Giving up on Free Ranging.... Baaahhhh!!!

[tressiah]

Jees,

don't live in Hawaii, but still...............
I have 1 Barred Rock who thinks getting out of the chicken yard ( 5 foot fence, 12 feet wide 25 feet long) is her life's ambition. AND she's been attacked twice, once by a fox, and once by our stupid dog, ( who is permanently lined now), plus I found 2 of the little pullets out, but in the barn, because the stupid dog wouldn't let them go any farther out ! Good for something, huh ! I have about 20 hens, 1 very happy roster, and several of unknown gender due to their tender age. I have 1 hen who lays regularly, I watched her and marked her, and noticed that her comb is very very red, compared to the others who have a llighter red to pink comb. What can I do to brighten up that comb, and hopefully get them laying ?

 

[nerfy]

Mine like to "look in on me" by the back door. They also leave the nastiest what I call greasers there. You all know, the moist, really smelly stuff that has no real texture.
I clean it up by hose. I think they do it purposely sometimes.
They deposit the firm stuff in the grass. Hmm, chicken humor?

 

[Southernbelle]

I want to let my chickens out so bad, but one of DH's conditions to getting chickens was that they never free-range. He's a city boy and he does not handle animal poop very well at all. I just ask why on earth he married an Animal Science major - what did he think living with me was going to be like?

 

[ncgnance]

Quote:
My free range chickens were driving me crazy, too, until I took the roosters by the neck, so to speak. I realized 3 things--My hens were getting on the deck, mainly to get away from the 5 teenage roos. So, off with their heads. #2--My granddaughter had started feeding the chickens treats in the back yard from the deck. Not good..chickens go where the food is. So, no more feeding off the deck. #3. They had to be retrained, so they were ALL shut in the chicken lot for 1 week. Treats and scratch feed was also fed at the chicken house, and will continue to be fed there. My problems disappeared in one week. Now, the chickens can free range all day and never come to the house except to get a drink of water. I love it!!

 

[rughooker]

I have a homeless peahen (well,not anymore). She comes and goes as she wants. Sometimes we don't see her for days. Sometimes people drive by and see her on our roof and wonder what kind of weather vane we have.

But the funniest thing she does is poop on our front door welcome mat. BIG poop too. We don't get too many door to door salesmen!

 

[bluey]

I must have the most well behaved free range chickens in the world...

Baby gates keep mine off the front porch and back deck (and some aggressive shooing in the beginning).

We have about 2 acres of lawn (an oval) around the house which gives them a huge amount of edge to forage. Needless to say, this cuts down on the poop near the house and there are no bare spots in the lawn except for a few dust bath areas on the edge.

They have so many bugs to eat that they hardly touch their feed or my 15 cherry tomato plants which aren't fenced off.

Edge seems to be the key as they usually will circle the perimeter in a clockwise pattern all day. Also, we have blackberry bushes on the edges as well, which they love to eat.

Lastly, I only have 8 chickens but noticed people with similar numbers still having problems.
I really thought having chickens could be a dirty hobby but after a year and a half, no complaints from me with free ranging...

 

[hcammack]

no complaints here all and all hey are very clean.

Henry

 

[chilling in muscadine]

I have some full time free range bird's but most live in coop's. Now I don't have a problem with poo on my porch's from my bird's. I do have one of my dog's that leave's me a big old present everyday on my porch. What's up with that!! It's embarassing to. The other day the UPS guy show's up and I see him looking at my present. We had company coming over and we were cleaning up the house and I asked my oldman to check the porch for poo and clean it up if needed. I had to stop and shake my head and I'm thinking what's wrong with that statement. I would take chicken poo anyday instead of what I get.

 

[Beekissed]

Yep, my free rangers are clean, as well. My dogs do scoop duty in the yard, the birds don't offer to come on the back porch, too much to do out there in the yard and orchard, I guess. I've removed all likely nesting places outside, culled the rogue hen who found one anyway and led an insurrection, and, now, everything is very carefree.

We check on their feed and water each day, but we have continuous feeders and waterers, so this isn't a daily chore. We gather eggs each day. We watch CTV as much as possible, which, as you all know, is better watched when the birds are scattered throughout the yard and not in a pen.

 

[vfem]

I just have to add, my neighbors on both sides seemed to have been cool with our chickens. In fact, one neighbor's son LOVES them!

My other neighbors came over and saw them when I lent them a shovel the other day. They said, "Aww, what cute ducks... you going to let them roam the pond with the others?"

On no, "No, these are chickens!" He stared for awhile trying to figure out HOW they could possibly be chickens. "Oh." He says.

His daughter stares at them from their deck now... I think they are waiting to see if anybody crows over here! LOL

However, they do have very 'high' maintanence gardens they hire people to come maintain. I hope they don't freak! (I hope my chickens don't go for a special treat next door.)

Hopefully they just want to buy some fresh eggs later on.