FREE-RANGE KEEPING OF AMERICAN DOMINIQUES

[centrarchid]

MORE PICTURES OF PLANT COMMUNITYIN FALL

Emphasis is on edible species.

Winged sumac male patch.




Pretty place that provides little forage or cover.




Persimmon tree, yellow in back are same.




Persimmon up close. Very tasty.



.Electrified fence row.



Vegetative cover in run starting to die back. This last cohort of juveniles and they are too big for even red-tailed hawk to pack off. If hawk tried for one, then it would have to tangle with Scoob who can jump the fencing pretty easy.


Very late hatch Dominique cockerel.




Very, very late Dominique brood. These guys are going to be a headache to raise so late in year.




Cockyard 1.




Sweet sumac female with ripe fruit. Leaves will soon be red.



Berries of same up close. Very tart and tasty to suck.


Rose hips, excellent source of vitamin C.




Buck brush


Same up close. Chickens eat them and they keep all winter but biomass would not last long if chickens targeted it hard.

 

[centrarchid]

VALUE OF MOST PLANTS DEGRADES ABOUT NOW


Free-range value of my property is going through it last hurrah of the 2013 production season making so penning most of remaining loose birds will need to be done soon.


Most of the plants growing in areas where flocks range are loosing their cover value as leaves are dropped. Biggest cover value of plants come from the ability to shield birds from prying eyes of predators, especially hawks. Many also limit the movement of predators requiring more openness to move through. Also, the edible vegetative parts are less edible although with many species the fruit are ripening which will provide limited amounts of eats through at least early winter. Leaves are dropping exposing birds and the vegetative parts are either senescing or become more lignified. Over time patches possessing winter time value will be promoted for the smaller American Dominique flock. Some will also have tree tops in core to provide a place to stand off snow during blizzards. Those hardened cover patches will be addressed this winter.

 

[centrarchid]

MOLTING PATTERN OF AMERICAN DOMINIQUES IS NOT OPTIMAL FOR THIS LOCATION

There is considerable variation with respect to timing and kinetics of the American Dominique's molt pattern but they are consistently behind the American Games which, with the exception of the juveniles, will be done before mid-November. Many of the American Dominiques have not even started to molt, especially the hens still in lay. This sets the stage where ice storms and deep wet snows can be serious stressors because the feathering will not be water tight until Christmas or even later. I can compensate to a degree by upping feed allotments, especially in the form of energy dense grains, but I usually like to do that later because when that it done to early there is the risk of diluting protein intake needed to finish the molt.

 

[centrarchid]

CLOSED CANOPY WOODLOT YIELDS COMPARATIVELY LITTLE FORAGE DURING FALL


I just surveyed my woodlot for potential forage to see why chickens have not been hitting it. Leaf / detritus layer is thin but will be replenished shortly. Most obvious eats is in the form of oak acorns (many species and I do not know any currently) with most being small enough for adult chickens to swallow. Insects and other invertebrates are easy to follow but scratching destroys habitat making so more prone to erosion. There are very few edible greens because they are shaded or poisoned out by trees. Flying insects are abundant but must do not come down low enough for chickens to catch. About half a dozen birds could get enough to eat even during winter but they would be extremely exposed tom predators that can see them from a long distance off and chickens have no where to go to get away unless flying vertically at least 30 feet. This can be changed with a little tree culling allowing more understory plants to come up.

 

[buffalogal]

It looks nice. I wish the turkeys and goats hadn't wiped out my sumac; this time of year I really treasure them. Do you have a place to plant Honeysuckle? While it can be invasive, it does retain it's leaves (at least in central OK) and provides excellent cover. (and nectar for small children to suck out of the flowers in the summer)

In case anyone is interested in planting their poultry yards with similar native plants, that attractive Buckberry is callicarpa, what nurseymen are calling "beautyberry". Other shrubs that produce edible berries relished by poultry include Holly; both European and American like Yaupon Holly, Winterberry and Inkberry though you generally need a male and female plant for fruit. Cranberry and it's cousin the Arrow Wood Vibirnum, and Elderberry. I have all of these planted, but I have never had the berries ripen to full color except for the Elderberry as the birds get to them long before they're done. Persimmon is nice, we have many trees of both sexes but be warned; in this area it also attracts deer and opossum, which I can understand not everyone would want. Chickens eat the fruit when it fully ripens after a frost and falls to the ground - if they can get it; it's pretty popular. Crab Apple will also ripen and drop fruit the birds will enjoy.
My personal favorite: Clove Currant (Ribes odoratum); edible black berries the birds love, dense cover from predators even after the leaves drop, and absolutely the best smelling flowers (ever) in the early spring.

Pretty much anything recommended to feed wild birds will also work for chickens, keeping in mind that many shrubs quickly grow too tall for the chickens to eat fruit from all but the lowest branches until the plant naturally drops fruit. And sunflowers; not just the Giant Russian with the striped seeds, but the small seeded native varieties are great too.

I almost hate to mention them because they are considered such a pest, but Eastern Red Cedar is a fast growing evergreen that can be trimmed down to encourage low spreading branches perfect for shelter. I have many birds that have never spent one night under a roof, preferring the cedar trees year round.

 

[centrarchid]

It looks nice. I wish the turkeys and goats hadn't wiped out my sumac; this time of year I really treasure them. Do you have a place to plant Honeysuckle? While it can be invasive, it does retain it's leaves (at least in central OK) and provides excellent cover. (and nectar for small children to suck out of the flowers in the summer)

In case anyone is interested in planting their poultry yards with similar native plants, that attractive Buckberry is callicarpa, what nurseymen are calling "beautyberry". Other shrubs that produce edible berries relished by poultry include Holly; both European and American like Yaupon Holly, Winterberry and Inkberry though you generally need a male and female plant for fruit. Cranberry and it's cousin the Arrow Wood Vibirnum, and Elderberry. I have all of these planted, but I have never had the berries ripen to full color except for the Elderberry as the birds get to them long before they're done. Persimmon is nice, we have many trees of both sexes but be warned; in this area it also attracts deer and opossum, which I can understand not everyone would want. Chickens eat the fruit when it fully ripens after a frost and falls to the ground - if they can get it; it's pretty popular. Crab Apple will also ripen and drop fruit the birds will enjoy.
My personal favorite: Clove Currant (Ribes odoratum); edible black berries the birds love, dense cover from predators even after the leaves drop, and absolutely the best smelling flowers (ever) in the early spring.

Pretty much anything recommended to feed wild birds will also work for chickens, keeping in mind that many shrubs quickly grow too tall for the chickens to eat fruit from all but the lowest branches until the plant naturally drops fruit. And sunflowers; not just the Giant Russian with the striped seeds, but the small seeded native varieties are great too.

I almost hate to mention them because they are considered such a pest, but Eastern Red Cedar is a fast growing evergreen that can be trimmed down to encourage low spreading branches perfect for shelter. I have many birds that have never spent one night under a roof, preferring the cedar trees year round.

I do have a couple dozen red cedars with about half in blue fruit. Trees pictured are on the smaller end of spectrum. They are called eastern but the are distinguishable to the version I am familiar with in Indiana. The trees do provide good wind breaks if birds can get into them or lower branching is appropriate. Fruit does not appear popular with chickens although cedar waxwings go to town on them.

I have American Beautyberry as well but none in locations where American Dominique's will be ranging. I want to try to produce enough berries of that to possibly produce wine.

Opossums coming for persimmons is not an issue, dogs have been killing them pretty fast. Raccoons do not appear to be braving dogs either although two bucks have until recently been coming up into yard only to be chased off multiple times each night by dogs. The dogs seem to be getting used to deer and a doe has left her fawns during day immediately behind house for two years running without incident.

Elderry and blueberries in big patched can out pace birds but you can count on loosing a big chunk of fruit around edges. A patch at work (of each) really produce well even with birds having free access. Fruit ripens just before birds start flocking up.

 

[buffalogal]

Drop me a PM with your address and I'll send you seeds of a native yellow sunflower that blooms starting in mid July and running until frost cuts it down. Wild songbirds are especially enamored with the seeds, but the chickens mostly use it to hide in as it makes an excellent cover.


(Turkeys not included

)

 

[Chrysolinsbirds]

I am looking forward to more of your posts. I have been trying to improve my setup to become more self sustaining, and plan on adding quite a bit to my original idea, so thanks for the inspiration and detailed posts =)

 

[centrarchid]

Every year by this time the great-horned and barred owls start coming in to harass my birds. Something is different this go around. No owls. The high abundance of rodents noted earlier does not appear to be limited to my property and may be enabling them to hunt more in preferred areas.

 

[centrarchid]

This is interesting and possibly relevant.

http://www.scientificamerican.com/a...pegoat-for-lyme-diseases-startling-prevalence