Keeping Chickens Free Range

[vpatt]

So i put the two new chicks with my pair of cochins and the roo was dancing all around both of them with the dropped wing. Is this an indication they are pullets or is he just doing it because they are new? They are 8 to 12 weeks old, i dont know their exact ages.

 

[duluthralphie]

So i put the two new chicks with my pair of cochins and the roo was dancing all around both of them with the dropped wing. Is this an indication they are pullets or is he just doing it because they are new? They are 8 to 12 weeks old, i dont know their exact ages.

I would think it means they are girls, or your rooster is bisexual.

I would think with roosters that age the face off would occur.





Which poses another question: How does a chick know if another chick is boy or girl?

 

[vpatt]

I would think it means they are girls, or your rooster is bisexual.

I would think with roosters that age the face off would occur.





Which poses another question:  How does a chick know if another chick is boy or girl?

I dont think he is bisexual. The other silkie i had turned out to be a roo and i didnt notice any hanky panky. Maybe they were discreet, but most chickens aren't.

I dont know how they tell each other part as chicks. Maybe they just know. Lol

 

[MountainPea]

How awesome are the eggs from free range chooks?! I'm new to chicken ownership so this is all still a novelty to me. I just had soft boiled eggs and toast for lunch and oh my goodness they were tasty! This was just the top of the yolk, it was actually quite big. Can't believe how good it tasted

 

[OrganicFarmWife]

Agreed, nothing beats a free range egg

 

[duluthralphie]

Free rangers can be so tricky, Pictures tell it all. I am going to let her hatch them when and if she goes broody. I figure that is a fairly safe place. It is right next to my garden so not a place predators like to be. Lots of dog and human smells. The garden is in the background. the fencing will hopefully be beans soon.

Also if you notice the rhubarb it is growing like crazy this year, thanks to last years chicken poop.


I also found why I am not getting any Sussex eggs. I found there nest too! Their eggs are headed to the incubator. It appears to be Sussex egg and a Blue EE eggs in that nest. Darn birds!

 

[centrarchid]

Nest in tree-trunk like that is very high risk. Opening low and large enough to be accessible to even ground predators. Fox and often raccoon's will not respect scent left by dogs unless dogs have demonstrated themselves to be direct threat. I like so hen has multiple directions she can bail in the event she is discovered. If opening to be tight then it needs to be high up as well.

 

[duluthralphie]

Nest in tree-trunk like that is very high risk. Opening low and large enough to be accessible to even ground predators. Fox and often raccoon's will not respect scent left by dogs unless dogs have demonstrated themselves to be direct threat. I like so hen has multiple directions she can bail in the event she is discovered. If opening to be tight then it needs to be high up as well.

Great spot IMHO. Close to house, under yard light, Easy place for me to put a fence around when she starts setting and a good place to let her raise the chicks for a couple weeks.


That said no place outdoors is without danger. Free ranging itself is a danger, as is life. I still like the place, so clever of her.

 

[dgibson0604]

Hello new to the thread but have had chickens for a while all free range.

 

[centrarchid]

Great spot IMHO.  Close to house, under yard light, Easy place for me to put a fence around when she starts setting and a good place to let her raise the chicks for a couple weeks.


That said no place outdoors is without danger.  Free ranging itself is a danger, as is life.   I still like the place, so clever of her.

Nest on ground in field lower risk. Chickens do not naturally nest in tree holes for a reason. Domestic birds doing so in part selection for laying in confining nest boxes under very protected conditions which can be less than smart when outside the protected perimter. Lights and high daytime human traffic does not afford protection at night. The free-range stuff I do to an extreme for a long time with lots of birds.