Keeping Chickens Free Range

[thegoodwinshens]

I let my young girls free range, but when they start squatting, and singing the egg song, I lock the entire flock in the run until they get the hang of putting their eggs in the nest boxes.  This year may be a lot different, since I have a LOT of new layers, and need to come up with some new boxes SOON!

Yeah we need to build a bigger coop we had only intended 4 hens and somehow ended up with 6 (funny how that happens), and they only go in it at night, guess we need to start working on that

 

[lazy gardener]

I went into my first winter with 5 pullets. Last year, I went into the winter with 1 roo and 16 gals. Right now, I don't really know how many I have. But, I've hatched 19 + 22, and have a hen setting on 7 eggs right now. Have sold 13, and culled a few. Hope to go into the winter with 1 - 2 roos, and 20 gals.

 

[katatonic123]

Chicken math at its best? March 30 I only had 4 chickens, now I have 16. That's after giving 4 to my brother (only one of which survived the attack yesterday. )

Yeah we need to build a bigger coop we had only intended 4 hens and somehow ended up with 6 (funny how that happens), and they only go in it at night, guess we need to start working on that

 

[thegoodwinshens]

Chicken math at its best? March 30 I only had 4 chickens, now I have 16. That's after giving 4 to my brother (only one of which survived the attack yesterday. )

Hubby keeps me grounded we just got another puppy and am having another baby next March, we like to keep things balanced around here 2 of everything

 

[katatonic123]

@thegoodwinshens I had no intention of having this many. I hatched 2 at school and bought a bantam barred rock (Son wanted another barred rock after ours was killed last year.), then I had 12 eggs in the incubator, 11 of them hatched and only 3 were boys. Really expected about 1/2 to be roos so didn't figured I'd keep many after my brother took some and we got rid of the roos. 3 of the pullets went to my brother and lost one of the roos after they started free ranging. Then my Japanese bantam went broody and hatched one of her own. Last week my cousin had to get rid of her chickens so I took 2 of those. Now I have 16 total, 3 roos and 13 pullets/hens.

 

[Debby27]

Our 6 girls, we've been free ranging for weeks now and they've done well but now that we are getting closer to them laying do you still keep the nest boxes in the coop or do you have another method, my husband is concerned they will be laying under the nice giant tree they stay under most of the day. I need some ideas

Mine were free-ranged from the time they were pullets......a little out time every day..they.always went back in the run & coop at night...when they started laying they went right to the nest boxes....I think you should just let them do their thing...you'll hear them when they are ready...LOL....thought my first one was being strangled....

 

[fryburgfarmer]

What's the difference in scratch feed and normal feed? I don't know what to feed my rooster, who is free range but comes in at night to eat the same feed I give my pullets.

 

[slordaz]

scratch is usually grains you can toss down as to get em scratching,where feed is formulated for your flock?

 

[lynnehd]

What's the difference in scratch feed and normal feed? I don't know what to feed my rooster, who is free range but comes in at night to eat the same feed I give my pullets.

Scratch is a 'treat', and should make up no more than 10% of the day's feed. Not high enough in protein, but tasty!

Chicken feed (chick, grower, layer) is completely nutritionally balanced. That's what your rooster should have access to when he comes inside.

 

[slordaz]

free ranging they usually get plenty of protein from bugs worms etc, mine are doing fine and on 3*1 scratch grains without mollassass , they don't seem to care for any of the so called chicken feeds. There is a difference though free ranged have access to what they naturally eat, cooped does not and you have feed them the other type mainly