Keeping Chickens Free Range

[Sylviaanne]

I bought keets from a breeder near me. My fertility levels were awful on the first batch- only hatched out 6 live ones (and then 5 died a werk later- I think the adults smooshed them). And then I lost a lot of those (too much heat when my thermostat died at the same time my AC went out). The one remaining outside is with her bantam cochin mama.

Because I lost most of my hatchlings, I set 16 more. I have like 8 broodies who need something to do. We'll see how it works out.....

I bought 2 dozen eggs from a local lady and she gave me a total of 29. I just candled them at 19 days and found 15 of them were clear. One got stuck to the rail and some of the shell broke off when we tried to free it. I am very unhappy about this as she said she had 98 guineas and assured me they would all be fertile. I don't think I am going to bother telling her.

I have 13 adult birds and 32 -8 week old chicks and 4 -5 1/2 week old ducklings. I let the adults out to forage and put them up when it gets dark. I do have more chicks in the house but those are all out in the run and coop.

 

[gander007]

Quote:

He was a year old at the time .....

 

[gander007]

Quote:

Well I guess guinea are a bit different then chickens as I have never seen ether of my males trying to mount the female guinea hen but they are always together all the time and I was thinking of removing the second male from the equation and see what happens ....

 

[LadyBroody]

I see there have been some questions about how to make hens lay in the coop when you let them out to free range. Let me offer my personal experience. When a new chicken comes to join the flock, I put her in the nesting box, and hold her there for a while. Then she jumps out on her own, and walks off. Sometimes this works, but when I did this at first I thought I wasn't getting any eggs, when actually they had been laying, and I finally found 10 eggs under a tree. When you find eggs in a place you don't want them to be laid, take the eggs and place them in the nesting box. After doing this for a while, they got the idea. Again, this is just my personal experience, so I can't guarantee it will work. It worked for my hens though.




Free ranging my chickens has been the best choice I have ever made. Since I have been letting them out into the garden everyday, their eggs have doubled in size, and I've been getting many double yolks. It's been saving me lots of money too, as they don't eat as much chicken feed. It also does the chickens a favor, as there's no doubt that they really enjoy it.

 

[alscatS]

New to backyard chicken keeping - I grew up on a larger property - soooo - I want to be able to let out my 2 white rocks & 1 call duck in the morning but I leave for work before the sun is up - I just wondered what everyone does - I KNOW ABOUT THE AUTO DOORS - and I am looking into that - I just wondered what others do that leave before sunrise - do you just open in the am when night time 'bad guys' could still be prowling around or not? The door to the coop goes into a small run but the run is enough to keep the birds in but not keep anything out if it really wanted to get in. I live in a neighborhood... larger lots - .5 acres but still a neighborhood.

 

[K Epp]

Polish... I love my girls and they are the most friendly of the flock. The White Crested Blue is Lady Gaga. The Silver Laced is Cher. I had a White Crested Black and she was Madonna. I've had 3 roos. Liberace was a gold laced. Sadly he and Madonna were killed in a farming accident. Einstein #1 was a sweetie. He would follow us around and fly up on our shoulders like the girls. Unfortunately he got in my sons dog pen ad didn't make it out. That dog has been rehomed as it killed more of my birds than predators. Einstein #2 the one in the pictures was the devil. He got were he would flog me everytime he caught me off guard. I gave him to a man who cane to buy chicks. I told him if his behavior and he thought he could reform him. Hopefully he can I tried everything, but chopping his head off. Now I'm with out a Polish. If I can find a roo as a chick I will get another, but I don't buy another that hasn't been hand raised.

Do now I'm with out a roo, but I would never gave out that mean Einstein with my girls. I have a friend with a really nice sizzle roo. I'm thinking about borrowing him to breed and see if I can get sizzle Polish.

I have Sizzle, frizzle Silkie, and Silkie. I've been working on them this summer. When I get all the Mama's and chicks out of that house I will setup another breeding pen in there. I may put my polish in there who knows... LOL

Here are some of those guys. If it will let me upload from my phone.
...nope not today. I'll do it from the computer later. Itvdounds like the Philadelphia Boys Choir out there now they are calling me because they want out.

Thanks for the complements on my pics. I take a bunch and get a few good ones.

 

[LadyBroody]

Polish... I love my girls and they are the most friendly of the flock. The White Crested Blue is Lady Gaga. The Silver Laced is Cher. I had a White Crested Black and she was Madonna. I've had 3 roos. Liberace was a gold laced. Sadly he and Madonna were killed in a farming accident. Einstein #1 was a sweetie. He would follow us around and fly up on our shoulders like the girls. Unfortunately he got in my sons dog pen ad didn't make it out. That dog has been rehomed as it killed more of my birds than predators. Einstein #2 the one in the pictures was the devil. He got were he would flog me everytime he caught me off guard. I gave him to a man who cane to buy chicks. I told him if his behavior and he thought he could reform him. Hopefully he can I tried everything, but chopping his head off. Now I'm with out a Polish. If I can find a roo as a chick I will get another, but I don't buy another that hasn't been hand raised.

Do now I'm with out a roo, but I would never gave out that mean Einstein with my girls. I have a friend with a really nice sizzle roo. I'm thinking about borrowing him to breed and see if I can get sizzle Polish.

I have Sizzle, frizzle Silkie, and Silkie. I've been working on them this summer. When I get all the Mama's and chicks out of that house I will setup another breeding pen in there. I may put my polish in there who knows... LOL

Here are some of those guys. If it will let me upload from my phone.
...nope not today. I'll do it from the computer later. Itvdounds like the Philadelphia Boys Choir out there now they are calling me because they want out.

Thanks for the complements on my pics. I take a bunch and get a few good ones.

Sorry about your losses. Polish seem like very sweet chickens. Sadly at present I don't have any bantams, but I plan on buying a golden silkie pair from a breeder near us.

 

[cheeka]

So how do you shoo them away ??????????????????????????????????

it's easy. I walk around them and bring them back to the yard. usually I walk them further than I need to so they find something interesting where it's safer. it's a constant thing. those particular hens in that photo are "Fosters", they arrived here in December, so are just learning their territory. the rest of my flock have been here since chickdom and have been trained. not that they don't occasionally go where they aren't supposed to, but they come when I call them... I'm always on my toes when they are out. predators here are opportunistic hunters. I suffer terrible heartache when I lose one, so I'm diligent.

New to backyard chicken keeping - I grew up on a larger property - soooo - I want to be able to let out my 2 white rocks & 1 call duck in the morning but I leave for work before the sun is up - I just wondered what everyone does - I KNOW ABOUT THE AUTO DOORS - and I am looking into that - I just wondered what others do that leave before sunrise - do you just open in the am when night time 'bad guys' could still be prowling around or not? The door to the coop goes into a small run but the run is enough to keep the birds in but not keep anything out if it really wanted to get in. I live in a neighborhood... larger lots - .5 acres but still a neighborhood.

as for me, I do not let mine out before 9 AM on my days off. too many predators are still up and out around 8:30... I've seen foxes cruising through... I'd lose at least 1 a day if I wasn't careful. my runs have tarps to open to let in sunlight and fresh air is abundant even if they are closed... they don't have a problem waiting til afternoon to come out... Someday, I would like to build a covered paddock run so they could have more territory to chill out in, just haven't had the opportunity to do so yet. I could train them to follow me to the paddock pretty easily by withholding breakfast and serving it in the paddock... they'd come readily!

 

[K Epp]

 

[alscatS]

it's easy. I walk around them and bring them back to the yard. usually I walk them further than I need to so they find something interesting where it's safer. it's a constant thing. those particular hens in that photo are "Fosters", they arrived here in December, so are just learning their territory. the rest of my flock have been here since chickdom and have been trained. not that they don't occasionally go where they aren't supposed to, but they come when I call them... I'm always on my toes when they are out. predators here are opportunistic hunters. I suffer terrible heartache when I lose one, so I'm diligent.

as for me, I do not let mine out before 9 AM on my days off. too many predators are still up and out around 8:30... I've seen foxes cruising through... I'd lose at least 1 a day if I wasn't careful. my runs have tarps to open to let in sunlight and fresh air is abundant even if they are closed... they don't have a problem waiting til afternoon to come out... Someday, I would like to build a covered paddock run so they could have more territory to chill out in, just haven't had the opportunity to do so yet. I could train them to follow me to the paddock pretty easily by withholding breakfast and serving it in the paddock... they'd come readily!

Hey cheeka - so you open the hen house door early & let them in the run but don't let them out out until later in the day??