Does anyone else Free Range?

[centrarchid]

[COLOR=333333]I am pretty new to chickens, I raised five beautiful Barred Plymouth Rocks last year and installed them in a great coop and animal proof 12 x 14' run. We have had a tough winter and in early January I noticed that my chickens were getting board and were pecking each others bums! I went to a feed store an got some peck stop and I painted the pecked areas, but they seemed to let it wear off and then resumed a couple of days later![/COLOR]

[COLOR=333333]Two were particularly bad so I dashed to the workshop and built a mini coop that I installed in my greenhouse. I then extracted the two with the hope that they would grow back their feathers and be ready to join the others in a month or so. Unfortunately this did not happen as the two continued to peck each other! Frustrated I integrated them back to the other three in the yard, where upon WW3 started as they sorted out who is the boss. More feathers were lost and all now have bare bums and the worst two peckers have bald heads too! I then thought that they must still be bored so I added toys, took away the food hopper and fed them on the ground, made a better dusting area and  hung a cabbage to peck at. Still more pecking so I went to the next level. I have a large fenced back garden and I live in the country so I let them go more free range. All was good, no pecking and happy chickens. On the second day I was told by my neighbour that a Raccoon was in my yard and was eyeying up the chickens during the later afternoon. I put the chickens back in, but the pecking is still an issue.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=333333]I also have five more chicks on the way that are now two weeks old and I want to stamp out this pecking before I introduce them to the flock. [/COLOR]

[COLOR=333333]It seems I have some options,[/COLOR]
[COLOR=333333]1. get rid of the two worst peckers[/COLOR]
[COLOR=333333]2. let them all out and hope they don't get eaten by the raccoon[/COLOR]
[COLOR=333333]3. build a bigger run[/COLOR]
[COLOR=333333]4. let the peckers out during the day and see if they get eaten[/COLOR]
[COLOR=333333]5. catch the raccoon and hope that more don't turn up[/COLOR]
[COLOR=333333]6. let them continue pecking each other and see how they fair in the run.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=333333]What do I do? [/COLOR]

[COLOR=333333]I posted this also on the 'Pest and Predators' page but this thread seems to be around the topic I am thinking about[/COLOR]

Your post would be better served in subforums dealing with health or management. Your situation does not appear to be free-range, at least not nutritionally.

 

[Sydney Acres]

And, delightful description of cecal paste! Makes it sound almost yummy!

Ohhhh, that is just so wrong, in so many ways!!!

 

[dabbler939]

I like to have mine really tame so they come when they hear my voice say "Ladies". I have a rooster, too but he comes with the girls. When they are used to the area and know how to get back in the barn to drink or eat or lay eggs. Mine always lay in the nest boxes so I guess I am fortunate. So far I have not lost any but I am sure it will happen. Just a cost of their freedom. I also do not let the babies out alone unless in a protected fenced area until they are big enough to join the adults. I incubate so they are not raised by the hens. I think they are tamer that way.

 

[Bogtown Chick]

Giles as you navigate and post in lots of spots on here in BYC, you'll note where certain things are categorized. The more you post the more you'll recognize the areas. But may I just say I'm glad you found us here on this thread and that you found some good information. Maybe Take some of your info and start a new thread again when you've tried some of the things...so people can find some of the good info like what Sydney Acres, Centrachid and others posted.

I think your two areas of issue: Predators and Pest; Chicken behaviors were both intertwined in your story and when nobody's answering you it's good to find a friendly bunch to help you out!

When you set up your new thread...put a link in here for us and we'll go subscribe to follow what you've done and how it's going!

Best ~BTC

 

[TheEggCollecter]

Keep my birds in a run for the fall and winter. In the spring I free range on weekends and pasture them with electric poultry netting across a field during the week

 

[GrammyKati]

My 3 hens are eager to get out of their coop in the early am and put themselves out at dusk. They spend their time looking for bugs and eating weeds. The only work for me is getting their eggs and sweeping the bark back into the flower beds.

 

[Hooligans7]

My 3 hens are eager to get out of their coop in the early am and put themselves out at dusk. They spend their time looking for bugs and eating weeds. The only work for me is getting their eggs and sweeping the bark back into the flower beds.

Same here, but on weekends I wish they'd sleep in until a little past sunrise!

 

[heartsizedfarm]

My 3 hens are eager to get out of their coop in the early am and put themselves out at dusk. They spend their time looking for bugs and eating weeds. The only work for me is getting their eggs and sweeping the bark back into the flower beds.

I wish mine would eat weeds rather than the lettuce sprouts, baby zucchini and low-hanging tomatoes!

 

[cosmicmama]

I do. I in three years I've lost two hens. One to a raccoon (we think), and one just disappeared without a trace a couple of weeks ago, have no idea what happened to her. But my hens are fat and happy. I confine them when it's been necessary (like when I once had a bitchy neighbor who called animal control because MY chickens were in MY front yard), but for the most part they have always free-ranged. They seldom leave my fenced-in back yard, but sometimes they jump the fence in the back and go into the woods. I have occasionally had to hunt down a secret nest and confine them for a couple of days until they remember where they're supposed to lay. Sometimes they sleep in the trees at night. I fought them for a long time on that but at this point they are three years old and I let them do whatever makes them happy. They are a hearty group of birds, no bad weather has ever seemed to bother them (but I live in NC, not Canada).

I have six new pullets in a covered run for now, but after they've learned their home I will probably let them free-range too.

 

[Sydney Acres]

I do. I in three years I've lost two hens. One to a raccoon (we think), and one just disappeared without a trace a couple of weeks ago, have no idea what happened to her. But my hens are fat and happy. I confine them when it's been necessary (like when I once had a bitchy neighbor who called animal control because MY chickens were in MY front yard), but for the most part they have always free-ranged. They seldom leave my fenced-in back yard, but sometimes they jump the fence in the back and go into the woods. I have occasionally had to hunt down a secret nest and confine them for a couple of days until they remember where they're supposed to lay. Sometimes they sleep in the trees at night. I fought them for a long time on that but at this point they are three years old and I let them do whatever makes them happy. They are a hearty group of birds, no bad weather has ever seemed to bother them (but I live in NC, not Canada).

I have six new pullets in a covered run for now, but after they've learned their home I will probably let them free-range too.

If you had a rooster I would hope that your lost hen would be coming home soon with a clutch of chicks trailing behind her. Usually if there's truly no trace (no feathers or blood), they've either left home on their own accord, or a human was the predator (or thief). Otherwise, there's almost always feathers left behind, although not always easy to find.