Keeping Chickens Free Range

[Beekissed]

Good for you, Paul! Great feedback and a great experiment, BTW. Sounds like they are getting plenty of nutrition if they are pumping out eggs like that, especially at this time of the year. Thanks for posting back.

 

[lazy gardener]

Thanks to everyone for their thoughts. I have decided that they are still getting enough to eat on their own. One person asked if the backyard was manicured: absolutely not. There is no turf grass. It is all wild vegetation, none very tall.

At 7 months old, all three began laying eggs. They have laid all eggs in the coop; two girls lay in a nest box, while the third insists on laying her eggs just outside the nest box. I had originally read and only expected 5 eggs per hen per week. Week one brought me 14 eggs (2 per day). The two weeks since then have been 21 eggs a week (3 per day). All three girls still look big and healthy. Since they began laying the only behavior changes I've seen are they are more focused on bugs in the undergrowth of the grass areas and around the raised beds.

They will still come meet me for the first few minutes that I come out, then will dismiss me and go back to chasing bugs. I consider my experiment so far a success, but I will continue to watch them closely during the winter.

The egg yolks are a bright burnt orange (as if they were Univ of Texas fans), and have a rich flavor. I can't buy eggs this good.

Paul
Georgetown, Texas

Great feed back, Paul. Would that we all could get such great production. Sounds like your yard provides all the nourishment they need!

 

[lcertuche]

I'm so jealous of your hard working girls. My 5 production reds are 28 weeks old now and still not laying. I also have a 24 week old black sex link pullet and a mixed blue cochin pullet not laying. At this point I'm beginning to think these slackards won't lay until spring. A lady at church gave us a dozen eggs Sunday so I'm happy not having to spend $2.

 

[Beekissed]

Autumn ranging....

 

[slordaz]

I'm so jealous of your hard working girls. My 5 production reds are 28 weeks old now and still not laying. I also have a 24 week old black sex link pullet and a mixed blue cochin pullet not laying. At this point I'm beginning to think these slackards won't lay until spring. A lady at church gave us a dozen eggs Sunday so I'm happy not having to spend $2.

if i was closer would give ya eggs, getting 15 a day right now but preparing for a nightmare this winter, my mixed breeds all wanted to brood with their first eggs they laid

 

[lazy gardener]

Autumn ranging....

Beautiful.

 

[Attila the Hen]

Autumn ranging....

That is lovely. Wish I had grass. Living in the forest the flock get little in the way greens except for chopped cabbage which they love. Note: they must have chopped cabbage--not a whole one hanging on a string. Hope you are well Beekissed.

 

[Beekissed]

That is lovely. Wish I had grass. Living in the forest the flock get little in the way greens except for chopped cabbage which they love. Note: they must have chopped cabbage--not a whole one hanging on a string. Hope you are well Beekissed.

So good to "see" you!!!!

I am very well and am hoping you are the same!

 

[lcertuche]

Quote: It's the thought that counts. Thanks anyway.

 

[mountainrun]

I want to start letting our birds free range - I am thinking of starting by letting them out for 2-3 hours before nightfall, to see how it goes. We are on a heavily wooded Appalachian hillside, and we have raccoons & possums, but during the daylight my big fears are wandering dogs & speeding cars (my neighbor takes our mostly-empty road very fast; also, if they make it to the bottom of the hill, there's a state highway)

If anyone with more experience has advice, i'd love to hear it (no chance of getting the neighbor to slow down, though).