Keeping Chickens Free Range

[gander007]

Momma is producing her first brood at 23 weeks of age and
doing a very nice job of caring for the chicks also .....

The count so far is 7 chicks and 10 egg's to go ...

Momma showing the chicks to eat and drink

She started early so I am not going to let her go as she is a keeper .....










gander007

 

[Sylviaanne]

Sylvia, because it takes roughly 25 hours to lay an egg, chickens will lay progressively later each day until they reach a time to lay that is also the time of dark. they will hold off, skip that day and lay their egg first thing the next morning. a young pullet might drop an egg while on the roost before they get their "plumbing" in order, so to speak... and can't hold it. you shouldn't expect all your hens to lay by noonish...I've gotten an egg as late as 8:45 PM in Summer. it's best to encourage them to return to their nesting area to lay, all it takes is being there and shooing them out of the flower fronds or wherever they like to hide... now, even I find eggs from time to time in the day lilies, but it's only 2-3 eggs, which out of 34 isn't bad, and it isn't everyday...

we had an awesome afternoon, it's supposed to rain tomorrow and I do not let them out in the rain. no free meals here!

I know only a small bit of those woods show in this photo, but they are deep and dark, and go on for acres all around the property. I have seen all manner of wildlife coming from all of it, some benign and sweet, like rabbits and deer, but I have also seen bobcat, fox, coyote... I don't like it when they range even that close to the edge, but I shoo them out if they step inside!

I did know that they progressively but I still seem to get the eggs in the coop by not letting them out until afternoon. I get 10 eggs a day, including 3 duck eggs. Unlike Tikkijane's flock, mine scatter as soon as I open the gate, they are all over the property and you can't find them all until feeding time at dusk or when they roost on our front porch.

It came a downpour here this afternoon. My ducks loved it. We have acres of woods all around our property too but not deep dark like yours but I have not seen any wild life come out of the woods or even in our yard. I do know we had an armadillo at one time and a possum at another time on our porch. They were eating the chicken food. We only had a leanto for the chickens at that time. We had the food in a tote after that, like a Rubbermaid tote. Now that we have a building for a coop, we have 30 gallon trash cans we put their food in.

I have 13 adult birds and 32 -8 week old chicks and 4 -5 1/2 week old ducklings. I let the adults out to forage and put them up when it gets dark. I just lost a broody to a predator because I didn't move her. She was right at the southwest corner of the house, out front in a little viney flower bed. We sleep at the northeast corner of the house so didn't hear she was in trouble. Our predator only strikes every few months. The timing is so weird that I forget that we have a predator.

I do have more chicks in the house but those are all out in the run and coop.

 

[Tikkijane]

Great looking place you have there ..........

Thanks! I'm working on getting it to where I want it. My grow out coop is still a work in progress, and I really need it soon, because the keets are just about ready to go outside...

 

[Tikkijane]

I did know that they progressively but I still seem to get the eggs in the coop by not letting them out until afternoon. I get 10 eggs a day, including 3 duck eggs. Unlike Tikkijane's flock, mine scatter as soon as I open the gate, they are all over the property and you can't find them all until feeding time at dusk or when they roost on our front porch.

It came a downpour here this afternoon. My ducks loved it. We have acres of woods all around our property too but not deep dark like yours but I have not seen any wild life come out of the woods or even in our yard. I do know we had an armadillo at one time and a possum at another time on our porch. They were eating the chicken food. We only had a leanto for the chickens at that time. We had the food in a tote after that, like a Rubbermaid tote. Now that we have a building for a coop, we have 30 gallon trash cans we put their food in.

I have 13 adult birds and 32 -8 week old chicks and 4 -5 1/2 week old ducklings. I let the adults out to forage and put them up when it gets dark. I just lost a broody to a predator because I didn't move her. She was right at the southwest corner of the house, out front in a little viney flower bed. We sleep at the northeast corner of the house so didn't hear she was in trouble. Our predator only strikes every few months. The timing is so weird that I forget that we have a predator. 

I do have more chicks in the house but those are all out in the run and coop.

??? Mine go all over, but most do lay in the nesting boxes. I could prolly take the faux golf balls put of the nesting boxes now. I haven't had any of them cross the road, but the guineas do. A few weeks ago, I had one brahma taken by a fox in the front pasture in the middle of the day, out with the horses. We're a combination of hundreds of acres and farm land, which means good cover from hawks but lots of critters. I had a bobcat that liked to hang out at the end of the driveway and by the front barn in the pasture. It's been a while since I've seen it, though, thankfully.

Mine are all over the place; usually with a boy or two amd several girls.

 

[ChickyChickens]

I love this thread!!!!!!
Oh......this morning I woke up to 8 chicks, one egg is pipping, one egg is cheeping inside the egg and the other is still quite!My Broody looks so proud of herself!

 

[gander007]

Quote:



Oh am I struck with envy my guinea sat on this nest and at the end not one fertile egg among the clutch so I guess I will need to wait again and see if the little guy will do his job this time .....

 

[Sylviaanne]

??? Mine go all over, but most do lay in the nesting boxes. I could prolly take the faux golf balls put of the nesting boxes now. I haven't had any of them cross the road, but the guineas do. A few weeks ago, I had one brahma taken by a fox in the front pasture in the middle of the day, out with the horses. We're a combination of hundreds of acres and farm land, which means good cover from hawks but lots of critters. I had a bobcat that liked to hang out at the end of the driveway and by the front barn in the pasture. It's been a while since I've seen it, though, thankfully.

Mine are all over the place; usually with a boy or two amd several girls.

LOL Sorry, what I was referring to was your photos. They all leave in a flock, mine don't do that, they scatter as soon as they are out of the gate.

 

[Sylviaanne]

Oh am I struck with envy my guinea sat on this nest and at the end not one fertile egg among the clutch so I guess I will need to wait again and see if the little guy will do his job this time .....

Wow! What a clutch! I am envious. How old is your male?

 

[Tikkijane]

Oh am I struck with envy my guinea sat on this nest and at the end not one fertile egg among the clutch so I guess I will need to wait again and see if the little guy will do his job this time .....

I bought keets from a breeder near me. My fertility levels were awful on the first batch- only hatched out 6 live ones (and then 5 died a werk later- I think the adults smooshed them). And then I lost a lot of those (too much heat when my thermostat died at the same time my AC went out). The one remaining outside is with her bantam cochin mama. Because I lost most of my hatchlings, I set 16 more. I have like 8 broodies who need something to do. We'll see how it works out.....

 

[Tikkijane]

LOL Sorry, what I was referring to was your photos. They all leave in a flock, mine don't do that, they scatter as soon as they are out of the gate.

How many do you have? I have several merry troupes that venture. Most often, they are not together, but do roam in groups of 10ish.

Mine come out in a big pile. An then when it's feeding time (I ferment) it's like being the pied piperm I'm really glad they aren't bigger.