I wish I could free range my animals, but as I mentioned elsewhere, my neighbor is irresponsible with her dogs,
so We had to build a fort knox. They have an old shed, that I converted into a chicken house...I put four nest boxes in, and a roost. they have hiding spots, and an oped area to hang out in case it rains. They also have a yard, that is fenced five +feet tall, and there is fishnet spread across the top. This not only keeps them in, but it keeps Eagles, hawks/falcons out! those are a major prob in the area.
I was SO BUMMED
about not being able to free range, but I hear stories about my B/SIL and their chickens. First they had a prob with bears...then they got a new neighbor who is just like mine, and don't give a hoot about where their dogs go, and what they destroy. Now they don't have any chickens. She had to start all over again (she is raising chicks, and is building her own fort knox.)
Then it was her eggs. they were getting almost a dozen a day, then she wasn't getting any. that's because she couldn't find where they were laying. when she did, she had no way of knowing if the tons of eggs she found were good or not.
So I didn't want to hunt eggs every day, and I didn't want to feed my animals, only to feed my neighbors dogs. But now I'm reading about the poop everywhere. I really don't want poop all over.
Then there's my garden. Something I refuse to share. I mean, they get the weeds I pick out of there, and some greens, but I can't let them pick their own goodies out of there. My hunny most likley don't want to hear me freak out each time someone eats my other EXPENSIVE hobby.
So I decided that while I can't free range, I bring the range to them. They get scraps, and lotsa grass, and chickweed is their favorite, once I found a piece of rotted log in the woods. I brought it back to the pen, and ripped a piece of bark off, and ants were all over the place, and then there was a frenzy of super excited chickens. (I thought they were going to eat me!)
My 4 1/2 y/o nephew seems to think that it is his duty when he comes over to feed them. he gives them all kinds of goodies from the weeds pile, then he goes to collect their eggs. (It's so cute!)
I see my birds are still happy. When my goat wants some company, she either lets them into her yard, also covered with fishnet, or she will headbutt the door to their run, to let me know that she wants her chickens. (Since my goat is sloppy and wasteful, the chickens love to go into her pen, and clean up every bit of grain, and piece of feed she leaves. they even fluff up her bed of straw for her. )
Pretty soon, the goat is going to have a bigger place to roam, and the chickens will have the whole place to them selves...since I seem to be collecting more, and I can't stop hatching.
So, now you see why I maybe shouldn't free range, even though I still want to...that and if DH steps in poop all the time, he might make me put them in the freezer.
Gosh, did I forget to say any thing?
