I had to learn the hard way that allowing our chickens to free-range in the yard — as some experts advise — leads to my having to free-range the yard as well: removing poop from the patio, replacing mulch and replanting uprooted flowers. Oh, you too?
So perhaps the term “free-range” overprom-ises just a bit. It’s not really free if you have to give up your free time to fix things. Maybe a term such as “home-range” would be more accurate — meaning that we give the chickens special places where they can feel like they’re home-on-the-range and we feel like we’re home free.
Shawn and Stephanie Jadrnicek’s front yard is a poultry pasture full of while clover, grasses and other chicken treats, including bugs. A portable electric poultry netting encloses it, keeping four-legged predators away.
PHOTOS BY SHAWN JADRNICEK