. The neighbor missed "her chickens" that would come to visit after the fence went up.

The other side of the property is a neighbor woods, and there are some that have jumped the fence to dig there. My Ameraucana mixes jump/fly through the back gate to forage in the woods, and have seen evidence of evading predators, and still they choose to take their chances. My only pure Ameraucana was killed outside the gate that she jumped over. I don't chase after the ones who break the safety barrier.

 

[FarmerJamie]

With my 20+ flock, they only free ranged when I was outside working in the gardens, etc. Or when the kids were out. Luckily we had few predators, it may have helped that the dogs considered themselves to be part of the flock, too

 

[Trying2keepitReal]

so after reading everyone's comments, advice, experiences, etc. I will more than likely just build a bigger run area for the current coop and then build a similar sized one for the new coop that is a coming and keep them all safe and snuggly. thank you all for the guidance, i appreciate it.

 

[tortoise]

It was more than just disheartening..... it was past ridiculous. And many of the eagles in this area are chipped so you can't SSS. Listened to some neighbors that just thought the eagle was soooooo beautiful.... and then complained when I was getting $5 doz for free range pastured hen eggs.... yet they also said it was such a shame that more people didn't have chickens that weren't in a pen.... and they are in a subdivision that has so many restrictive covenants that you can't have even "pet chickens"..... .

Couldn't shoot the miserable eagle... and I finally quit raising and selling eggs.... The whole idea was to have them out at pasture following the cattle around and helping to spread the cow patties and eating fly larvae and such in the piles...

Did your DNR help? We had a protected predator (a badger) destroying our blueberry bushes. The DNR was willing to give a special tag/permit to harvest it. But they also let us know about the habits of juvenile males - they tend to wander through. So we waited it out and it left in a couple months. Had it stayed we would have harvested it.

I doubt a bald eagle could be taken legally, but I wonder if they might relocate it? Maybe a moot point for you. We have had bald eagle problems, but they moved on pretty quickly after we cooped the chickens. But we have so many bald eagles here that relocating one would not make a difference.

 

[farmerjan]

Talked to the wildlife guy.... these eagles had been relocated to an area a little ways off with a river for fishing access... was told there was nothing they could do... we had to fence/pen the livestock from the eagle.
This eagle found better pickings than to have to actually fish or hunt for his meal..... I mean really.... why work for a meal when it is being handed to you.....
No, there is no way to get a permit to dispense with the eagle. The sorry s.o.b. was sitting eating a hen right by the coop/trailer when I drove up with water and all one day after letting them out earlier... It dared me to come close to the door to the trailer... Wings spread, practically hissing and coming....hopping like..... towards me.... good thing I didn't have the gun with me that trip or it would have been dead.... I had a shovel in the back of the truck and took a couple swings at it and it finally took off....
They may be "majestic" to look at... but out west of here in the next county, they will attack and kill and take off with baby lambs. Farmers out there hate them with a passion and they are called "white headed vultures"... been a few found mysteriously dead.....