Taking free ranging to the ridiculous

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sandy
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Taking free ranging to the ridiculous

Post by sandy »

Driving from the cumberland basin up a steep hill that had a 70 mph limit I couldn't believe my eyes! There was a layby and on the small grass verge right next to the road I spotted hens. I swung the car into the layby(sorry driver behind :oops: ) I leapt out already to rescue the little golden bantam and straggly feathered warren from the fast traffic. They were pootling about quite unfazed. There was a high hedge , I couldnt see any farms or houses. There were a lot of other cars parked up, I asked a few drivers if they knew if there was a farm near here, one man said why, no one had even seen the hens, really!Finding a gap in the hedge there was a pathway upto an equestrian centre with big gates with warnings about dogs on them. I pushed the buzzer on the gate and a lady's voice came over the tannoy. I asked if they kept hens, oh yes she said I expect you have seen out two hens in the layby. She told me they liked it there and were always wandering into the layby there was no need to worry as they were free ranging hens. Okay I wouldn't whisk them away to safety then, I drove off still not feeling happy
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albertajune
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Re: Taking free ranging to the ridiculous

Post by albertajune »

There is a chicken farm near me from where hens forage everywhere, inluding on the grass verge outside the farm. There is a very large barn and yard, fields and the farmhouse front garden. Chickens can be seen in all these places but for some the grass is greener outside the gate. I have never seen one in the road and all appear very happy. I can understand why you worry at this degree of free ranging but that is what it is. I'm sure that the owners would restrain them if they had losses because of their roaming. I would be more worried about foxes.
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bikesandbirdsbob
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Re: Taking free ranging to the ridiculous

Post by bikesandbirdsbob »

That's it then , let my flock out on the road s. Least the rabbit cannot be blamed for them crossing the road.
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manda
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Re: Taking free ranging to the ridiculous

Post by manda »

Come to NZ ...they're by roads all over the place. Have to be honest living over here I don't think about it anymore ...the good thing is we don't have foxes :-D
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KathJ
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Re: Taking free ranging to the ridiculous

Post by KathJ »

There's a farm at the end of our lane and you quite often see a few girls on the side of the very very busy main road scratching about, they don't seem bothered. As Manda says they FR quite often in NZ. When we were there we'd pull into a layby or parking area and they'd be all around the car with no sight of a farm or house nearby.
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