How to get Freedom Ranger to go into meat tractor at night?

[T-Amy]

They just lay on the ground & we have to chase them around, pick them up, & put into the tractor at night. It's fine with the ones on the outside of the chicken pile, but we have 100 & as we get down to the last 20, they go UNDER the meat tractor where they've been all day, pooping & it's a total PITA! I thought it was instinct for chickens to go into shelter at night?
I try to move their food up into the tractor mid to late PM to entice them to go in, but they've spilled enough on the ground during the day that they don't really NEED to go up in there. I do leave their waterers out given days in NY now can get in the 70's/80's.
The heat lamps are up in the tractor although, at 6 wks, they're feathered up enough they don't seem to need it (huddling seems enough but I leave the heat lamps on at night if they do get cold). My concern is predators & they are only in a small field enclosed with chicken wire so at night, they are easy prey if outside.

 

[BCMaraniac]

I am going to be very interested in the suggestions you get about this. I didn't free range my CX, but plan to take advantage of the green grass and insects when I get my Red Rangers next week. I won't actually have a tractor, but rather a repurposed horse stall in my barn, and the pasture is essentially a very large paddock attached to the barn.

 

[T-Amy]

We tried to free-range our CX's last year but they just didn't have the energy- just wanted to plop down as close to the food/water as they could. We decided to try the FR (are Red Rangers the same thing?) this year as we heard the meat had more depth in flavor & they free-range, which, to me, seems like it would provide a better quality of living. And I couldn't tell the difference in their meat compared to what we bought in the store. I like that they pasture & run around,,, a LOT - it's hilarious watching the roosters fight- or rather, posture each other. They just stand there & stare at each other with their feathers fluffed up trying to look tough.
Anyway, we had an old hay wagon base on wheels we put a floor in, walls & roof out of reclaimed lumber & tin we had laying around the farm. so it probably cost us $100 to build, plus the 3 days to do it. On the uppermost 1/3 of one wall, we put heavy gauge screen in for air flow & light. Let me know if you want to see a pic & I'll try to dig one up. We also put a flip up on one side so I could just shovel out the poo as needed but we have about 3" of sawdust so that helps.

 

[Mingming]

I had freedom rangers last time, and the tractor was on the ground - which I kept them in for the first two weeks or so. Afterwards when I let them out, they'd just go back into the sheltered part when it was getting dark (except for one or two that couldn't quite figure it out LOL). I'm raising CX now - so it'll be interesting to see what happens with them!

Did you at first keep them in the shelter part so they knew where they were supposed to sleep? I thought it was tough counting 25 to make sure I wasn't missing any when the sun was going down! Can you keep them in the sheltered part for a day or two so they learn? I think that's how they say you should do it for layers. Sorry I'm not much help - but I'm interested in what others have to say too!

 

[BCMaraniac]

. We decided to try the FR (are Red Rangers the same thing?)

I think they are probably similar, but I think the FR's are specific for a single hatchery....

Would love to see your tractor.

 

[T-Amy]

I had freedom rangers last time, and the tractor was on the ground - which I kept them in for the first two weeks or so. Afterwards when I let them out, they'd just go back into the sheltered part when it was getting dark (except for one or two that couldn't quite figure it out LOL). I'm raising CX now - so it'll be interesting to see what happens with them!

Did you at first keep them in the shelter part so they knew where they were supposed to sleep? I thought it was tough counting 25 to make sure I wasn't missing any when the sun was going down! Can you keep them in the sheltered part for a day or two so they learn? I think that's how they say you should do it for layers. Sorry I'm not much help - but I'm interested in what others have to say too!

Good questions- yes, when I moved them from the brooder to the tractor at ?3 wks old, they were kept inside for, gosh, over a week or maybe 2 before I opened the door so they could come & go as they please so they would know that as home base... It's nice that it's elevated so if it rains, or if a hawk flies overhead, they have protection. Some will run up & down the flip down door but come sundown, they seem to just plop down huddled in piles, just as they do when they're moved into the tractor. Yes, 100 is a bit daunting- not to mention the 13 ducks (in 2 diff pens) & 30 layers in their own coop, a broody momma with 4 chicks, & 9 month-old hens! Morning & evening routines take 30-60 mins each, depending upon if I clean out the water jugs or just refill them, & of course the meaties alone go through almost two 5-gallon containers of feed a day!

 

[Elke Beck]

I have not had to deal with 100 chickens (the mind boggles) but for the up to 24 I have had at one time I use two aluminum poles from a long gone tent. They are about 4 feet long and very light so it is easy to carry them. I start about 10 - 15 feet away from the chickens with the poles held out wide and I tap the ground with them as I walk. Since they have time to see me coming and start moving, they do not get panicky and start bolting in all directions. I slowly push them toward the gate to their coop, tapping the ground as I go and using the poles to block escape attempts. When I get close to the gate, I start bringing the poles closer together so that they are not straight out from my sides but now form an increasingly narrowing angle. Be prepared to swing the pole out to block escapes. I never touch the chickens with the poles, but they act like it is a solid barrier rather than two thin sticks. You might have to lock the majority up and then sweep again to pick up stragglers.

 

[BCMaraniac]

I have not had to deal with 100 chickens (the mind boggles) but for the up to 24 I have had at one time I use two aluminum poles from a long gone tent. They are about 4 feet long and very light so it is easy to carry them. I start about 10 - 15 feet away from the chickens with the poles held out wide and I tap the ground with them as I walk. Since they have time to see me coming and start moving, they do not get panicky and start bolting in all directions. I slowly push them toward the gate to their coop, tapping the ground as I go and using the poles to block escape attempts. When I get close to the gate, I start bringing the poles closer together so that they are not straight out from my sides but now form an increasingly narrowing angle. Be prepared to swing the pole out to block escapes. I never touch the chickens with the poles, but they act like it is a solid barrier rather than two thin sticks. You might have to lock the majority up and then sweep again to pick up stragglers.

You know, I have used tomato stakes to herd my layers, the plastic covered metal ones from places like Lowe's. It does work well, and you are right...they act like it is a wall that they can't challenge rather than a stick. Silly chickens....works in our favor though.

 

[SIMZ]

Yes, it seems like it would be instinct, but we've had batches of meaties that just never got it. Round and round we'd go around the shelter....some would go in, and while I'd be chasing the stragglers, the rest would come back out!

I have also resorted to just picking them up and running them to the shelter. No easy task with dirty 10-pound meaties!

I do use a large garden rake and try to set up barriers to guide them. Find something to block the tractor so they can't get under it, too. I think the idea of using a rake or pole on each side would be helpful, too. It has to be long enough to keep them from running off to the side, though. Good luck!

 

[BCMaraniac]

Yes, it seems like it would be instinct, but we've had batches of meaties that just never got it. Round and round we'd go around the shelter....some would go in, and while I'd be chasing the stragglers, the rest would come back out!

I have also resorted to just picking them up and running them to the shelter. No easy task with dirty 10-pound meaties!

I do use a large garden rake and try to set up barriers to guide them. Find something to block the tractor so they can't get under it, too. I think the idea of using a rake or pole on each side would be helpful, too. It has to be long enough to keep them from running off to the side, though. Good luck!

I use a 6` tomato stake on each side......really helps.