Better pictures of my Spalding hen.

[Glenmar]

 

[MinxFox]

I like the first picture a lot, I love how she has that rust color on her primaries and the rust colored chest too.

 

[wannabchick]

How long have you had them.. before you free range like that???? and she is so purrrrrrrrrrty

 

[Glenmar]

The guy said to keep them up 6-8 weeks. It was hard because I use that barn for my horses. I managed to keep them in there almost 8 weeks. When I first let them out, they did not go far. I would herd them back in after a few hours, then slowly increased the amount of time they were out.
Now I can leave the barn doors open. They spend 90% of the time in the barn and 10% of the time free ranging around in front of the barn or on the back deck of my house. My neighbors have peas, and the boy went over there a few times to check out the hens, but he always came back. So I guess they know where they live.

 

[wannabchick]

Thats really cool... maybe one day.. I will let one of the one out of the group freerange.. maybe one of the chicks I raise>??> we shall see..

how do you let one.. anyways out.. and not the others? for instance.. its not like they listen?? so how do you only let one out at a time..

I keep reading let one out at a time, so I am trying to figure out.. how to do that, is that like, grab one up and put it outside the pen???

 

[MinxFox]

Well for us we have a section of the pen we can close off from the rest, so if we were to separate some to free-range we would just herd them into the smaller section, shut the door, then open the other door that leads outside.

 

[Glenmar]

When I first got them, the guy said the male was really tame, and would eat out of my hand. I would spend a lot of time with them bringing them treats. I discovered that he loves grapes. I would get him to eat out of my hand, and talk to him. I can get real close to both of them without them freaking out. This is helpful if I have to move them into the barn.

 

[Glenmar]

My guy will actually walk with me from the house back down to the barn.

 

[zazouse]

Quote:
Open the gate and after one comes out close it,the less you handle simi wild birds the easer it is to walk them where you want.