FLORIDA!!!!!ALWAYS SUNNY SIDE UP!!!

[Runawaylobster]

ok so what are stick tight fleas? My poor dogs have been tortured since moving here and nothing helps! I got comfortis for one of them because she had to go to the vets for an absess on her face but we gave that pill to my daughters dog (who is really allergic) the other 3? arrrgh weekly baths and sprays but those little boogers just stick in there!!!!! and I can't even flea comb them out...my poor little shihtzu cross baby girl was covered (and I mean covered) in dern fleas

Comfortis is fabulous stuff, but it only takes care of fleas. My vet told me to get chickens so that they would eat up all the ticks in the yard and I would have tick free dogs. Anyhow, now
you can get this stuff called trifexis that is the same as monthly heartworm AND ant-flea all rolled into one. I have never heard of stick tight fleas!!! sounds pretty scary to me.

 

[itsjustjen]

Alright, so I am mulling over the idea of free range only out of despair. These darn flies are driving my horses ( and me ) bonkers! I can't afford to buy a coop and I am not handy enough with a saw to make one even though I have plenty of wood laying around.

What are the biggests risks with free ranges, besides predators I mean? Is there a breed of chickens that prefer to stick close to their food and water possibly? I'd worry about annoying the neighbors

Any advice is greatly welcomed

 

[chicknadventure]

Alright, so I am mulling over the idea of free range only out of despair. These darn flies are driving my horses ( and me ) bonkers! I can't afford to buy a coop and I am not handy enough with a saw to make one even though I have plenty of wood laying around.
What are the biggests risks with free ranges, besides predators I mean? Is there a breed of chickens that prefer to stick close to their food and water possibly? I'd worry about annoying the neighbors

Any advice is greatly welcomed

do you mean "run" not coop? because without a coop or secure home base, that is less like free range and more like turning them loose.

 

[Cciprnancy]

[My chickens have a coop and I let them out into a large yard durng the day. Today I thought I'd open the gate and let them out into the unfenced area for the day. They still are in their pen, not venturing out. Having them getting too far away from their food and water isnt a problem. Maybe I'lll try again tomorrow. /SIZE]

 

[anderson8505]

Alright, so I am mulling over the idea of free range only out of despair. These darn flies are driving my horses ( and me ) bonkers! I can't afford to buy a coop and I am not handy enough with a saw to make one even though I have plenty of wood laying around.
What are the biggests risks with free ranges, besides predators I mean? Is there a breed of chickens that prefer to stick close to their food and water possibly? I'd worry about annoying the neighbors

Any advice is greatly welcomed

They're going to need a coop of some sort to roost in at night. Chickens are not the best fly-catchers.

For free ranging: Trim the feathers from one wing. Look-up the proper way to do it on BYC or Internet. Just ONE wing. It'll keep them from hopping the fence into your neighbor's place. They'll roam as far as your fence goes, but most of them come home to roost and remember where the feed and water is! Other risks include eating your plants/garden, pooping all over everything, and then, if you decide to coop them up they'll yell at you to LET THEM BACK OUT! They love being loose.

 

[chicknadventure]

[My chickens have a coop and I let them out into a large yard durng the day. Today I thought I'd open the gate and let them out into the unfenced area for the day. They still are in their pen, not venturing out. Having them getting too far away from their food and water isnt a problem. Maybe I'lll try again tomorrow. /SIZE]

ok, cool with it as hot as it is, they prefer shade. Mne LOVE roaming the yard

 

[itsjustjen]

Could I construct a roost of some sort in place of a coop? Only until DH was able to build a more proper pen?

 

[chicknadventure]

Could I construct a roost of some sort in place of a coop? Only until DH was able to build a more proper pen?

kindof....but you are runnning a risk with coons and possums mostly. Do you have a dog crate? could they fit in the dog crate? That is my go to transitional coop for new chickens. If you had a LARGE dog crate you could fit a lot in there

 

[crossgirl]

Could I construct a roost of some sort in place of a coop? Only until DH was able to build a more proper pen?

Could you explain your current situation? Your mention of horses and flies makes me think your chickens are currently housed in a barn or stall. Is that correct?

 

[itsjustjen]

ArNo, no barn or stalls. Just a lean-to we put up to provide shade in our treeless pasture. Right now, as I said, I am mulling the idea over as there are several factors to condsider at the current moment. Heat being the main concern. I worry if I make a tradtional coop and run as I have had previous the chickens will overheat. Any inclosed space will heat up quickly at my house. I'd like to have a 3 sided, off the ground, covered nesting area for the chickens but that's as far asa "coop" as I'd prefer. I'd also like to add on a swinging "wall" that can be shut in the really cold winter months but open in the summer. As I said before, I have tons of scrap wood laying around and a small section of chicken wire from last year when we had birds in SC until we relocated here to FL. I am powertool handicap to put it kindly. The flies are becoming a real annoyance and I hope to try and bring their love of my back porch under control, hence why I'd love free range birds.

Down the line we are planning on building a barn with a coop and run attached.