Keeping Chickens Free Range

[ShrekDawg]

Found homes for 2 more this morning. So happy lol

That's awesome!! I bet!

 

[cec330]

I free range 10 hens, a few have started laying eggs just not in their coop. Everyone says lock them in the run for 2 weeks use golf balls or Easter eggs in the nesting box. I free range my hens they have no run and their coop is in the sun most of the day so I can't lock them in their coop. 3 hens lay eggs in same place everyday and 1 other lays her eggs in a different place everyday. My question to everyone is how far away from their coop or my house or garage will they lay their eggs? I have 2+ acres and they haven't left it.

 

[jenniferlamar70]

Hey guys my rooster has swallowed something hard and I can feel it in his crop. He has thrown up. Is there anything I can do?

 

[ShrekDawg]

I free range 10 hens, a few have started laying eggs just not in their coop. Everyone says lock them in the run for 2 weeks use golf balls or Easter eggs in the nesting box. I free range my hens they have no run and their coop is in the sun most of the day so I can't lock them in their coop. 3 hens lay eggs in same place everyday and 1 other lays her eggs in a different place everyday. My question to everyone is how far away from their coop or my house or garage will they lay their eggs? I have 2+ acres and they haven't left it.

I think that if they mostly lay in the same place it shouldn't be too much of a problem. Although really the only way to train them is what people suggested :/ but you might at least try the golf ball/fake egg idea. They tend to lay where others have laid

 

[Beekissed]

Hey guys my rooster has swallowed something hard and I can feel it in his crop. He has thrown up. Is there anything I can do?

If it were me, I'd syringe a slurry of oil and milk down his throat, wait a few, then hold him on a slant and milk his crop and especially milking the hard thing towards his mouth in the hopes he can expel it. Did he throw up on his own or did you induce his vomiting?

 

[jenniferlamar70]

If it were me, I'd syringe a slurry of oil and milk down his throat, wait a few, then hold him on  a slant and milk his crop and especially milking the hard thing towards his mouth in the hopes he can expel it.  Did he throw up on his own or did you induce his vomiting? 

He threw up on his own. I'm now wondering if it could be something else. I put him in a crate with just water and have been checking on him. I just went in there and the hard lump is gone. Could it be something else that made him sick?

 

[Beekissed]

Don't know....I've never seen a chicken throw up all on his own before. My chickens are out there on range, so I rarely ever notice what they eat, nor would I even know if they had something hard in their crop as I don't handle them.

A chicken that doesn't feel well will usually isolate themselves from the flock, so I wouldn't be isolating him if there's nothing wrong with him right now. Could be he ate something that temporarily restricted his ability to pass fluids along and those came back up. Whatever it was, he seems to have passed it and is doing fine now, so not sure why he is confined? A chicken out on range will eat a million and one things that may present as a hard lump in the crop but that doesn't mean he has eaten something wrong or anything that would make him sick.

 

[jenniferlamar70]

Don't know....I've never seen a chicken throw up all on his own before.  My chickens are out there on range, so I rarely ever notice what they eat, nor would I even know if they had something hard in their crop as I don't handle them. 

A chicken that doesn't feel well will usually isolate themselves from the flock, so I wouldn't be isolating him if there's nothing wrong with him right now.  Could be he ate something that temporarily restricted his ability to pass fluids along and those came back up.  Whatever it was, he seems to have passed it and is doing fine now, so not sure why he is confined?  A chicken out on range will eat a million and one things that may present as a hard lump in the crop but that doesn't mean he has eaten something wrong or anything that would make him sick. 

I can definitely tell their is something wrong with him and he is confined because if he has caught something contagious I don't want the rest of my flock to catch it. Most likely it's something he has gotten into but I would never take a chance compromising my whole flock. That's just irresponsible..

 

[Beekissed]

I can definitely tell their is something wrong with him and he is confined because if he has caught something contagious I don't want the rest of my flock to catch it. Most likely it's something he has gotten into but I would never take a chance compromising my whole flock. That's just irresponsible..

That's your opinion and you have a right to it. I feel differently. I manage my flock differently, so I give advice based on those methods as it's the only advice I have to give. You asked, I gave.

 

[Tikkijane]

I'm really happy to hear this. How many girls should I keep realistically. I can't keep 10 per roo but was thinking 3 per roo for now since I don't plan on keeping all of them. So far everyone is getting long well except for the fanatic crower but he has a new home lol.

More is always better, honestly. The ones I have seem to do ok in their little pods of 2/3/4 per male; there are a few that seem content with just one buddy. I do have a good number of girls that will give it right back to the boys if they aren't in the mood, so that helps. Out of that number, I have 5 or 6 large fowl boys {all roos less one cockerel that needs to stop being so obnoxious}, and that helps, too. But I am out with them every day and watch the dynamic for issues.