Challenges of living in the woods with chickens

[Florida Bullfrog]

Well, I wrote the book on raising chickens in the woods.

Too much to boil down to a paragraph or two. There’s threads all over the forum from myself and others about their 24-7 free range birds in predator-rich environments. But basically boils down to genetics, survival of the fittest, and knowing the history of chickens. Free-range, semi-feral, have been how most chickens were kept for most of history.

I raise mine in the deep Florida woods.

And yes, I have a beautiful green lawn.

 

[Camo chicken146]

It's an amazing book I read it in a day I liked it so much, I definitely wanna do something in the future like that with gamefowl

 

[TOMTE]

Well, I wrote the book on raising chickens in the woods.

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Too much to boil down to a paragraph or two. There’s threads all over the forum from myself and others about their 24-7 free range birds in predator-rich environments. But basically boils down to genetics, survival of the fittest, and knowing the history of chickens. Free-range, semi-feral, have been how most chickens were kept for most of history.

I raise mine in the deep Florida woods.

And yes, I have a beautiful green lawn.

View attachment 4152323

I'll add it to my reading list

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

It's an amazing book I read it in a day I liked it so much, I definitely wanna do something in the future like that with gamefowl

Very good book!

 

[Jkbaca]

I also raise chickens (and goats, geese, ducks, guineas, and turkeys) in the woods. Ido a couple of things that have kept predators at bay and give them greens and veggies.

1: I have very hot electric fencing around their area. It encircles a bunch of trees.

2: I also put aviary netting over their area. That winds around trees, too. Our trees are very, very tall (50'+), so it's easyish to put the netting around the trunks and under the lowest branches.

3: I have livestock guardian dogs. They are in with the goats most of the time, but it's enough to keep the whole of the property safe.

4: I grow flowers, herbs, and veggies just for my animals. I have a chicken garden in a small clearing. I grow squashes and flowers in there and give them access every once in a while.

5: I've made grazing boxes and grown fodder for them, as others have suggested. I have a small greenhouse with grow lights for this express purpose.