Any such thing as too many black soldier fly larvae

[Red Mangrove]

A dog or something might get one or some from a flock at liberty, but the rest will escape, and you'll find as many posts from people who've lost the whole flock because a predator got into their coop and run and none of the chickens could escape. A jail cell both protects and traps its occupants.

I've seen countless posts here of a predator breaking into a coop and slaughtering 10-20 chickens. Their number one natural defense is flight and that's useless when trapped in a small area

I would bet money that in those with experience (1+ year to set the bar low) coopfowl die far more often than free-rangers

We would also be willing to entertain free-ranging if I have a way to keep them out of my neighbor's yards.

All of my neighbors have nothing more than squares of grass, and so my chickens leave them alone. My only neighbor that a small number of chickens do visit only do so because they like my chickens and feed them scraps

Originally they were worried about their dog killing my birds, but I told them that if their dog manages to catch anything that it's just natural selection and the dog did me a favor

Zero neighbor issues so far, thank God

There is no one right way - the key is finding the way that works best for you.

Very true

 

[TaylorGlade]

Mine go out into a protected area about 2 weeks, seasonally, and join the free rangers fully by about 7 weeks, +/-

Mine forage several hundred feet from the the coop. When there is a predator attack, they will range less far, then as they become more comfortable, they will re-extend their forage. I have one that goes maybe 500-600 foot towards a neighbor, but in the main, about 300 foot in any direction is the extent of the range of most of the birds, most of the days.

There is no one right way - the key is finding the way that works best for you.

If they range 300 feet, they will be in a neighbor's yard.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

I never realized selenium levels in our soil were so different. Do you know if there is a study done on the number of adult chickens getting wry neck or other selenium deficiency-related ailments? I would wonder if the amount is higher where selenium is lower. For chicks in brooders, this wouldn't matter though.

I have silkies and figured mine will never suffer anything because there is a plethora of BOSS (black oil sunflower seeds) which are high in selenium and E on the ground beneath a half dozen wild bird feeders. Years of raising them and never have had issues.

There isn't one I've seen. Most studies are concerned with raising commercial chickens in commercial conditions - in other words, establighing minimum requirements, sometimes maximums (as here), then figuring out the cheapest and alternative ways of ensuring those minimums are met. The calcium standard is similar.

If you feed a decent commerical feed, someone else has already addressed the concern for you - its only the people who are trying to step completely away that need to give it brief thought, make any needed adjustment, then never worry about it again.

Before mapping and testing, I suspect most people raising crops on deficient soils did what you have done - they either raised crops less reliant on soil selenium levels, or they took steps to compensate/mitigate, no different than crop rotation, nitrogen-fixing "cover" crops in winter, etc. Its one of those unspokjen assumptions accepted as a given by people who have lived close to the soil for a long period, which modern man has (mostly) forgotten.

 

[Red Mangrove]

If they range 300 feet, they will be in a neighbor's yard.

An Australorp will never walk more than 100 feet unless they're starving to death. My reds barely go more than 50 feet on a daily basis, if that, and they never hop fences. Each breed is unique and situation is unique. Good luck with your chickens and whatever you decide for them

 

[U_Stormcrow]

An Australorp will never walk more than 100 feet unless they're starving to death. My reds barely go more than 50 feet on a daily basis, if that, and they never hop fences. Each breed is unique and situation is unique. Good luck with your chickens and whatever you decide for them

^^^ Good point. I'm breeding birds to forage effectively on my property. Definite impact on how far they will range. My Mutts go further than my SLW, which went further than my Dark Brahma. Even so, OP said they had a narrow deep property. As a fellow land owner, I appeciate that they are keeping their birds on their property. I consider that right neighborly, and very responsible of them. In their position, I'd try to do the same.

 

[TaylorGlade]

An Australorp will never walk more than 100 feet unless they're starving to death. My reds barely go more than 50 feet on a daily basis, if that, and they never hop fences. Each breed is unique and situation is unique. Good luck with your chickens and whatever you decide for them

How about cream leg bars and Ameracauna?

 

[Perris]

If they range 300 feet, they will be in a neighbor's yard.

is fencing along the side boundaries an option? Or hedging? Hedges are great for wildlife as well as marking boundaries, and can incorporate existing trees within them.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

is fencing along the side boundaries an option? Or hedging? Hedges are great for wildlife as well as marking boundaries, and can incorporate existing trees within them.

I believe there is a cost issue. And while electric fencing is inexpensive, it's provides no protection from predation by hawks, owls, etc, and is limited in keeping chickens contained. Good for keeping dogs out though.

 

[Red Mangrove]

How about cream leg bars and Ameracauna?

It actually just occured to me that the only chickens I've ever seen visit the neighbors are the original chickens I raised myself. None of the broody raised chickens ever visit humans. They're all far too skittish and try to avoid humans to the maximal extent possible

My own Ameraucana cross are all broody raised and they've never set foot on a neighbor's lawn

I'm not sure about the cream legbar. In general though,  only my human imprinted American Gamefowl visit the neighbors. They're the only birds here that both imprinted on humans and are athletic enough to wander that far and hop the fence

 

[TaylorGlade]

is fencing along the side boundaries an option? Or hedging? Hedges are great for wildlife as well as marking boundaries, and can incorporate existing trees within them.

Cost is a factor - so is the septic field. We have Australorp, cream leg bars and an Amerecauna. Here is a video of the yard. We have 5 acres but a pretty small yard. The coop and septic take up most of it.