Farming and Homesteading Heritage Poultry

[Beekissed]

Mine do not stoop in submission for hawks or vultures flying overhead. I have never seen that. I have to wonder if we are not seeing the bird freeze, which is a normal instinctive reaction.

Mine don't either...because they aren't used to anyone throwing a shadow over their body.

I don't keep birds I can easily catch...if I can catch them that easily, so can any other predator.

 

[gjensen]

Mine don't either...because they aren't used to anyone throwing a shadow over their body.

I don't keep birds I can easily catch...if I can catch them that easily, so can any other predator.

Maybe that is why I have never seen it. I handle mine off of the roost.

I have seen them crouch down and freeze. A lot of pheasants quail etc. do that. Sometimes it is better than screaming "hear I am", as they dash for their false sense of security. LOL.

 

[Beekissed]

I only handle mine off the roost too. I've yet to see one of mine duck and freeze when a hawk goes overhead...they are too busy running for cover where they will then freeze. I've never seen one freeze out in the open.

 

[gjensen]

I only handle mine off the roost too. I've yet to see one of mine duck and freeze when a hawk goes overhead...they are too busy running for cover where they will then freeze. I've never seen one freeze out in the open.

Mine will freeze, and mine will run. Depends on where they see it or where they are at etc.

They are more likely to run if they are out in the open and they feel exposed.

They seam to know what to do.

I have always been impressed how that instinct has not been lost along the way. They are more wary about what goes on above them than around them it seams.

I figure mine would be more vulnerable to canines if it was not for my fence. They are so used to mine.

 

[Beekissed]

I too am always amazed at their instinct! I gave a warning call to a batch of meatie chicks in the brooder and they scattered ...and they hadn't been with any other chickens at that point. The younger chicks are even better at scattering and melting into the landscape than are the bigger birds.

 

[Lacy Blues]

I have witnessed, first hand, some chicks that got out of their pen, but their mother couldn't. I don't have any idea what frightened them so but I heard the mother calling a call I'd never heard before. She was frantic and I ran out to where they were. When I got there, she was inside the pen, pacing wildly. The babies were nowhere to be seen. I looked for them for at least 15 minutes, walking all over, looking under bushes and everything else that was there. The grass was a bit long but I couldn't see them anywhere. When she finally calmed down, I was still there and I watched in amazement as all five of them stood up. They were in the grass, hunkered down and not moving, not making a sound! I could have easily stepped on one or more of them as I was tromping all over where they were! I fixed the pen that afternoon.

 

[gjensen]

Yes, think about how many generations ago the meat strains have been raised outside. If they have not lost the instinct, none of them have. They know what to do.

 

[ChickieMomma2Be]

There is no "official" definition that makes any sense. If you let them out to forage naturally, daily, you are exceeding or meeting any definition of free range.

If you can and are willing, cross fence your "pasture" and rotate them.

I've actually talked w/ DH about doing this. Kind of like a rotation, between crops, chickens a Guernsey or 2 and fallow. it's going to be 10 acres total. I'm a bit of a novice, but I'm wanting to get as much from our livestock/ land as is sustainably possible. Have things work together in tandem, so to speak.

 

[gjensen]

There are a lot of things to consider, but I do like the idea of rotation. It helps limit the parasite load etc. You are thinking more than just poultry, so you have other considerations as well.

There are a lot of advantages to rotation when it is a practical option.

 

[Arielle]

Quote: I know many poo poo Joel Saladin books, but I have not found better info for learning out of the box farming methods. In my search I have not found much--Plad______ is another. THey are both dissed for their lack of chicken knowledge but neither are aspiring to be master breeders, but rather master farmers.

I learned about rotational grazing in college and used it in my flock of sheep: running them out to a fresh section of pasture surrounded by electric fencing. We moved the fencing every 2-3 days for about 15 head. After a bit of practice moving the fence was easy, and the ewes and lambs learned to follow and get a mouth full of grain as a reward. I don't remember any discussion about grazing poultry, it has been awhile since poultry class so I may have forgotten; but I do remember a discussion about the cost of a big poultry barn. FUnny I can remember the profesor but not his whole name. I too am looking to use a rotaional method, but with lots of trees and branches on the ground, a semipermanent fence would be much less frustrating.

I picked sheep to rotate with horses because they did not have the same internal parasites therefore alternativing these two farm animals broke the life cycles of internal parasites.MOre and more of the wormers are not working; I atended an equine internal parasite seminar a few years ago and the goal is to manage not eliminate now. Rotational grazing is very beneficial.