Free ranging a flock of Cockerels

[ZoomuKeeper]

I kinda sorta free range. My chickens have yards that are 40 ft by 60 foot with 8 foot fences so they are contained and they have a 10 x 8 heavy duty sheds with big heavy door to close to keep them safe at night. I fill their water and feed bowls in the morning and I have compost piles for them in the corners so they can scratch out all the little tasty tid bits to munch on. They also eat grass and veggie scraps.

 

[Trevorusn]

Free range rooster pad is an awesome idea I may try in the future. I'm glad you are choosing alternatives to just butchering them. They are usually the more stunning lookers and never felt right about killing them just because they were the "wrong" sex. Plus, with no laying boxes needed you could set up a spacious simple coop pretty easily.

 

[microchick]

Just a little add on. We drove by a residence on the edge of a small town that had a small field fenced in for free range chickens to roam around in. For shelter they had used these large plastic drums that bulk foods are shipped in. They had set them on end, cut a rectangle out at the bottom to act as an entrance, ran a roost bar across the upper half for them to sit on at night. I thought it was a brilliant idea. Shelter doesn't have to be fancy, it just has to work.

I have 40 birds, about half of them are roosters. As long as they don't attack the other birds or me they are welcome to stay and live out their lives here on our farm. In Feb. when the hormones are starting their spring surge, the young, rowdy boys will go into a rooster pen/coop and return to the main coop in the fall to help keep the girls warm. It works well for me and yep, I loves my roosters!

 

[roosterhavoc]

The availability of cover mostly.

If they have wings and legs they’ll find some.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

This is a new thought to me, but it makes a sort of sense - this idea of free ranging. I mean, think about it, they are birds. They can fly, perhaps not well, but then neither can wild turkeys, but they survive. What you are talking about is males, so it's not like you'd be running around looking for eggs every day.. .and then when you find 'em, wondering if they are fit to eat! I agree with the idea that if there is room and cover, they will survive. Of course... good luck catching one if you want soup or a breeder. I tried that hanger hook thing, with hens IN the pen, and they all just stepped right over it. Or through it. Or something, like it wasn't even there.

 

[Chicken Heel]

About 25 years ago I had received about 20 extra Red Star cockerels from McMurray Hatchery in a shipment. At the time we lived on 2.5 acres of land in the countryside and I just let them free range and they roosted in an old barn at night. They led a good life for about a year until a neighbor's dog showed up and killed every single one of them in one afternoon and left them strewn all over the hillside.

 

[microchick]

@BigBlueHen53! You mean your wild turkeys down there in SW MO don't fly well!? Ours up here in North Central fly like they are launched from a cannon! Maybe we need to send some wild turkey breeding stock down to you! Fresh blood and genes, y'know?!

 

[Cyprus]

I agree. Your animal, your responsibility.

If you can't provide for an animal you have absolutely no right to own it. Period.

 

[azygous]

Everyone has a legitimate opinion on this divisive issue, and no one is judging what you ultimately decide for your surplus cockerels. But let us not lose sight of the difference between chickens and wild turkeys and wild birds. The first is a domestic animal, bred and changed by humans to depend on us for their well being. The others are wild birds, being creatures of nature and having developed survival skills that domestic animals no longer possess.

 

[roosterhavoc]

I agree. Your animal, your responsibility.

If you can't provide for an animal you have absolutely no right to own it. Period.

What exactly do you agree with? Are you saying allowing birds to free range is irresponsible?