Free-ranging or fenced run - found a stat that surprised me

I read on the University of Georgia extension site that free-range hens only lay about 15% fewer eggs per year, but their mortality rate jumps from like 3% to over 30% from predators. Which do you prioritize - better production with safety, or more natural behavior with higher risk?

2 comments

2 Comments

jana_price4h ago

Why are we so scared of losing a few birds to predators when we're talking about letting them actually live like chickens should? I mean sure the mortality rate is higher but those 30% probably had a better quality of life than the 3% that sat in a sterile run eating pellets every day... Nature is harsh but that's the deal when you let animals be animals. Plus I've noticed my free-range flock is way healthier overall less respiratory issues and their eggs taste noticeably different in a good way. Maybe we're overthinking the numbers and forgetting what we're actually trying to do here which is raise happy birds not just maximize egg output.

john_murphy2h ago

Wait, are you seriously saying losing 3 out of every 10 chickens is fine just because they got to run around a bit? I mean that's a huge loss for a small farm or backyard setup. Not everyone can just eat that kind of cost and keep going. And let's not pretend those 30% are dying gently in their sleep - they're getting ripped apart by foxes or hawks while they're just trying to peck at some grass. That's not quality of life, that's a nightmare ending for most of them. Plus you're ignoring that a lot of those "sterile runs" people use are actually designed to keep birds healthy, not just maximize eggs. My buddy had a free range flock that got wiped out by avian flu last year because they mixed with wild birds. His neighbor with the enclosed run? Zero losses. So yeah, nature is harsh, but I'm not sure I signed up to be the one feeding my birds to the local coyote population just so I can feel good about their "freedom.