First go at chickens - now looking at free range

A little over a year ago, I posted a thread about getting some chickens. That thread can be found here: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/870643/first-go-at-chickens-a-few-questions

In that thread, I had questions about several things, and I got some good answers. The difference between now and then is that we are living on the five acre property and we are seriously thinking about chickens again. We have not gotten around to it yet. I have a friend that works at an auction, and he suggested several things. I mentioned my lack of interest in a coop and he mentioned just going with free range chickens.

He told me that they will roost in the trees at night and the rooster will protect the hens. He suggested starting with a rooster and a few hens, and just see how it goes. I'd rather do this, because I don't want to worry with a coop.

The biggest concern I have is what kinds of predators will be drawn in. In the thread from a year ago, I mentioned having a blue tick coon hound. We have since given her to a family member, but now we have a small miniature Australian shepherd. She only ways about 13 lbs. We let her go out in the big yard occasionally (most of the barb wire fenced five acres), but when we do we are usually with her. She normally goes out in the smaller part of the fenced yard unsupervised. This smaller fence is probably about 1/4 acre and has three sides attached to the house. The fence is hog wire though, so chickens would not be able to be kept in it. I'd probably have to add chicken wire if I expected the chickens to stay inside this smaller fence.

The reason I mentioned our mini aussie is because I'm worried about predators coming into the yard and possibly going after her too. She is small and not any type of dog to defend herself, so hawks or coyotes concern me.

As far as just having the chickens free range, will they stay? I 'm just trying to figure out how they will stay if they don't really have any incentive to. Should we feed them daily in the same spot so they know there is a meal everyday for them?

One last question. What exactly is a game chicken? I don't know the difference between a game chicken / rooster vs. the other types? Why is a game chicken more suited for free range?

Personally i would build a coop for your chickens safety (and easy egg collection). Morning time, when you let them out and evening time is a good opportunity to check on the health of each chicken also.

A rooster may protect hens to a certain extent by raising an alarm, but some of them stop there and run! Even if a rooster tries to protect his hens and fails (i.e. gets killed) then predator issues could be considered worse for the remaining hens.

I am sure other BYC members will give you the low down on game chickens.

Good luck whatever you decide.

CT

I wonder if a small dog house would make a good coop. It has about a 3x3' floor and a tin roof. It might be 3' tall. The roof has a slope to it so the rain water runs off. I could put it up on some legs that would get it off of the ground.

This would give them some cover and a place to go inside, but they would still possible be free range.

I have a coop. I close the door every night after the chickens coop themselves. I don't have to be concerned about preditors after dark. A friend of mine described, in graphic details, the sounds that chickens make when they are being eaten alive from the tail forward by a possum. I'd prefer to never hear that. Additionally, the chickens have somewhere to hide in bad weather. Craigslist has small coops for as little at $50.

Really this is only going to be limitedly successful for a very short period of time. Chickens do attact predators, coyotes, bobcats, raccoons, hawks, eagles are the predators that can get mine. ugh!

Once the predators find you, they come back. Once I had a coon leave a note, "Please leave BBQ sauce, we are tired of them plain!" just kidding. However, until I got a totally enclosed run, they were back and back and back.

If you don't want the coop and run, really just get your eggs at the neighbors or in the grocery store and save your money. Chickens are domesticated bird and the chances of you loosing them all are quite high.

I have an Australian shepherd, we love her, she never bothers the chickens, she can work cattle, but she is in no shape or form of a guard dog. I have heard the coyotes try and call her out away from the buildings so they could get her. Coyotes almost always work in groups.

I don't think this idea will work.

Mrs K

I have a beautiful coop, and my flock is shut in every night. I once had a coon sneak in through an open pop door and kill all but 3 of my birds in a single night. This was many years ago. I learned to keep them shut in at night. Just recently, I've had hawk attacks. I watched but was not fast enough (on 2 occasions) to save them as a hawk flipped 2 of my full grown hens on their backs and tore their breasts from the bone. I have spent the last 2 weeks in 85 degree weather with a pick axe, digging post holes for a permanent run (to replace the electronet fencing) so my flock can be outside without the hawks killing them. The hawks continue to come back daily, and circle my property, looking for opportunity for an other chicken meal.

Are you reluctant to get a coop because of the cleaning and maintenance? You are in a warmer area and housing would be much easier for you. You could do an open front deep litter coop, and the only real maintenance would be to keep adding litter (leaves, grass clippings, shavings, wood chips) and taking some of the finished compost out occasionally for your gardens. If you have no coop, you will likely never find eggs. Minimal recommendations are for 4 square feet per bird in the coop, and 10 square feet per bird in the run.

It isn't that I don't want to clean or do maintenance on the coop. I mean I'd rather not have to, but that isn't really the issue. I'd just rather not have to worry about keeping up with them as much as some people do. I'd rather they just hang out near the house on our property and kind of take care of themselves. I understand about them needing a place to go though, so we will fix up a small coop and run. I am probably going to convert the dog house and put it up on stilts so that it is off the ground.

Right now, my biggest concern is my little minnie aussie. I am not excited about having hawks and other predators near the house. Like I said before she is only 12-13 lbs and she runs out in the yard occasionally. I keep an eye on the skies for hawks. She is probably fairly large for something like a hawk, but I know a coyote would get her for sure. She never goes outside in the main yard unless we are with her, but it still makes me very nervous. The chickens are one thing but my dog means a lot to me.

I have no problem shooting predators (varmints, coyotes, coons) on sight, but I won't always be out there to catch them and I know there will always be more where the first ones came from.

I'm still wondering what the difference between a game chicken and a regular chicken is.

I agree with lazy gardener, you'll never find the eggs and when you do they might not be fit to eat. I wouldn't want to hunt all over my yard for eggs everyday. We have tons of fire ants here in Texas let alone the heat and rain that would spoil the eggs. You don't really sound ready to own chickens. Chickens need shelter, water and a safe place to stay at night and also a safe place to go when a hawk attacks. Hawks can get your chickens in a tree.

I love minnie aussies and one day hope to own one. We've had 2 Texas heelers and they are great dogs, too.

Cncwhiz said:

. . .

I'm still wondering what the difference between a game chicken and a regular chicken is.

Click to expand...

Are you looking for information on these?

https://www.backyardchickens.com/products/american-game

My suggestion is that you don't get chickens until you are willing to provide adequate housing, which includes 4 s.f. per bird in the coop, and 10 s.f. per bird in the run. They do require maintenance, including seeing to it that they are safely shut into their coop every night, and let out again into the run every morning. The coop has to be adequately constructed with plenty of ventilation, and natural light. Your 3 x 3 dog house at best would provide housing for 2 hens. They will also need to be properly fed. They will not be able to meet all of their nutritional needs from free range.