Keeping Chickens Free Range

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dadeo said:
I have a new question. My 4 month old mixed breed flock has been free ranging for a few weeks now. I have to confess to not counting them every single night on the roosts, but when I did I came up two short. One was under the coop so I dragged him out, but after another three days I wrote off the second. Then one morning when I was checking my gigs I swore I heard a chicken, but came up empty handed after digging around the tall grass and blackberries. Two days later I saw the RIR darting through the hog pens to snag some corn and water. She escaped just ahead of the posse of pigs sent to bring her to porker justice. So here's the question.

The hogs are a good 500ft from the coop, and there's a hill cutting off the few from each other. None of the other chickens have ventured even half that distance. Will they? Will the escapee return on her own? And if I can manage to corner and catch the escapee will she re-acclimate to the coop and hanging with friends? Or is she a lost cause? Help! First flock (can u tell?)

Thanks
Click to expand...

Adventureness varies greatly with each breed, and there are often individuals within a flock that march to their own drummer. RIR are one of the more adventurous breeds. Yes if you can catch her before a predator does you can reacclimate her to the coop, I would keep her locked up for a week, within the coop.
Also check her very carefully for list feathers, or wounds. I have had overly bullied birdd chose to live outside the coop rather then face a flock that attacks them. If that is the case, you will need to keep her seperate for awhile to try to let the bird heal, and then become safely reacquainte.
 
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When I went to check the hogs this morning the Fugitive was in plain site and strutting around in the pig areas. She looks great!! Standing tall, feathers look good, no discernible injuries, scratching and pecking at the dirt. Still maintaining a safe distance from me, though, and remains on the lamb, so to speak. I've noticed that sometimes the chickens follow my goats (they have a stall in the coop), so I'll walk them down near the hogs and see if she'll fall into line and follow them back.
 
dadeo said:
When I went to check the hogs this morning the Fugitive was in plain site and strutting around in the pig areas. She looks great!! Standing tall, feathers look good, no discernible injuries, scratching and pecking at the dirt. Still maintaining a safe distance from me, though, and remains on the lamb, so to speak. I've noticed that sometimes the chickens follow my goats (they have a stall in the coop), so I'll walk them down near the hogs and see if she'll fall into line and follow them back.
Click to expand...


I am thinking 2 people with landing nets might be your only chance to return her to the coop. She is going feral on you.

Or some bird shot in a small cartridge that goes "BANG" and return her to the table.
 
dadeo said:
When I went to check the hogs this morning the Fugitive was in plain site and strutting around in the pig areas. She looks great!! Standing tall, feathers look good, no discernible injuries, scratching and pecking at the dirt. Still maintaining a safe distance from me, though, and remains on the lamb, so to speak. I've noticed that sometimes the chickens follow my goats (they have a stall in the coop), so I'll walk them down near the hogs and see if she'll fall into line and follow them back.
Click to expand...
Try setting out a live trap. Maybe you'll get lucky.
 
dadeo said:
I have a new question. My 4 month old mixed breed flock has been free ranging for a few weeks now. I have to confess to not counting them every single night on the roosts, but when I did I came up two short. One was under the coop so I dragged him out, but after another three days I wrote off the second. Then one morning when I was checking my gigs I swore I heard a chicken, but came up empty handed after digging around the tall grass and blackberries. Two days later I saw the RIR darting through the hog pens to snag some corn and water. She escaped just ahead of the posse of pigs sent to bring her to porker justice. So here's the question.

The hogs are a good 500ft from the coop, and there's a hill cutting off the few from each other. None of the other chickens have ventured even half that distance. Will they? Will the escapee return on her own? And if I can manage to corner and catch the escapee will she re-acclimate to the coop and hanging with friends? Or is she a lost cause? Help! First flock (can u tell?)

Thanks
Click to expand...
I'm wondering if she's gone broody. Is she hanging out and about quite a bit during the day, or only chance, random sightings? Good luck catching her! I'd try sectioning off an area with deer netting. Set out some scratch to get her close to the deer netting enclosure (be sure it's covered over the top) Then you can drive/scare her into the enclosure and nab her when she gets tangled in it.
 
lazy gardener said:
dadeo said:
I have a new question. My 4 month old mixed breed flock has been free ranging for a few weeks now. I have to confess to not counting them every single night on the roosts, but when I did I came up two short. One was under the coop so I dragged him out, but after another three days I wrote off the second. Then one morning when I was checking my gigs I swore I heard a chicken, but came up empty handed after digging around the tall grass and blackberries. Two days later I saw the RIR darting through the hog pens to snag some corn and water. She escaped just ahead of the posse of pigs sent to bring her to porker justice. So here's the question.


The hogs are a good 500ft from the coop, and there's a hill cutting off the few from each other. None of the other chickens have ventured even half that distance. Will they? Will the escapee return on her own? And if I can manage to corner and catch the escapee will she re-acclimate to the coop and hanging with friends? Or is she a lost cause? Help! First flock (can u tell?)


Thanks
Click to expand...

I'm wondering if she's gone broody.  Is she hanging out and about quite a bit during the day, or only chance, random sightings?  Good luck catching her!  I'd try sectioning off an area with deer netting.  Set out some scratch to get her close to the deer netting enclosure (be sure it's covered over the top)  Then you can drive/scare her into the enclosure and nab her when she gets tangled in it.
Click to expand...

That was my first thought, but 4months is very young for broody
 
lazy gardener said:
An important first safety lesson. Give them time. They'll be ranging with the best of them before long.
Click to expand...
We've been letting them out for short periods of time supervised. Finding out they are afraid of airplanes...those are some BIG scary birds in the sky!! We live under a flight path so one goes by every 3 minutes. They are getting VERY good practice at running for cover into their covered run! haha. Joking aside, I do hope they get used to it though so they aren't constantly running for cover!
 
dadeo said:
I have a new question. My 4 month old mixed breed flock has been free ranging for a few weeks now. I have to confess to not counting them every single night on the roosts, but when I did I came up two short. One was under the coop so I dragged him out, but after another three days I wrote off the second. Then one morning when I was checking my gigs I swore I heard a chicken, but came up empty handed after digging around the tall grass and blackberries. Two days later I saw the RIR darting through the hog pens to snag some corn and water. She escaped just ahead of the posse of pigs sent to bring her to porker justice. So here's the question.

The hogs are a good 500ft from the coop, and there's a hill cutting off the few from each other. None of the other chickens have ventured even half that distance. Will they? Will the escapee return on her own? And if I can manage to corner and catch the escapee will she re-acclimate to the coop and hanging with friends? Or is she a lost cause? Help! First flock (can u tell?)

Thanks
Click to expand...

1. Yes, they will eventually venture that far and beyond.

2. It's not likely the escapee will return on her own unless she is attacked out there and starts seeking shelter of the coop each night. If she has a nest, she will likely not abandon it unless the eggs disappear and the nest is messed up...if you can find the nest and remove the eggs and wreck the site, this usually sends the hen looking for safer nesting sites. She may or may not follow the rest of the flock in using the coop nests after that. Some birds are just different and retain a more wild instinct...if they are really good, they survive. If they are not, problem solved.

3. No, IME, just catching the bird and keeping her with the flock will not deter her wandering ways, though confining them ALL to the coop for a week may retrain her to the coop nests. Best bet is find her outside nest and remove and wreck/block the site.

4. One never knows if a bird will persists in laying/brooding out...it's usually the predators who decide unless you are successful in removing her nesting site and retraining her to the coop.
 
AS of 20 MINUTES AGO, IT'S OFFICIAL! One of the RIR is a Roo, Dad Rat It All!
smack.gif
He may be a dinner soon. The Mini bantam is too small to be anything but Broth & Dog Food.
hmm.png


Cornish Rock, RIR & Two Production Reds, 18 Weeks & No finding eggs.
D.gif
They're Laughing at me, I just know it.. My DR has promised them meal worms in exchange for me Hiking each week.....
clap.gif
 

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