free range egg layers

[Just Fluff]

The reason my kids are locked up, is around Thanksgiving, a new neighbors dog and the other dog that also lives there, (renters, young boys), slaughtered our two tom turkeys, a duck, and eight chickens of various ages. Needless to say, I had no choice but to lock them up. Supposedly the dogs are now under control, and if I am home and the weather is nice, I'll let them out to play. In a way, it may have been a bit of a mixed blessing, as the younger birds were just starting to lay, so now they should be used to laying in the nest boxes. They have access to their coop and nesting boxes if they are free range, as that is where they sleep at night. There is a courtyard where they can get outside for now, but I can open the door up on it to let them free range. Since I don't as yet have a regular customer base, I could start letting them out and seeing if I get the same general amount of eggs. I just know last year they kept laying them in the hay barn, in the shed, etc. I would take them out of the nest, but they would keep coming back. Couldn't really destroy the nests as they were in hay! I guess I could move the bales around a bit...

 

[Mrs. K]

Mine free range most of the spring, summer and fall. And they will lay great in the nests. But once in awhile they will get a wild hair to lay somewhere else, and everyone follows them. You get an immediate drop in egg production! I try and find the nest, cause often that is where it will be 'next time'. But I just lock them up for a few days, and then they lay in the nestboxes, until the next wild hair.

Free ranging is great and is cheap feed, but even in the summer, I do not do it full time every day. I have found by mixing it up, I keep the predators from getting the idea that here are easy picking.

MrsK

 

[saucywomyn]

Thanks for answering this question everyone--I was worried about free-ranging for this reason also! Sounds like it wont be a problem as long as they have access to their nests.

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
I let my girls out thru the human door the other day, forgetting to open their pop door. About an hour later I realized my mistake when I happened to look out and saw all my hens circling the coop, looking for a way back in.