300 chickens, pastured egg farm

[ChickFarmer]

I would add that my pet chickens have a run made of hot wire and field fencing. There are lots of raccoons and it works well against them. I've seen it work against dogs too.

 

[BlueCamas]

My friends have 300 laying hens pastured on 5 acres. They also raise goats, so the chickens are divided into 2 separate groups. It works out really well, every year they get 50 pullet chicks and once the hens reach 2 years old they cycle them out (aka stew pot!). They supplement them with layer pellets and table/garden scraps. I think as long as you have decent fencing and can lock them up at night, you'll be fine. Depending on where you live you might want to think about getting a LGD, chickens are really easy prey as lots of people know.

 

[donrae]

I'd be more worried about predators considering they're NOT pets. They're a large investment, and you need a business to turn a profit. Dead hens to predators won't make any money. I'd consider an lgd, personally. I don't see how you could predator proof that large an area.

 

[weimlikeschicks]

Dogs for sure. We simply do not get furry predators in our yard, nor do we get deer, rats, mice, etc. The smell of a dog and its excrement is a great deterrent in and of itself. My Weim is far from a LGD, actually pretty much the opposite (she a huntin dog) so I don't expect her to be guarding them herself, but just her presence in the yard and around the house lends itself to that purpose.

For your needs, trained dogs would be the way to go. Breed specific and introduced to your flock as pups. Hire a professional, but be very involved in the process and in your dogs lives from a young age. Those dogs will live to protect those chickens, something that cannot be said for a fence...

 

[ChickFarmer]

The outside of the fenced area is patroled by dogs (when the farm gates are closed). They belong to the owner of the farm and were used for garding sheep.

 

[weimlikeschicks]

Well there ya go!

 

[schamberfarms]

Yes dogs are what ya need with your stock. Me and my wife bought our house last yr has 17 acres we have 4 dogs but we are adding to our stock we just got a buck goat so are going to start breeding and just received my 40 chicks so we are going to look into a herd dog to stay outside and live with the stock. And I'm also going to put in auto closing and opening doors for the chickens. My older hens will go to their pins when it starts getting dark now this is how we try to manage our stock. Just some thoughts on how we do things.

 

[Mrs. K]

One of the reasons, that commercial flocks are kept in buildings is for their protection from predators. I could not see where you are located, but I have dogs, and have had dogs all my life, and they do very little for protection from predators for chickens. Perhaps because they have too much space to cover. Maybe if you have a small yard, well fenced, where a dog can get a predator cornered, but if a large area, I am betting on the predators.

I think you are risking serious predation, from the set up that you have described, but perhaps I don't understand exactly what you are doing.

Mine free range most days, with a good rooster, my losses have been less than before when I didn't have a rooster. But I lock them up in a totally enclosed run/coop at night. I think you might need something like that. At night chickens are easy pickings for most predators, and once the predators have found this easy supper, they come back.

I think you will need a very secure roosting building for this venture.

MrsK

 

[ChickFarmer]

There are commercial pastured egg farms and while the chickens are exposed to hawks the fencing keeps out any thing that can't fly. I want to be clear they will be in roosting houses at night. I will have roosters as well. I always have had roosters and have never lost a hen to a hawk. The roosters keep watch and when they see or hear a hawk they get the hens under cover. Rodents can get through the fence but the chickens tend to eat them before they can become a problem.

 

[centrarchid]

What do you reccomend for additional protection. Keep in mind that it is for 4 acres and these are not pets.

Dog(s) with good speed and weight at least 50% greater than your local coyotes. Also adequate cover from sun during heat of day. Otherwise flock will chew up pasture under mobile roosts / nest box house or test perimeter fencing and potentially range beyond anti-predator measures.