Free range chickens?

[St. Phatty]

One observation about free-range -
The Coop always becomes a death trap.

I started training some new chickens, after losing 2 in June - my fault.

The new chickens sleep about 5 feet off the ground, and have no walls around them.

The typical coop denies the birds their primary STRENGTH when dealing with predators - their ability to fly.


Of course, I still have predators, mainly hawks and foxes, that will attack during the day.

Having a rooster helps there - he is programmed to die attacking a predator, which gives the hens time to run and hide.

 

[KONY]

Do you fence of a large section of property? How do you keep predators out?

I have many fox, mink, coyote around all the time. I'm not sure how I would keep them out yet maintain free range.

Tons of fox and coyote around here. I think the general idea is that you can't always keep them out, however if the birds are free range and have a rooster around, the odds of them getting away are much greater, or atleast not all of them getting killed.

We got extra chickens last spring with the idea we might lose a few in the process. Most of those predators are out during the twilight hours and dark, so keeping them enclosed during that time period greatly increased their chances of survival also.

One observation about free-range -
The Coop always becomes a death trap.

I started training some new chickens, after losing 2 in June - my fault.

The new chickens sleep about 5 feet off the ground, and have no walls around them.

The typical coop denies the birds their primary STRENGTH when dealing with predators - their ability to fly.


Of course, I still have predators, mainly hawks and foxes, that will attack during the day.

Having a rooster helps there - he is programmed to die attacking a predator, which gives the hens time to run and hide.

So far our biggest predators to the chickens at this place have been loose neighbors dogs and some sorta large bird of prey. It was awesome watching our Guinea Fowl fight and chase away that large bird. I dont think the predator had any idea the Guinea was there, or how loud they can be.

 

[Borderliner]

we have mountain cats around here one went thru a herd of sheep on a killing spree and killed a bunch

 

[Gry]

Once had property that had peafowl on it and those birds knew no fear.
Did not seem to matter what it was. Old dogs knew better, and the young ones learned quickly.
Cats seemed to know better than to even try with the little ones.

 

[Lester Beans]

I do have a large fenced in field but that's my garden for my vegetable business. I am not sure what chicken would do to a veggie garden?

 

[mean mr.mustard]

You should see what they are doing to plants.

They keep them crowded and don't let them move at all.

It's barbaric... No shelter or clothing either.

Vegetarians are monsters!

 

[Jhhnn]

I do have a large fenced in field but that's my garden for my vegetable business. I am not sure what chicken would do to a veggie garden?

Bad things, man. Bad things. Chickens will tear up a garden.

 

[DoubleTripleOG]

As stupid as chickens are, they can be trained to run "free range" during the day, and go into the safe locked up coop at night. Watched it happen my whole life on my grandmothers farm. Even participated in it. Eggs from local farm raised chickens are always better than store bought imo.

I think part of the chickens going back inside at dark, was how ell they were fed and watered. My grandmother used to hatch wild turkey eggs in an incubator and raise them. Had a Tom get so huge one time, it couldn't fly anymore. Died of cardiac arrest sitting in it's pen made just for him, lol.

 

[stoned-trout]

Mmmmmm chicken......Yeehaw..I stuff chorizo under skin and roast

 

[growingcrazy]

I do have a large fenced in field but that's my garden for my vegetable business. I am not sure what chicken would do to a veggie garden?

In the fall after we are mostly done with the gardens I will open them up to the egg layers. I just put mobile electric fence around late season crops.

The first year I ran Cornish Rocks across the garden, all 8 weeks they were outside... Talk about adding some shit to your garden... I apply some lime and gypsum and then let it break down all winter. Black gold is what you get in the spring.

Chickens are your best investment if you want to make money (good soil) on a small scale farm. So many uses...

 

[Satyros]

We don't have a fence; our chickens mostly stay on the yard, for whatever reason, they don't go far away.

I think they are a bit *too* free range, as they eat the cat food and sh!t all over the back steps.

They do return to a coop at night; locked them up for about two weeks, then when you let them out, they know where they sleep.

They are bad news for gardens, but you can psychologize them a little bit. They peck at anything small, just to see what it is, which will wipe out seedlings immediately. They don't eat them though. They mostly eat stuff, that, if it seems edible to you, that's what they want. But, if they have abundant food sources elsewhere, plants are not their first choice, plus, a relatively flimsy fence will kill their interest in anything.

Free range definitely sends us on an Easter egg hunt. Different nests every few days. A week or so ago, I burned a pile of brush, and when it was finished, there were at least a dozen...heavily roasted...eggs from them nesting there.

Otherwise, the product is amazing. We have a couple green egg layers, and one of our friends found a triple yolk. Best source of protein for a human, just too much cholesterol to eat eggs all the time. I also find that the Polish ones can become vaguely pet-like. And as of this post, they are now free ranging in their first snow for the season.