Successful 100% forage diet experiment (long post)

[McChooky]

The egyptian fayoumi is an excellent choice for free ranging in a warm climate.

 

[txolillo]

Hola from Spain!

I am new in the chickens world, I have 20 chickens from different races since last June, and this thread is the thing that I wanted to do since I started and everybody around told me that it was crazy.

I have a mobile chicken coop that we move around our tree rows every week, and they have a electrified chicken fence that might be the provisional chicken run every seven days. The chickens lay eggs in the coop, but they also like to escape, eventhough the fence is electrified (ameraucanas are very tricky) .

I am all the time thinking that if I just let the coop be somewhere fixed, and let the chickens run free, they would be wise enough to go there in the evenings, or not. But it would be easier for me in certain aspects, specially if I want to look for the better suited race for my area.

The last week, although I still have the chicken fence, I have been more flexible with their escaping, just to see what happens. First, I am losing track of the eggs, I think I should place some laying nests around. Second, they found the kitchen garden, and they made a total mess. I am not super worried as I was harvesting the last things and thinking in totally change location. But the new location, I guess it will have to be fenced. And third, they scratch a lot. In most of the area, I dont care. But in some spots or with new bushes or trees, this might be problematic.

I think that I am going to split the flock, let half wild and free and the others let them in the mobile coop. And see what is cooler

 

[raingarden]

I think that I am going to split the flock, let half wild and free and the others let them in the mobile coop. And see what is cooler

I think a lot of it depends on the predators in your arrea and how adept the chickens are at flying up into the trees to get away from them. You guys have foxes and I read that there are wild raccoons there now too. Splitting the flock sounds like a good idea.

 

[McChooky]

Due to selective breeding we now have chickens that can lay 300 eggs a year but won't hatch their own chicks .If you expect them to thrive in the wild you'll be disappointed.

 

[raingarden]

Due to selective breeding we now have chickens that can lay 300 eggs a year but won't hatch their own chicks .If you expect them to thrive in the wild you'll be disappointed.

The gamefowl breeds might come to our rescue. They still know how to be real chickens.

 

[McChooky]

Because the experimental chickens had no real protection from predators its highly unlikely any survived their first winter. She was already losing 12 yr from the hens she locked up.

 

[Florida Bullfrog]

Because the experimental chickens had no real protection from predators its highly unlikely any survived their first winter. She was already losing 12 yr from the hens she locked up.

Have you read this thread all of the way through?

Its a fact that there are many breeds of chickens in the world, primarily the game breeds, that free range fine all year with no significant predator protection besides simply living close to a human settlement as is typical in a free range farmyard scenario. Do you doubt that fact?

 

[Florida Bullfrog]

NM I see you chimed in some time ago saying the same thing.

To respectfully reiterate, yes chickens can free range and forage just fine in predator-dense areas with minimal human care and reproduce faster than predators can take them.

Whether the OP’s did or not, I do not remember. Free range survival success is very breed specific.

 

[McChooky]

Have you read this thread all of the way through?

Its a fact that there are many breeds of chickens in the world, primarily the game breeds, that free range fine all year with no significant predator protection besides simply living close to a human settlement as is typical in a free range farmyard scenario. Do you doubt that fact?

I've read this post since day one and she was already losing 12 a year

 

[McChooky]

NM I see you chimed in some time ago saying the same thing.

To respectfully reiterate, yes chickens can free range and forage just fine in predator-dense areas with minimal human care and reproduce faster than predators can take them.

Whether the OP’s did or not, I do not remember. Free range survival success is very breed specific.

The op wasn't raising game chickens unfortunately.