Keeping Chickens Free Range

[jenniferlamar70]

It is not as hard as you think once you get into it. I use an electronic collar. As I have said here before, I think I have only had to use the shock on them once or twice. (on a low setting). I use the beeper on it all the time when training. The colar simply makes my dogs stop and think. Even without the collar training never ends. You have to constantly remind them what is right and what is wrong. We always say "leave the birds alone" Or "no no" if they look at them wrong. They soon learn which birds are OK and which ones are intruders. I know many here have heard/read me saying this before, my dogs never chase a chicken/turkey/guinea, but if a crow lands in the yard they are on it. They know who belongs and who does not. We had a cockatiel fly into our coop the other day. We caught it and have tried to find an owner for it. No luck on that. Yesterday. we brought it into the house, the younger lab wanted the cockatiel. She needs to learn that bird belongs too. When I first took my shotgun and went hunting with them once I had chickens, I thought they might go nuts and chase them. They did not. They went nuts to go hunting, Chickens are not animals we hunt in their minds. Your dogs will get it, just keep at it. There is nothing as good as a dog with the chickens to help keep predators away. Below is NOT a dog, it is why I have dogs! And just so you don't think my dog is perfect, we have a new problem we are working on, it is way harder than the bird chasing one to break...

Oh my goodness. We have coyotes too. I can hear them in a neighboring pasture at night and always worry. I would like to teach all my dogs eventually but one at a time I think would be easier for us. love the meme lmao.. probably thinking it was worth it hehe..

 

[SmColorInDaPan]

Snakes are bizarre. Heads can still bite even if dead and/or not attached to the body. And once the head was completely off, the body was still slithering away for quite a while. I wanted the kids to bury the head so the birds couldn't possibly be exposed to the venom {they all love eating snakes, though} but they buried the whole thing anyhow. Oh well. But ya.

I've been told for many years a Rattler can bite even after it's head is off, gone. Something about the venom lines still being open, reflexes... I'd imagine the birds are Immune to the venom if they eat them, Perhaps they eat everything BUT the venom areas? just GLAD it's been 8+ years out here b4 I saw one. WHEW!

Had a scare earlier this morning. Dixie got excited, Heard a Chicken 'yelp'. I dashed out, Bigger nesting box Older girl usually sleeps in, was empty, deterrents for dogs not to steal eggs pushed out of the way. Thought SURE she was someone's Breakfast. She's was accounted for this morning. Her wings have been clipped so not sure where she is roosting but it out foxed the Foxes...
Cornish Rock being solitary from the others. Broody or loner...For how often I see her, I'm betting she's broody. AH, To HIKE for eggs, again.

 

[islandgirl82]

Quote:

I've been considering trying one of the electronic collars for the new rescue. He's great when he's on a leash in the yard with the flock but I don't yet trust him to be around them off leash. He doesn't pay any attention to them when he's out with me and they are in their run but flips out when they fly past the windows, or jump off a big boulder in front of the picture window or get on said boulder to stare at us through the window. His breed is known for being stubborn and for their "selective hearing" and when they taunt him like that, it's extremely difficult to redirect his attention. I know people have issues with them but I think the collars can be a wonderful tool when used properly. My neighbors used them to train their own dogs to leave my flock alone and their dogs have even come over and chased stray dogs and attacked a fox to protect my chickens. I still see the fox but now it runs down the opposite side of the road and won't even look over here. At least for now.

 

[duluthralphie]

I've been considering trying one of the electronic collars for the new rescue. He's great when he's on a leash in the yard with the flock but I don't yet trust him to be around them off leash. He doesn't pay any attention to them when he's out with me and they are in their run but flips out when they fly past the windows, or jump off a big boulder in front of the picture window or get on said boulder to stare at us through the window. His breed is known for being stubborn and for their "selective hearing" and when they taunt him like that, it's extremely difficult to redirect his attention. I know people have issues with them but I think the collars can be a wonderful tool when used properly. My neighbors used them to train their own dogs to leave my flock alone and their dogs have even come over and chased stray dogs and attacked a fox to protect my chickens. I still see the fox but now it runs down the opposite side of the road and won't even look over here. At least for now.

You can over use a stick, a leash, and even your voice when training a dog. As long as you use it carefully and only when you need too. AT THE APPROPIATE TIME, they are great. The nice thing is the dog never knows if you are watching or not so they think you always are.

I use them when hunting with the dogs too. It just keeps their head in the game. The black one is so high strung without it she tends to forget her manners.

 

[islandgirl82]

Quote:
Absolutely. I grow weary of sounding like a broken record. This new dog came from spending 7 years of being the center of attention and getting to call ALL the shots. Spoiled to the core. His owners passed and he wound up with a rescue group. Even the rescue people had a few expletives to spout when they asked for a detailed update and I gave it. It's been a battle of wills betwixt two stubborn souls and I'm pleased to say, I am winning. Regardless, he's tough to rein in when he really focuses in on something. He has been around the flock off leash a couple of times accidentally and did the ol' chicken bowling the first time. Had I not been right there to grab him as he was on a hen's tail and she ran straight for me (thank goodness they know I'm safety), she probably wouldn't be here anymore and neither would he.

 

[Tikkijane]

  I've been told for many years a Rattler can bite even after it's head is off, gone. Something about the venom lines still being open, reflexes... I'd imagine the birds are Immune to the venom if they eat them, Perhaps they eat everything BUT the venom areas? just GLAD it's been 8+ years out here b4 I saw one.  WHEW!     

  Had a scare earlier this morning. Dixie got excited, Heard a Chicken 'yelp'. I dashed out, Bigger nesting box Older girl usually sleeps in, was empty, deterrents for dogs not to steal eggs pushed out of the way. Thought SURE she was someone's Breakfast. She's was accounted for this morning. Her wings have been clipped so not sure where she is roosting but it out foxed the Foxes...
     Cornish Rock being solitary from the others. Broody or loner...For how often I see her, I'm betting she's broody. AH, To HIKE for eggs, again.        

They need to stear clear of the head. I don't think the meat has venom in it.

Otoh, they eat black widows and scorpions just fine. Don't think the venom in those is as much proportionately as snakes, though.

I don't clip at all- I figure they need those wings to help them get away!

 

[speeps76]

Barring cooping our chickens up all the time, what are the best ways to keep them as safe as possible while free ranging? We'd love to get a dog again, but we are on 10 acres now and don't have adequate fencing to protect a dog yet. In the meantime, they have a big BO rooster and woods to hang out in. There is also a good deal of open area. I'm in NC west of Winston-Salem. We do have coyotes and such, but I've yet to see one during daylight. That might change as cold weather sets in. We also have the occasional hawk. I last saw one while they were free ranging about a week ago. It was a small hawk and the mockingbirds did an awesome job of chasing him away, but I kept the chickens in for several days afterwards in case he thought about coming back.

Is there anything else I can do to increase their safety until we can get a fence and train a dog? I've heard attracting crows can be helpful with the hawks. Has anyone tried that? How would you attract them?

Thanks for your help!

 

[centrarchid]

Barring cooping our chickens up all the time, what are the best ways to keep them as safe as possible while free ranging?  We'd love to get a dog again, but we are on 10 acres now and don't have adequate fencing to protect a dog yet.  In the meantime, they have a big BO rooster and woods to hang out in.  There is also a good deal of open area.  I'm in NC west of Winston-Salem.  We do have coyotes and such, but I've yet to see one during daylight.  That might change as cold weather sets in.  We also have the occasional hawk.  I last saw one while they were free ranging about a week ago.  It was a small hawk and the mockingbirds did an awesome job of chasing him away, but I kept the chickens in for several days afterwards in case he thought about coming back.  

Is there anything else I can do to increase their safety until we can get a fence and train a dog?  I've heard attracting crows can be helpful with the hawks.  Has anyone tried that?  How would you attract them?

Thanks for your help!

I would invest immediately in electrified poultry netting with the 48" height. Using same fencer, then charge an outer perimeter with high tensile wire that is also closely mowed. This will help keep ground predators out. Work immediately on on area within poultry netting so it has cover patches birds can retreat to when threatened by a hawk. Consider getting an additional BO rooster or two to provide attacking hawk a little resistance if one does visit. Forget the crows as not reliable. Then start looking into dog. I could get fencing up from scratch in less than a day while dog will take at least a year to give limited protection and two years not to be a threat to your birds in its own right. The cover patches may take some time where they need to be grown as well mowed lawns and large trees have very little cover value. Also revisit your roost setup as one predator mentioned so far will not be stopped by fencing and it takes very good dogs to stop it.

 

[speeps76]

Thank you for you input. It really wouldn't be hard for us to reinforce the existing fence that runs around our 1000 sf garden, but I was kind of hoping not to do that. They love going down to the woods behind the pond. There is no way to fence that. They have plenty of areas to hide in there, and of course their pen is secure, but there is open yard in between. I'm aware that we may lose one from time to time, but want to keep them as safe as I can without keeping them contained. Wishful thinking, probably.

 

[centrarchid]

Thank you for you input. It really would be hard for us to reinforce annex using fence that runs around our 1000 sf garden, but I was kind of hoping not to do that. They love going down to the woods behind the pond. There is no way to fence that. They have plenty of areas to hide in there, and of course their pen is secure, but there is open yard in between. I'm aware that we may lose one from time to time, but want to keep them as safe as I can without keeping them contained. Wishful thinking, probably.

I could fence it even running fencing through woods.