We used to put our game chickens out on walks, turn them loose on farms around the country side. Course farms are getting rare now days. It was the best way to rear healthy birds, many chicks were lost but the survivors were generally good. Some of the adults would be lost too from differnt reasons, predators included. I no longer allow them to roost in trees as they are too valuable and I keep smaller numbers. It is a healthy way for them to live tho. As long as they live!

i can see people having problems from roosting in the trees, but i've had none so far. i have two that go to a tree at night and three that stay down.

i personally think that while it can be good to have them penned in, that like you said there is also an element of protection by having them able to flee more easily. if something comes along they're not trapped.

where do yours sleep?

my two that sleep in the tree go to the same part of one fence each day at the same time, then fly from there to the top of another fence then fly to a low branch of the tree. then with a hop skip and a jump they are up near the top.

they always hang out near the same area so i'm guessing they've not had attempted attacks there.

i had one "non flying" chicken once follow them up on the first fence. she considered for quite a while following them the rest of the way and then decided to get back down.

she and her pack sleep in a brushpile though sometimes in a chicken shed.

In my high school years, I had peafowl that slept in a large pinetree each night. They had no problems there. Someone saw my peafowl, and then gave me three silver pheasants and for a few months they hung around. The silvers were very tame and would come out of the woods and eat corn out of my hand. They slept in a medium sized water oak ...for a while.

I live in the deep south and aside from rounding them up for a hurricane, they ran loose.

The silvers disappeared one by one. A hen showed up a few hundred yards down the street and joined a neighbors big barnyard full of chickens, geese and ducks.

When I went to college I gave my peafowl to someone. Now I have 32 acres where I hope to try the ideas I find here.

I have heard of silvers hanging around when released. They will easily cross with chickens. One of my silver cocks got loose and hung around for quite a while then just walked away 1 day as I watched him go. not much I could do at that point!

We have about 30-Rhode Island Red hens in a coop with an enclosed run. They stay in the hen house or run all the time. Haven't lost one yet (5-yrs). These are our main egg layers.

We also have a few free range chickens that hang around the barn area. All of these chickens but 3 roost in the barn loft or rafters; they roost in the top of a Box Elder.

These chickens lay as well...but they run with 2 rosters and we try and leave their clutches alone. It is awesome seeing a hen lay on her eggs. Then when you least expect it...you go to the barn to feed and there are baby chicks running everywhere.

Merry CHRISTmas everyone!

Brian

Mine free-range in our apple orchard and love to roost in the trees at night - they all do. The do have a hen house and a roost but they prefer the trees, apart from shutting them in at night they won't roost on their perches. I think it might be a bit healthier for them than sitting together along perches. I have noticed that they don;t sit together on the branches - they spread out. We don't have predators like you do though.

Buckeye... There are few sights as beautiful to me as a hen followed by her chicks in a free range setting.

Maiseynz... Apple trees aren't that tall, right? Do they choose the apple trees over a taller tree?

Merry Christmas!

I have 7 in a mixed flock, mine are like maiseynz, we have provided for them and other flocks have used the barn and perches, but this flock just love the trees, they all but one, roost in one cedar tree that has a low branch. I have two white rock and they are just beautiful up in the tree when I go out to them they coo to me and each other very peaceful and so sweet. When I talk to them they coo just alittle louder. I don't know why the one doesen't roost she is not heavier then the others and she walks around at roost time looking up at them like she wants to roost, then goes into the barn finally. I used to try to get them to roost in the barn but they like the tree. and knock on wood I haven't lost any to predators yet. but we have too small dogs that feel that it is their duty to watch over my hens and that helps tremendously.

see you soon

CI

Hello Ingenue

Your flock chooses a cedar tree? That makes sense because most cedar trees are thick enough to provide some wind protection and maybe hide them a bit from owls.

I wonder if southern magnolias might make a good roost tree?

Good luck with your flock!

Terry

After a little while predators figure it out and you lose em. Mine went to owls.

I've had chickens that roosted in trees.At one point it was because the coop they were housed in was torn down and they refused to use the new one.I did have losses,to both coyotes and weather.The same thing happened when I closed them in at night though so I don't believe that it matters where birds roost.If a predator is going to get the birds it will regardless of where they are roosting.Sherry

If you build a secure coop, you shouldn't lose birds to predators. Well.... ermine seem to get through anything.

I think chickens roosting unsecured are doomed- I've tried it enough times that I give up. Don't forget- chickens can't see in the dark. They are completely helpless in the dark.

Around here a chicken in the tree is there because that's where that owl or hawk left them. Mine are free range in the daylight but hen house at night.

A determined predator will do amazing things for a chicken dinner.I once had a skunk and raccoon in my coop at the same time.The skunk was in the rabbit side of the chicken house and the raccoon was helping itself to a chicken dinner.I know how the raccoon got in,he/she tore a hole in the roof.Not as sure about the skunk as there were no holes for it to enter through.Sherry

I can't imagine that roosting in trees at night is safe at all, birds are very helpless at night and can't see anything. As long as you have a coop that is safe (not lifted up chicken wire bottoms, locked tight and all that, you shouldn't have any problems. We let ours out during the day to range, and put them to bed inside at night. I've lost too many guineas by letting them stay outside. Sometimes they won't come in, but it's better to keep them inside at night.

I have some 30 chickens, and are going to order 25 more from McMurray soon. DONT LET THEM ROOST OUTSIDE! My mom had about 15 Araucanas, and they roosted outside for about a week before a predator got all of them. Also remember that night is when most predators strike. Chickens are helpless enough in the day, and even then they would be no match for a wandering fox. At night, raccoons, foxes, owls, and weasels come out to hunt, and a tree full of chickens is like a giant shishkabob. The chickens would have no time to react, and even if they could, they would be no match for a predator. Keep them inside a totally enclosed coop, and they will probably be fine. Remember, there is strength in numbers.

In order to discourage roosting in trees, keep newly introduced chickens in the coop for two weeks. Don't even let them out during the day. This will teach them where home is.

Guess this is a late response but I have a friend whose entire small flock was wiped out by a predator. I have had chickens for 14 years and lost many to predators no matter how diligent I was at confining them for safety. My current flock has been the safest by roosting in trees. I also have two Great Pyrenese who guard all the farm animals- goats, sheep, chickens, geese, ponies and pigs, as well as the cats and smaller dogs. It has been my best investment in predator prevention. I do lose some eggs, however, as the dogs and raccoons steal the eggs. Owls and hawks get the chicks although some have survived and are now egg layers. It is just nature, I guess.

Hi
The zone link isn't working. I live in southern NY near the NJ border in a little blue collar onion farming villagem, in an old farmhouse on 7/8 of an acre.

Our Yokohama rooster (a rescue from a neighbor who died) roosts in the big Spruce tree situated near the fence between the chicken run and the backyard. I am worried about his health during the winter weather. No one mentioned weather in this discussion. Any comments? Should we make him a create up in the tree? One of the Leghorn hens sits up there with him. The other 11 birds (all rescue) willinging march into the coop.
Thanks for any help!
Anne

When I was growing up on the farm we had lots of chickens. No pen, just a place for them to lay their eggs. They roosted in the trees, roamed around the farm.

We never lost a chicken to any predators, except Mom! If a predator is near they will know. They will start clucking to warn others. If they are in the trees they are in a good position to escape! If it is a climber, they will wait until it starts climbing and fly to the ground and run like hell.

I won't let my chickens roost in a tree. Their run is open top and this area has two citrus trees. My six hens roosted in the trees one day when I got home too late to lock them in their coop. Next day, there was chicken feathers all over the backyard. One hen was dead in my yard and two at the neighbor's backyard. I believe racoons were able to pull the hens off the tree.

We have 8 chickens: 4 are Easter eggers (2 hens/2 roosters) that we got as chicks. We trained them to sleep in a coop. We adopted two barred Plymouth Rocks, and what we thought was another Speckled Sussex but who may in truth be a Jubilee Orpington. These hens were 2 months from laying when we got them. They lived in a pretty primitive setting, roosting on a chain link dog kennel. When we brought them to our house they switched to trees. When Hurricane Sandy came through we put them in the chicken coop. We had an owl hooting in the next maple tree over from the hens when they were tree roosting. I'm afraid to let them out again. We did wake up one morning to a raccoon running after one of our tree hens, yet another reason we would prefer they stay in the coop at night. Our final chicken, a true speckled Sussex, was in the hen house when her coop mate, a Buff Orpington, was taken out by a fox. She refused to go back in there after that so we had to bring her in until the new coop we were building was finished. Once the coop was finished we put her out there in it but every night she still asks to come in. We used to lay a 2X4 across a bathroom sink but honestly I got tired of cleaning up chicken poop. I've since ordered a chicken diaper. If she is still asking to come in when it arrives I will bring her in and let her sleep in the house. The things we do for our chickens!

My chickens roost in the barn near the ceiling where I put up limbs and boards for them to sit on. They go in and out on their own. Only one year did the flock choose to roost in a cedar tree. It was cooler there and they did fine. I don't think anything ever got one in the barn on their high roosts.

The greatest protection of all time is the Great Pyrenese dogs. They even chase crows out of the yard. But they go through a LOT of expensive dog food doing it. At one point I thought the dogs were eating eggs. It turned out that I had a black snake problem. Things got pretty exciting. Finally i had to kill the snakes, even though I hated to do it.

We live in Queenstown, New Zealand, on a rural lifestyle property (about 10 acres). We don't have predators here. No foxes, badgers, wild dogs, owls, snakes, spiders, or anything really. The only things around our property are deer, alpaca, cows, horses, sheep and other chickens (plus our two pet cats - one a hunter). There may be the occasional possum but they leave the chickens alone. We had two chickens and then one sadly passed away a couple of weeks ago (she had a tumour). We then got two more this last weekend. Our resident chicken lives in the coop but her wee ladder leads straight into the outside (no run). When we got our new two we popped them into the berry cage (with a dog house as their makeshift coop to keep them separated from the incumbent one). Within 30 mins of getting the new ones home I was trying to put some more water into the berry cage (which is relatively big) and the two new chickens bolted. I was gutted!!! We tried to chase them for a little while to try and put them back into their new home (they are 22 week old hyline chickens) then realised it was better to try and get them to trust me a bit more before trying to chase them. Over the last few days, they have been more and more friendly and have been integrating well with our incumbent chicken (although she is definitley the boss). The two new chickens are roosting in one of the trees on our property. Our property is covered in trees so they are out of sight, warm and protected. We would like them to roost in the coop though but they are so hard to catch, any advice? Should we keep trying to gain their trust and then try and catch them or lure them with treats into the coop? Any advice would be well appreciated :)

Alaina, I now have only two hens. Every once in awhile they decide to roost in a tree, but I can usually coax them to come down by offering treats, i.e. only if I catch them when they first go up on the tree. I use a plastic cup with some scratch/grains in it and shake that. They know when they hear that rattling they are getting the scratch they love. So whenever I want to locked them up, I just rattle the cup, then throw some grains in the coop and they run in. Definitely try coaxing them into the coop using treats. Let us know how it works out.

Been a long time since anyone posted here.. But I thought I'd give it a go. I live in an area of HIGH predators. I have 2 coops, which 1 has my established flock and the other had the new hens and some rooster's. Well, there was a break in the door of the "new" coop, and we found this out by coming to a scene of horror. One chicken leg with no sign of a body, one chicken with it's head missing, and one that was barely alive and had to be let go from his misery. Needless to say- we had some hens that REFUSED to go back in at night. The next night I put a covering over the entry point and checked on it throughout the night (only until about 1am b/c I found 3 juvenile raccoons inside eating chicken food before, no doubt, another massacre. So I "took care" of that quickly, and covered things much better, fixed the entry point in the morning for good...But there was STILL no getting the hens back in. My black white faced Spanish hens stay in the coop- but the 8 leghorn refused. I try to go out and protect them through the night. Chased some predators away- but still lost 3 hens. I'm grateful to still have the 5. So... Tonight, I FINALLY figured how to get them in the coop- and one by one I did it. I then moved the Spanish hens to the established coop with the new leghorn girls. But as my daughter was closing up the coop- she found that our feisty buff Orpington had at least 3 baby chicks.... I'm thrilled about that! But, I am concerned b/c the plan was to keep everyone inside to get them used to the coop & the situation. I've HATED them in the tree's. Losing 3 hurts- and I would've lost many more if it weren't for sleepless nights. So the ONE night I finally got them in- with the plan to keep them there at least a week or so- I find out chicks are involved. Any idea's??? B/c they're all normally free range. The last time there were chicks- even with a bantam Silkie as their mama- they were fine and still with us. So. It's a big coop, they all get lots of food, water and love. But the new 5 hens are absolutely not used to us #1 and scared of coops #2. I can't stomach the thought of losing one more to the tree's! But I also cannot imagine losing any Of the new chicks b/c I'm making free range chickens stay in the coop!!! (20 hens total & 2 bantam rooster's that are actually dominant among the rooster's from other coop and are fanatic and living protectors of the girls. They were AMAZING protectors or the last chick- but Idk if it's b/c the mama and baby were bantam?) Should I move the mama and baby's? Should I keep all as is & hope for the best, or should I give up on the MONTHS is taken me to finally get the tree dwelling girls to the coop and allow them all to free range per usual!?! Please please if you read this and have ANY insight please help. I don't wish to let any out...I'm so glad I don't have to worry about going out at night to protect the girls in the tree- and I was hoping to use this time to bond with them as I have my other girls (which yes, many are leghorn and they are SO loving and fun. I don't have one chicken owning neighbor who isn't jealous of the relationship I have w/my leghorn. They are so sweet if raised on LOVE!) But I am SHOCKED at my buff Orpington's strength- all 4 of mine are that way! Will they be ok?? She ran a rooster off that got in the coop w/her chicks when my Daughter found them and my daughter said all looked well...shall I keep them in as planned... Or should the new chicks have a normal surrounding to Benin their lives??? HELP

Our chickens roost in the trees at night. We've had cats and raccoons try to climb up there and get them but the rooster is vigilant and makes a scene. Everyone moves up higher in the tree. The only problem is the chicks. One of the hens began roosting again before her babes could get up the tree. We had to pin them until their flight feathers grew.

We stopped keeping them in coops after a stray cat attack leaving one rooster and one hen alive. The trees have been much safer. We've lost no chickens in the last year other than chicks who got swept up in a tropical storm.