Keeping Chickens Free Range

[duluthralphie]

Consider myself blessed in that I've had so few predators over the years.... Such things as described here, don't think I could do.

The girls are having a great time wandering in our out of season warmth
Bringing the hen hutch up to the house was a good. Found 4 eggs in it today. They look H-U-G-E compared to what one gets at the store.
SO HAPPY TO BE BACK TO R-E-A-L eggs!

I know the feeling I got 16 eggs today! That is over 50% I am so happy, the girls are paying rent again.

 

[holm25]

RIP my sweet little Heidi.

 

[SmColorInDaPan]

I know the feeling I got 16 eggs today! That is over 50% I am so happy, the girls are paying rent again.

Can i ask what/how the 'boys' pay?

Sorry, it was TOO open not to respond...
HALF? I thought you had more than that. Good vittles next few days for us.... I'm going to have to start hiking since at least one other should be laying by now....
Hope the storm they keep talking about doesn't hit you too hard, Duluth, fellow BYCers!
Night!

 

[duluthralphie]

Can i ask what/how the 'boys' pay?

Sorry, it was TOO open not to respond...
HALF? I thought you had more than that. Good vittles next few days for us.... I'm going to have to start hiking since at least one other should be laying by now....
Hope the storm they keep talking about doesn't hit you too hard, Duluth, fellow BYCers!
Night!

No storm here, it is like early spring, I love it.

Nope, I have 31 hens, or 30 depending on which count is correct, I have 3 CX's and 3 roosters, I am down to 9 guineas and 9 turkeys. I also have 2 freezers full of chicken.


The boys are a lot like son-in-laws an necessary evil without any real purpose. Free loaders...

I hope to get more coops and runs built this summer and winter over 50 next year.

I had around a 150 last spring, but between freezer camp hawks and eagle and those that just died as babies I am way down.

 

[SmColorInDaPan]

Son in laws? YOU MET my 1st husband....U poor thing......

Ran across this article and hope i can post it here, not too sure. talk about free range! Check out the photo
of them coming out the barn? That 2nd paragraph, kind spooky....
http://theplate.nationalgeographic.com/2014/05/30/good-shepherd-ranch-gene-pool-chickens/

The missing layer, gave me one this morning & heard the egg song, from another, as I was waking up. Whew!
Yeah, Bringing in more solar power, more consistently, than years past. Worrisome. Here, we all know, we'll get
a couple more storms, BUT this much Spring weather, this time of yr, this long, kinda scary.
That is one thing I miss about being solar; not enough freezer space for da good stuff!!!

 

[SmColorInDaPan]

RIP my sweet little Heidi.

My condolences. I love this photo. Chickens are warm so makes sense, shows the cat is pretty smart where they, she, sleeps. Tolerance, more 2 legged critters need, ability to share.

 

[holm25]

Thanks!!

 

[Tikkijane]

LOL you know what I'm talking about.

I'm still chuckling. My dd was like, "WHY are these in a zoo???' Heh.

 

[dpenning]

It was not a concern really, I was just curious how you handled the hens going broody, stealing a nest and chicks being killed. Not having roosters that is not a problem, most likely if they steal a nest ( hide a nest) and go broody the worse that happens is they sit on infertile eggs for a month. Most likely the hen would be able to escape an egg eater.


I am trying to figure out some way to allow some of my hens to go broody this summer and not have to worry too much about them. I will even let the turkeys have nests after I get all the eggs I want from them.

So far only one has gone broody and she camped out in the coop on a nest. I just picked her up and tossed her out whenever I was here and found her in the nest. Probably didn't do any good, it took about a month for her to go back to ranging. I've looked for nests outside but haven't found any. I was getting about 3 eggs a day from 5 girls so far this winter but it is starting to pick up so based on the egg counts I don't think they are laying anywhere else. If they choose to, however, there will be nothing I can do Monday - Thursday when I'm in Dallas. That is a risk I'm taking free ranging.

 

[duluthralphie]

Yep, we all take risks while free ranging. But I am like you I think the risk of free ranging is worth the quality of life it gives the birds.

Sounds like your girls are doing ok on the rent. I am getting now 14-16 eggs a day out of 30 hens so we are at about the same rate. I am a little worried about the weather shutting them down in the next few days.

We have had nice above freezing highs for a week, now we are headed back below zero.