why the cage?

Of the many farms I have been to, cages for chickens were non existent. They are soo cheap at the local country auctions that the few that were caught by hawks were just chucked up to natural selection and ended up a healthy and smart flock. The coop was placed in a wide open area, off the ground with a ramp going up. Opened every morning, eggs collected and shut at sunset to keep the foxes and coyotes out. They are domesticated animals and open to training, especially if faced with a life or death choice. Their wings were not even clipped.

kcrashcore wrote:
the few that were caught by hawks were just chucked up to natural selection

The first year I tried free range we lost one pullet a day to a large hawk, until we had very very few chickens.  A few years later I'm trying free range again and so far we don't have a resident hawk this time.  So far, so good.

Why the cage?  Because at certain times of year, I want my garden and flowers and porch to be chicken-free.