Best Free Ranging Chickens.

[cgmccary]

I say Plymouth Rocks are the best breed on the range because of their natural camouflage and their foraging ability. What say you?

I think the better question is what breed does not forage well if given free range?

 

[Shellz]

I think the better question is what breed does not forage well if given free range?

I'm thinking cornish cross, and any white bird that IS free ranging, is predator bait.

 

[cgmccary]

I'm thinking cornish cross, and any white bird that IS free ranging, is predator bait.

Cornish -Rock cross is not really a breed (but for all practical purposes including the question, it might as well be considered one).

I have seen a flock of Cornish Rock crosses forage extremely well (finding and hustling for their food on free range). They looked happy, wholesome, running around devouring food on the range. I don't know how much this substituted for their feed but I understand they did pretty well.

I see foraging ability as being able and willing to find most of your food by free ranging and without the need for little or any commercial feed (in other words, not simply the willingness / eagerness to do so, but the ability to thrive on free range).

IMHO, the jury is still out on how much more, if any, white breeds are predator prey -- I think they can be seen more easily, for sure, at a distance, by ground predators (but don't know if this necessarily translates into losses). For instance, I know the coyotes, raccoons, fox, opossums, etc. around me KNOW I have chickens. They could easily come and take my free ranging birds. They would do it & color would not stop them -- ONLY, my dogs and donkey are a deterrent.

Hawks & Owls can see exceptionally anyway with their binocular vision so probably does not matter as much with them the prey's color.

I don't currently keep white breeds but had some growing up and had a white Guinea a little while ago (not enough to go on) -- but would be interested in hearing from those who free range white breeds with other non-white breeds (and have losses & enough time to discern a difference) -- have you kept both white and non-white breeds? It could just be a myth about white breeds; I don't know.

 

[Shellz]

Well said cgmccary. Very thoughtful post. I was speaking of your average, what most folks call franken chickens. Yes, I'm aware some can be trained to range, but in all essence aren't geared for it naturally. Having said that, I have never raised any, only basing this on what I've read. I have raised a variety of birds from hatchery stock before - some being white & others not. I don't think I had enough numbers though to base any solid judgment on. I did have 6 pullets with 2 being white & they were the first to be taken by a fox. I know that's not exactly conclusive, but just my experience.

 

[cgmccary]

My only white Guinea made it to about 10 months old. She free ranged. I used to think about white birds as prey when I could see her myself way off in the forest "buck-wheat, buck-wheat, etc." I thought not only was she loud but very visible -- I was surprised she made it 10 months -- something got her in the woods (looked like a coyote kill) where donkey and dog cannot go. My dog has a shock collar because the neighbors find her a "danger." She roams my 6.5 acres though. The invisible fence (more than a mile of wire) runs around my property. The donkey (and mules) is/are in the pasture that horseshoes around the place

The Cornish- Rocks I saw free ranging were ones you would order from a hatchery, not the commercial / industry lines. The hatchery Cornish-Rocks could really run and move -- like any other chickens. I was impressed.

We probably won't get a lot of opinions because most people do not free range their birds anymore. I will tell you that my La Fleche are excellent free rangers. In Spring and Summer, they eat very little feed and still seem to produce a decent carcass.

 

[BGMatt]

I have limited experience free ranging, probably about 5-6 years before I changed the way I raise poultry (when you have one breed, the occasional loss to a predator isn't a huge set back, but when you have 15 breeds at a time with small populations of each, the loss of one bird is catastrophic...specialize people! Learned this the hard way.)

Anyway, in my experience, the white birds were more susceptible to land predators, coyote, coon, etc. Hawks and such didn't matter, as cgmccary said, their vision is sharp enough feather color and patterns don't help, losses were equal to hawks and owls.

 

[LunaraWolf]

What are some of the best free rangers you recommend that are.... loveable? I want one that is docile enough to be cuddled, a good layer, but is going to blend in with woodland surroundings.

 

[Shellz]

Greenfire has announced Belgian Cuckoo Malines are up for sale now.

They have been my best foragers, extremely docile, lots of fluffy downy feathers underneath. Excellent meat bird (meat is marbled with some fat like a Bresse) if you don't mind growing out to minimum 16 weeks (5 lbs + dressed) up to 24 weeks for still tender birds. They've avoided preds free ranging all spring & summer. That being said, I have 2 mutts trained to run everything off. They will lay 160-180 XL & Jumbo size eggs a year. Perfect for our small family of 3. The yolks are large & sit high in the pan. Perfect for dipping toast in....I could go on.... 'Nuff said.

 

[Wyatt0224]

Hey everyone I realize this is an old thread but I was wondering if you guys could name a breed that did well free ranging, lays lots of eggs and the hens would go broody or sometimes go broody.

 

[ve]

Australorps are wonderful layers, good foragers and occasionally go broody.