Keeping Chickens Free Range

[Debby27]

Apparently my flock is not amused at being kept in all day and evening. (I worked today and had open house this evening so we weren't home until dark.) I have 4 layers now but not 1 egg was waiting on me when I got home!

LOL....I know right! who knew chickens could get an attitude!

 

[katatonic123]

Tiger, DJ or PJ, Betty, and Scarlett's eggs
These were waiting on me today!

 

[Debby27]

Tiger, DJ or PJ, Betty, and Scarlett's eggs
These were waiting on me today!

congrats!

 

[katatonic123]

Just 9 more to go. Most should be laying by the middle of next month at least. Hopefully earlier.

 

[slordaz]

obviously you haven't seen our mixed flock, they are usually pretty good comic relief, but they tend to aggravate my friend as she lives on the property. They don't like being locked up even at night but nothing dares go around with 3 roosters 2 drakes and the dog. They go to her window and start crowing at 5 30 am with an attitude of Why are you still in bed we want fed, when there's plenty for them to free range on and they still want their morning feed. The reds if they are being picked on by the older ones go to the calves stall and hang out with them as they seem to be the only one the calves tolerate in with them. The Drakes always seem to be telling us off for something or other. unless we toss a head of lettuce where they are fed then they are entertained for quite a while playing tug of war ducks vs the chickens, luckily the chickens have 2 cornish x to counter the ducks being so much bigger lol.

we now have 3 laying consistently, 2 that are still hit and miss as they just started and another 8 that haven't started laying yet.

 

[SmColorInDaPan]

obviously you haven't seen our mixed flock, they are usually pretty good comic relief, but they tend to aggravate my friend as she lives on the property. They don't like being locked up even at night but nothing dares go around with 3 roosters 2 drakes and the dog. They go to her window and start crowing at 5 30 am with an attitude of Why are you still in bed we want fed, when there's plenty for them to free range on and they still want their morning feed. The reds if they are being picked on by the older ones go to the calves stall and hang out with them as they seem to be the only one the calves tolerate in with them. The Drakes always seem to be telling us off for something or other. unless we toss a head of lettuce where they are fed then they are entertained for quite a while playing tug of war ducks vs the chickens, luckily the chickens have 2 cornish x to counter the ducks being so much bigger lol.

we now have 3 laying consistently, 2 that are still hit and miss as they just started and another 8 that haven't started laying yet.

FABULOUS to hear! I have someone to sell me a couple hens since I missed this last Spring, have lost 1 since then.They will be laying but used to tiny little cages...hope they survive the shock of being free. Have 3 hens coop still up so they can hang there if the need arises. Great to hear you will have deviled eggs, egg salad, $, etc!

 

[SmColorInDaPan]

with my old flock years ago, I had one that would follow me around like Mary's little lam, and at dinner time she'd knock on the door expecting to be allowed to eat at the table with us, then go off in a huff when she was refused entry. even taking her a treat didn't seem to help with her attitude lol.

I knew someone who fed the WILD turkeys, each and every day, UNTIL one morning they KNOCKED ON THE DOOR, letting her know it was time to eat.
I have a leghron that gets picked on by the other but boy she is not shy about food! I have to throw her off the back porch while trying to feed the dogs. She dives right into the dishes &/or can, taking chunks of wet food, takes it out as I'm scooping in.... If I don't tell my big dog, PICTURED, to eat, He'll watch both Leghorn and Sixlink chow down on his meal....
Course, if i feed the chickens bad bread, they'll turn away as if it's Below Them, leaving the same dog, to add HOW MANY CALORIES to his chunky self....Animals have their ways.... Looking at the things we humans will argue about, Critters are AT LEAST a few up on us...

 

[EmilyAllen]

How did you get them to lay in their nesting boxes?

 

[gander007]

How did you get them to lay in their nesting boxes?

Welcome to BYC

You can put Golf balls or fake egg's in the nest to entice them .......

 

[SmColorInDaPan]

How did you get them to lay in their nesting boxes?

As suggested above, I did the golf ball trick, also. But if you have them in a coop and time will allow, leave them INSIDE the coop UNTIL they lay, THAN let them out. It's seems a Positive reinforcement thing; they think laying an egg means being 'FREE' for the day.. Other folks will post on this, I'm sure. My suggestion is an Old Farmer's trick, I've heard, which has MANY YEARS experience behind it...HOPE, your schedule will allow.
Good luck!

oh,
and