Keeping Chickens Free Range

[SmColorInDaPan]

Great idea! Thank you!

I have an umbrella that came from my daughter's outside toy, YEARS ago. GREAT IDEA! Have to try that!

 

[SmColorInDaPan]

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!

THANK YOU So much, hon, for your suggestion. Will have to get oyster shell, next time I am in town. Just so odd how since they started laying, it's been fine, then 2 eggs, Outside the box, & So thin. Dented, when I picked one up.
I'm heartbroken about Rocky, the cat. I need to go back to taking in adult Ferel cats, taming them, so they KNOW how to survive up here....
One of the unexpected Roosters has GOT TO GO! Found a pile of what Looks like Young Turkey feathers in the back yard, this morning.
He's jumping on whatever passes by? Did another predator, happen to grab a passing Wild Turkey, in my Backyard?? *(There's a screwy Pun in that last statement, somewhere..

)

I wonder if RIR Roo is stressing the girls to the point, soft eggs, laying other than box, is the result. My Older hen, has been hiding behind some boxes, not laying there, but comes out from there when I step out... Live & Learn, although HE WON'T live very long...

 

[centrarchid]

THANK YOU So much, hon, for your suggestion. Will have to get oyster shell, next time I am in town. Just so odd how since they started laying, it's been fine, then 2 eggs, Outside the box, & So thin. Dented, when I picked one up. I'm heartbroken about Rocky, the cat. I need to go back to taking in adult Ferel cats, taming them, so they KNOW how to survive up here.... One of the unexpected Roosters has GOT TO GO! Found a pile of what Looks like Young Turkey feathers in the back yard, this morning. He's jumping on whatever passes by? Did another predator, happen to grab a passing Wild Turkey, in my Backyard?? *(There's a screwy Pun in that last statement, somewhere.. ) I wonder if RIR Roo is stressing the girls to the point, soft eggs, laying other than box, is the result. My Older hen, has been hiding behind some boxes, not laying there, but comes out from there when I step out... Live & Learn, although HE WON'T live very long...

Blue Jay remains.

 

[Beekissed]

This is a cockerel... if it's not the same bird in the second pic, that's a cockerel also. In the third pic the bird that is most blurry may be a cockerel but hard to tell by the blurriness and angle...the one in the forefront of that pic looks to be a pullet. The third and fourth pics show a cockerel RIR...can't see the other RIR well enough to judge, but the feet may be saying cockerel.

Here are the pics.

 

[Beekissed]

THANK YOU So much, hon, for your suggestion. Will have to get oyster shell, next time I am in town. Just so odd how since they started laying, it's been fine, then 2 eggs, Outside the box, & So thin. Dented, when I picked one up.
I'm heartbroken about Rocky, the cat. I need to go back to taking in adult Ferel cats, taming them, so they KNOW how to survive up here....
One of the unexpected Roosters has GOT TO GO! Found a pile of what Looks like Young Turkey feathers in the back yard, this morning.
He's jumping on whatever passes by? Did another predator, happen to grab a passing Wild Turkey, in my Backyard?? *(There's a screwy Pun in that last statement, somewhere..

)

I wonder if RIR Roo is stressing the girls to the point, soft eggs, laying other than box, is the result. My Older hen, has been hiding behind some boxes, not laying there, but comes out from there when I step out... Live & Learn, although HE WON'T live very long...

You're likely getting thin shelled eggs because 'tis the season to do so....hot weather and the beginning of molting season. Molting causes the redirection of calcium and phosphorus to feather growth and away from shell production, particularly in your older hens. Nothing really to do with the rooster, though if he's a pain in the patoot he could be stressing the gals...but that still won't cause them to lay thin shelled eggs.

That doesn't look like turkey feathers unless some trick lighting has caused you to have small, blue, exotic looking turkey feathers in this pic....looks like a blue jay has been killed. Not likely by your rooster, but rather a hawk or your local fox.

 

[SmColorInDaPan]

You're likely getting thin shelled eggs because 'tis the season to do so....hot weather and the beginning of molting season. Molting causes the redirection of calcium and phosphorus to feather growth and away from shell production, particularly in your older hens. Nothing really to do with the rooster, though if he's a pain in the patoot he could be stressing the gals...but that still won't cause them to lay thin shelled eggs.

That doesn't look like turkey feathers unless some trick lighting has caused you to have small, blue, exotic looking turkey feathers in this pic....looks like a blue jay has been killed. Not likely by your rooster, but rather a hawk or your local fox.

Thank so much for your help. Haven't seen a cat with such nor Bluejays up here, in a WHILE. Better info, your idea, thanks!

 

[lynnehd]

THANK YOU So much, hon, for your suggestion. Will have to get oyster shell, next time I am in town. Just so odd how since they started laying, it's been fine, then 2 eggs, Outside the box, & So thin. Dented, when I picked one up.
I'm heartbroken about Rocky, the cat. I need to go back to taking in adult Ferel cats, taming them, so they KNOW how to survive up here....
One of the unexpected Roosters has GOT TO GO! Found a pile of what Looks like Young Turkey feathers in the back yard, this morning.
He's jumping on whatever passes by? Did another predator, happen to grab a passing Wild Turkey, in my Backyard?? *(There's a screwy Pun in that last statement, somewhere..

)

I wonder if RIR Roo is stressing the girls to the point, soft eggs, laying other than box, is the result. My Older hen, has been hiding behind some boxes, not laying there, but comes out from there when I step out... Live & Learn, although HE WON'T live very long...

That's quite a pile.

I agree with you, stress is a huge factor in egg laying. Get rid of the meanie Rooster.

 

[Kmac1]

. Thank you for your reply

 

[Beekissed]

YW!

Now is the time when forage gets good and the birds lay on tremendous fat on the quality of grass, bugs and seeds coming available in Aug/Sept/Oct. Feed consumption always goes down during this time in the coop and more hunting out there on pasture. The sugar level in certain grasses change in the fall, a lot of grasses are also going to seed before cool weather, while certain bugs are more active before cool weather as well, as they are out feeding and multiplying before winter comes.

This is the time we try to refrain from mowing as often so those grasses can develop and go to seed, so the bugs will have some cover and something on which to feed and so those fall grasses have a chance to grow well. If we mow at all, it's only on the highest setting in order to keep things looking smooth but not actually cutting it short.

This is also the time when the garden is going to seed in many ways, so the flock gets to benefit from that also. Overripe cukes, squash, tomatoes, etc. all get thrown to the dogs and chickens, with the dogs getting more than their fair share but the chickens manage to get good food too. Canning left overs are also given to the animals, so more food available. Any fruit we can forage will also be shared with the animals in the form of canning leftovers and bad or rotten fruit being given to them.

Come butchering and hunting season, even more nutrition will be on hand for the dogs and chickens, so the laying on of fat for winter time comes to a peak then.

I encourage all you free rangers, be it in a small range or a larger one, to set up similar opportunities for your flock so they can lay on good fat for winter in their fall foraging. If you can scavenge with other gardeners who are just throwing out their veggies onto a compost pile to let you have it for your flock, any fruit trees you see in your area that no one is going to pick and use, see if you can pick up any fallen fruit for your flock. Let your grass go to seed for them if you can so they can glean those seeds. If you have a local grocer that is just throwing out old produce, see if you can collect it for your flock.

Later on in the fall, anyone decorating with pumpkins and gourds in town who don't know what to do with them when they are done or start to rot, see if you can gather those for your flock, letting them rot and ferment a good bit before you feed them out....they will eat them much more quickly if the pumpkin is rotting and soft than they will if you just feed them a pumpkin. Store some for winter feeding if you can, as they will really love having the "fresh" food later on...the freezing and thawing of the pumpkins converts the starches to sugar and softens it all up for better eating. Don't worry if you see mold on the pumpkin...it won't affect them whatsoever.

My dogs even love the rotted pumpkins and both sets of animals will not leave even a small morsel behind, licking the ground until it's all gone. The seeds are really good for them, so let them have the guts and all.

 

[jenniferlamar70]

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?

We have had similar issues in the past. While I'm no expert I've learned quite a bit on different integration techniques. It sounds like you've had them in a sort of introduction pen for awhile now and are still having issues. I would take the 2 barred rocks and out them in a big dog crate for a few days. While they are in there let the others have the run of the run lol. Slowly reintroduce the barred rocks back to the pen. If they become aggressive again back to the crate they go. It can take a few weeks of this but it will work if you stay consistent. In the end if they are still giving you problems they may just be bullys and need a bigger flock to keep them in check.