Holly berries?

[mama24]

I JUST got my first chickens today. I wasn't sure we were going to actually find what we wanted, so I had nothing set up. So while I was setting up the shed w/ bedding, etc, I let them out to roam the yard (my sister over the phone just told me I should have locked them up in the shed a few days before letting them free-range. whoops! Too late! Catching them should be interesting this evening.) Anyway, they are out scratching and pecking under the holly trees in my back yard. We have a huge back yard, I don't know why they've decided to hang out there! Do you think they're eating the berries and I need to somehow keep them away from that corner, or do you think they are eating other stuff and I shouldn't worry about it? Or maybe they are eating them, but won't die and will learn their lesson? I can't get close enough to tell, they're pretty skittish (plus one's a rooster and we aren't allowed roosters in city limits, so I want to keep him quiet until we're ready to invite him to dinner.

He goes nuts when we get near him and his girls.)

 

[CubRed]

I'd be more worried about where they will roost for the night...keep an eye on them and see where this happens, that might be your best chance to recatch them...don't shove them too hard during daylight...then, by all means, put in a coop/pen for awhile before letting back out to roam...

 

[mama24]

Thanks. Hopefully they'll find the shed is the best/safest place tonight and will make things easy for me.

Look how cute they are!

 

[dawnchick]

I have holly and used to have free ranging birds. They routinely scratched and ate under the hollies. I never saw one eat a holly berry.

Good luck - you might wind up with a free range flock whether you want it or not! Around here, many people do not really confine them, or only with a fence they can get through or over if they wish. If there is enough greenery inside, most seem to stay in the fence. They will roost in the trees. Yes, you will lose birds to predators, but not likely to poisonous things like holly berries. They seem to be pretty smart about what to eat or not eat. Mine are in a large yard now, which they have pecked clean of much of the greenery, but there are certain types of plants (weeds) they don't bother at all.

 

[mama24]

They are in a completely fenced in yard in the city. We are in Greensboro, NC, so we have tons of mature trees and other greenery in our yard. When I say huge, it's actually quite small by most standards, but one of the biggest in our neighborhood, I think about 1/3 of an acre or so.

I clipped one wing each as I was letting them out of their crate, so they won't be getting into any trees.

I do know birds, I've just never had chickens before.

 

[dawnchick]

I didn't realize it was fenced. I'm not so sure a clipped wing will keep them out of the trees. Birds vary so much on how clipping impedes their flying -- but then a Delaware is a heavy breed and probably can't get very high with two unclipped wings. Hopefully, they will go for the shed as the best place to spend the night, as you mention.

Around here, a lot of people free range their birds, as I used to, and actually have been for the last few days. I've seen several flocks inside something like 4' cattle fence, which of course is not going to hold them, but they seem to stay anyway as there is enough greenery. I have a soft spot for free ranging; they seem to love it so. So if I sounded critical, it was unintended; just trying to be cautious.

Beautiful birds, by the way. Hope you enjoy them. Chickens are such characters sometimes!

 

[mama24]

You didn't sound critical at all! Thanks so much for your help! My husband and I actually didn't have a very hard time cornering and catching them last evening. They are pretty docile now that they've settled down a little. They were really skittish at first. We got them into the shed no problem around 6PM, well before dark.

The rooster is crowing right now, but he's honestly not any louder than our neighborhood crows (and neighbor's dogs!), so we're thinking about keeping him until/unless a neighbor complains. I don't want to bother anyone, of course, but he's friendly and so pretty. He and one of the hens let me pet them last night.

And yeah, the wing clipping did NOT seem to impede them much at all! They jumped right up onto the counter in the shed like it was nothing. Kitchen counter height. I was pretty impressed! lol. But now I'm a little worried they'll get out of the yard since we have a gate that is only about 3 feet high. But they would have to go down onto a brick patio, then a step down to a stone patio under an awning, then over the gate, so maybe they'll never even go down that way. There's plenty to explore elsewhere.

 

[dawnchick]

If yours are anything like mine, they'll hang around the area most of the time, but sooner or later they will go exploring, then return when they've had enough adventure. There's a patch of woods at the edge of my property (I'm in the country -- 11 acres) and I hear them in there for a couple of hours midday. Maybe they know that's not when the fox and coon are hunting. I have seen fox kill chickens right in my yard in the past, but it hasn't happened for a couple of years. Evidently the predators around here either are people shy or find what they want to eat elsewhere.

I predict you'll be talking to your neighbors soon! Maybe you'll be lucky and they will enjoy the chickens, too. Most of my neighbors have or have had chickens; I never get a complaint. I don't know that they've ever left my property, though, except to go in the woods, which is really a wide overgrown fence line between us and a cow pasture -- and the people who own the cows also have chickens.