North to Alaska!

[Alaskan]

Interesting.

 

[raggy907]

Hi everybody, this will be my first summer with chickens and I wondered what you all do about the summer daylight and closing the chickens up for the night? Do you force them in even though it's light out or just let them stay up/out? Will they just go in at "bedtime" on their own?
Thx!
Rich in Anchorage

 

[toofarout]

Hi everybody, this will be my first summer with chickens and I wondered what you all do about the summer daylight and closing the chickens up for the night? Do you force them in even though it's light out or just let them stay up/out? Will they just go in at "bedtime" on their own?
Thx!
Rich in Anchorage

Mine head in on their own. However, their first summer they did not and I had to spend way too much time herding them inside. Then by the second summer they settled down. I rarely have to do chicken wrangling any longer.

 

[Alaskan]

I agree, older chickens know better.

The young ones are stupid, and need help.


I however, am super lazy. So, I have tried to make all of my coops have a super secure run, secure enough so that I do not have to close the pop door.

 

[wingedshade]

Depending on your schedule and how big your coop is, you could give them their dinner in there. Once everyone is in close it up. I think I used to do that, or put some treats in there.

 

[Alaskan]

True about the treats.

Chickens are super food motivated.

 

[wingedshade]

Yup, they are beggars too! If they think you have food they will hang around. When I was younger the chickens free ranged in the yard. At the time Mom was installing flooring in the kitchen so we would cook and eat outside. The hens loved noodles and it was all fun and games until the pigs decided to check UNDER the oven for goodies!

 

[Alaskan]

 

[raggy907]

Thanks guys, I'll work on the treats!

As far as securing the run/pen area just how secure are you making it? Is electric for bears and netting for eagles necessary?

Are there really a lot of losses from predators in the Anchorage area? Any critters other than bears and eagles, like coyotes, hawks, or lynx? We lost some in the fall to neighborhood dogs which was awful.

Thx,
Rich

 

[Alaskan]

Dunno about anchorage predators.

I am outside of Homer.

I have had losses by:

dogs

All raptors, I always need full overhead protection. (Eagles, hawks, falcons during the day, great horned owls at night)

Uh.... And that is it.

I had one black bear try to claw into a coop, but luckily he tried to go through the coop wall, and not through the wire fence. His claws got tangked in the string of Christmas lights, which upset him, so he went away without a meal.

For brown bears you need electric, but I do nit have those.