Keeping Chickens Free Range

[chickadee5002]

Mine are free range with an auto open door around 7:30 am. Five of the six go back to the coop and lay in the nest box but one insists on laying on the poop board. I need to see if I can catch her in the act and discourage her. Would picking her up and putting her in the nest work? She would probably just scare and fly down before I could move her.

I had one that would do that and I would pick her up put her in the nest box and put something to block her so she wouldn't come out of the nest box until she laid an egg. I have an old metal wire shelf that I used to have in my laundry room till I took it down and use that and put things to wedge it in so it does not move. But the chicken can see out but not get out (also the chicken does not get hot b/c the wire makes it so she gets airflow). Worked like a charm only had to do it twice now she lays in the nest box!

 

[dpenning]

Thanks, I'll see if I can catch her in the act.

 

[hennible]

Well poop I just lost two chickens this last week... Probably a fox or coyote ( not a hawk as I originally thought) everyone's been moved and is locked down....

 

[Tikkijane]

This is how we raise our chickens too. The only problem is gettin them to all nest in the same place! We have nesting boxes but they all refuse to lay in them. Instead they lay them in the hay in our barn. Half of them will lay in the nest of hay and the other half will lay in random spots some don't even have a nest just lay it on the floor behind something! It's like a Easter egg hunt every day only it's not really fun anymore! How can I get them to lay in the same spot preferably in their nesting boxes!?!?

Have you tried golf balls in the nesting boxes?

 

[vpatt]

I have them laying in three places now. They are all close so I put golf balls in all three and put a bucket nest in the spot where one of them was laying on the ground. It doesn't bother me to check three places. But when the rest of the girls begin laying I may need to be more assertive, lol.
:/

 

[brattima]

I really like your advice, thank you. I bought 2 more hens, still keeping them locked up. a couple moulted ( ugly looking) and not one is laying eggs now for 2 weeks. I have one pullet that thinks she is broody, never leaving an empty nest. I read they probably are stressed, what with the new hens being added, compounded by the new additions. I have 2 houses, so they would have more nesting areas, but it seems they all huddle in the smallest one. Have not let them out to roam yet. not seen that daylight fox for a bit.
either...I enjoy BYC site also. very good information and advice for a novice like me.

 

[whitehurst512]

Have you tried golf balls in the nesting boxes?

Yep but it didn't work so this weekend we took the nesting boxes out and put a board in the corner of the coop with hay on top and under it to see if they will lay there. It's kinda like what they are used to laying in in the barn where they keep goin but shouldn't. Hoping this works!!

 

[duluthralphie]

Confession time...

I did something very stupid and it cost me the life of one of my hens.... I have been raising a bunch of CX broilers. I wanted as large a bird as I can get without getting one too old. ( under 20 weeks).

I also wanted to keep 2 CX hens and one rooster to see what I would get for chicks or if I could next year. We have been processing a few CX's a day. I free range everything most of the time.

My CX's and my DP flock have been free ranging together for a couple months. The birds all know each other.

I picked two CX hens to keep for next year. These were the two hens that roamed the furthest from the brooder/tractor the CX's live in.

In the last couple weeks I started to get eggs from my young flock. I was tired of finding them everywhere and not knowing exactly how many hens were laying. My wife and I made an enclosed run 9ft by 75 ft to give the birds lots of room and still have them in a cage, until they learn where the nests are. I put the two hens into the coop with the enclosed run. There was some minor fighting when they first went in, it did not look overly vicious. A couple of roosters were trying to mate with them against their wills. I thought another rooster put a stop too it. I Was wrong. Yesterday, I saw the two new hens had bloody butts. Badly bloodied butts!

I pulled them out and put them in a safe area by themselves. I did not want to process them because of the possibility of infection. I will only process clean healthy birds. She was dead this morning from the injuries and I feel like an idiot. So stupid to lose a bird like that. I was sure because they were basically one flock roosting in different coops they would be accepted.

Now comes a quandary, I still want to keep 2 hens and a rooster CX over winter. I am afraid to add new birds to the flock in the run.

What do you think the outcome would be if I throw the roosters outside to free range and leave the hens inside? Will the CX's be ok then? The hens did not participate in this rape/beating.

If I make the roosters coop together in the CX's brooder will the CX rooster be safe?

Any suggestions?


And a warning beware when adding chickens into new areas!

 

[SmColorInDaPan]

I haven't had eggs for the last 2 days so I will need to hike around. They, 1 SL, 1 LH, 2 PR, haven't been laying very regular in the last 2 weeks so I suspect the weather, in the past, or close by Coyotes, last 2 days, may be affecting such.. 6 something this morning the dogs were going NUTS so let them out. Didn't see it but from pathway the dogs took, IT WAS CLOSE.

Will see about dumping MOST OF Bones brought home for my dogs, FURTHER from house TODAY.

Have had bones for my dogs here before, wonder what is different now…
Has anyone noticed, does fear throw anyone's else's laying schedule off?

 

[hennible]

Confession time...

I did something very stupid and it cost me the life of one of my hens.... I have been raising a bunch of CX broilers.  I wanted as large a bird as I can get without getting one too old. ( under 20 weeks).

I also wanted to keep 2 CX  hens and one rooster to see what I would get for chicks or if I could next year.   We have been processing a few CX's a day.  I free range everything most of the time.

My CX's and my DP flock have been free ranging together for a couple months. The birds all know each other.

I picked two CX hens to keep for next year. These were the two hens that roamed the furthest from the brooder/tractor the CX's live in.

In the last couple weeks I started to get eggs from my young flock. I was tired of finding them everywhere and not knowing exactly how many hens were laying. My wife and I made an enclosed run 9ft by 75 ft to give the birds lots of room and still have them in a cage, until they learn where the nests are.  I put the two hens into the coop with the enclosed run.  There was some minor fighting when they first went in, it did not look overly vicious. A couple of roosters were trying to mate with them against their wills.  I thought another rooster put a stop too it. I Was wrong. Yesterday, I saw the two new hens had bloody butts. Badly bloodied butts!

I pulled them out and put them in a safe area by themselves. I did not want to process them because of the possibility of infection. I will only process clean healthy birds. She was dead this morning from the injuries and I feel like an idiot. So stupid to lose a bird like that.    I was sure because they were basically one flock roosting in different coops they would be accepted.

Now comes a quandary, I still want to keep 2 hens and a rooster CX over winter.  I am afraid to add new birds to the flock in the run. 

What do you think the outcome would be if I throw the roosters outside to free range and leave the hens inside? Will the CX's be ok then? The hens did not participate in this rape/beating.

If I make the roosters coop together in the CX's brooder will the CX rooster be safe?

Any suggestions?


And a warning beware when adding chickens into new areas! 

Try again with a more Controlled introduction... Put the new birds in a dog crate or something to keep the other birds away from them for a while before you let them into the main flock so everybody can get adjusted that will probably work better... What's your rooster to him ratio? Might've had something to do with it.... That is if you had too many Roos, just my thoughts best of luck.