Keeping Chickens Free Range

[Kmac1]

Generally speaking, breaking older dogs of acting improperly around chickens is easier than with pups. It is very much faster. Even when older dog has a history of killing chickens it can be done. Coonhounds, dalmations, labs, and border collies are the ones I cut my teeth on without formal training myself. Breed can be important but individual differences can override. When I think older. I assume it is at least 2 years old. It is also assumed the dog is socialized to be around humans and sometimes even around other dogs. First objective is to get control over dog where it ceases to do something when you give command. Get to that point then we can address the particulars of how to proceed. Dogs differ as individuals in ways that are significant to what needs to be done with subsequent steps.

This will be a multi questions, I'll try to stay on topic. I have 4 RIR's, 3Brahamas, 4 Black Beauties (I think), and 5 banties, 10 guieneas I free range from daylight till dark. I got my flock from the local feed store the last week of May. I have no dog but my neighbor has 6 full blood registered German Shepard pups for sale. I'm not sure I'm ready for another dog right now after we had to put our corgi down because of cancer. (My wife treated him better than she did me. Lol that's a whole nother thread). Any experience with GS's being good guard dogs for chickens? I have not lost any to preditors yet. Emphasis on yet. I did here coyotes 2 nights ago so I took my flashlight that flashes red continueiously and put it out by the coop, because I had 6 guineas on top of the coop and 2 on a trailer behind the coop. No losses. At what age should I expect them to start laying so I can keep them on the run till they have laid? I have 2 white Bramha's that have a fairly large comb and 1 that does not. One of the large comb clucks like a hen but looks like a rooster, any thoughts on that. Then of my 4 RIR's 3 are for sure hens and one has a much larger comb, bought all the same time tagged as hens. Your thoughts on that. Thanks Willie

 

[lazy gardener]

Pics of EACH bird in question please.

 

[Kmac1]

Pics of EACH bird in question please.  

Here are the pics.

 

[lynnehd]

Good ideas! Maybe even a big umbrella! They can still get into the shade of their run, but it'd be nice if they had more options.

Yes, I used an umbrella too, come to think of it. I got some PVC tubing (slightly bigger than the umbrella pole) and cut a ~3 foot piece, then cut a sharp end at one side.
Pounded it in partway, and you can slip the umbrella into it.

It definitely helps with shade and these umbrellas/chairs/etc also create places for the hens to run under.

 

[SmColorInDaPan]

Been a bit, since I posted. Looks like I lost the mini Bantam & a beloved yr old cat. Went outside last night to find even younger Kitten, heard, saw eyes in the flashlight beam, a Fox. He distanced himself but NOT by far! Not sure the Cornish Rock that I think is Brooding, could be gone also. Having company soon so will butcher one of the 2 RIR Roos.
Think they lay in wait a few yards from where I feed the horses, 1 cat & chickens follow me out.

Found near paper thin eggs this morning, not in boxes but where they've been roosting. I've been feeding them their own shells back & been good eggs since they started...Any Reasonable ideas? Are the RIR being too much the Bullies? Home made ideas would help. Tempted to grind up Calcium Meds with feed..

 

[slordaz]

I offer mine free choice ground up oyster shell, but since they found the red root that is a gardens bane they haven't been eating it much so now instead of adding it to the burn pile of weeds I toss it to them

when mine usually start that though there is a lot more feather picking which tells me they are not getting enough protein, we fed em some chopped up pickled eggs and weinies, now they try to convince us to give them that as their treat lol.

 

[lynnehd]

Been a bit, since I posted. Looks like I lost the mini Bantam & a beloved yr old cat. Went outside last night to find even younger Kitten, heard, saw eyes in the flashlight beam, a Fox. He distanced himself but NOT by far! Not sure the Cornish Rock that I think is Brooding, could be gone also. Having company soon so will butcher one of the 2 RIR Roos.
Think they lay in wait a few yards from where I feed the horses, 1 cat & chickens follow me out.

Found near paper thin eggs this morning, not in boxes but where they've been roosting. I've been feeding them their own shells back & been good eggs since they started...Any Reasonable ideas? Are the RIR being too much the Bullies? Home made ideas would help. Tempted to grind up Calcium Meds with feed..

As far as the thin eggs, make sure their regular feed has a good amount of calcium in it (~4%). Avoid feeding too may treats so that the eat enough of the regular feed. Offer oyster shell as well as the egg shells.
Sorry about your cat and Bantam!

 

[centrarchid]

This will be a multi questions, I'll try to stay on topic. I have 4 RIR's, 3Brahamas, 4 Black Beauties (I think), and 5 banties, 10 guieneas I free range from daylight till dark. I got my flock from the local feed store the last week of May. I have no dog but my neighbor has 6 full blood registered German Shepard pups for sale. I'm not sure I'm ready for another dog right now after we had to put our corgi down because of cancer. (My wife treated him better than she did me. Lol that's a whole nother thread). Any experience with GS's being good guard dogs for chickens? I have not lost any to preditors yet. Emphasis on yet. I did here coyotes 2 nights ago so I took my flashlight that flashes red continueiously and put it out by the coop, because I had 6 guineas on top of the coop and 2 on a trailer behind the coop. No losses. At what age should I expect them to start laying so I can keep them on the run till they have laid? I have 2 white Bramha's that have a fairly large comb and 1 that does not. One of the large comb clucks like a hen but looks like a rooster, any thoughts on that. Then of my 4 RIR's 3 are for sure hens and one has a much larger comb, bought all the same time tagged as hens. Your thoughts on that. Thanks Willie

I do not want to touch this unless it is broken up and potentially treated in separate threads. You are already taking on the world with free-range chickens, make so we do not take on your world too as many of us are up to our wahoo's taking on ours.

 

[speeps76]

Yes, I used an umbrella too, come to think of it. I got some PVC tubing (slightly bigger than the umbrella pole) and cut a ~3 foot piece, then cut a sharp end at one side.
Pounded it in partway, and you can slip the umbrella into it.

It definitely helps with shade and these umbrellas/chairs/etc also create places for the hens to run under.

Great idea! Thank you!

 

[maryann momhen]

Hi I have 2 2yr old barred rock hens and 4, 4 mo old pullets, Brahma, Buff Orpington, Australorp, and Rhode island red, I have a huge pen that I keep gated in the middle to keep the older ones from the younger ones, until i feel th older ones will stop pecking the younger ones, or until the younger ones can stand up for themselves. I let them out in the yard together a couple times a day when i can be out with them to keep them safe from hawks. The 2 B.Rs won't stop chasing the younger ones although they are nearly the same size now. They are already kept separate , so isolating them isn't applicable, unless I create a smaller area and one at a time I put them in chickie jail. What I do now is whichever chicken chases or pecks the younger ones, I run after that chicken, kind of like, see how you like it.. she pretends to just be minding her own business and we watch her inch closer and closer to the younger ones, until she makes a sprint for them and pecks ones tail feathers. Sometimes I pick her up and put her in while the others are allowed to free range, but I really wish I could come up with a way to get them to stop bothering the younger ones. I tell her, if you don't peck the others you can all have twice the space. But they don't listen.. lol... they are not stressed, they have plenty of food, plenty of room. My next approach will be to open the gate and if they start pecking at the younger ones inside the run, then close the gate again and maybe they'll make the connection that they can have the run if they behave.
Any ideas?