Keeping Chickens Free Range

[lazy gardener]

The m

Hi I have 2 2yr old barred rock hens and 4, 4 mo old pullets, Brahma, Buff Orpington, Australorp, and Rhode island red, I have a huge pen that I keep gated in the middle to keep the older ones from the younger ones, until i feel th older ones will stop pecking the younger ones, or until the younger ones can stand up for themselves. I let them out in the yard together a couple times a day when i can be out with them to keep them safe from hawks. The 2 B.Rs won't stop chasing the younger ones although they are nearly the same size now. They are already kept separate , so isolating them isn't applicable, unless I create a smaller area and one at a time I put them in chickie jail. What I do now is whichever chicken chases or pecks the younger ones, I run after that chicken, kind of like, see how you like it.. she pretends to just be minding her own business and we watch her inch closer and closer to the younger ones, until she makes a sprint for them and pecks ones tail feathers. Sometimes I pick her up and put her in while the others are allowed to free range, but I really wish I could come up with a way to get them to stop bothering the younger ones. I tell her, if you don't peck the others you can all have twice the space. But they don't listen.. lol... they are not stressed, they have plenty of food, plenty of room. My next approach will be to open the gate and if they start pecking at the younger ones inside the run, then close the gate again and maybe they'll make the connection that they can have the run if they behave.
Any ideas?

The more you interfere and keep them from working out the pecking order among themselves, the longer it will take them to establish the pecking order. You are doing a good thing by letting them out to free range together. I suggest that you toss some scratch across the area, and then leave them alone. The Alpha hens will continue to chase the younger ones until they are satisfied that the younger ones respect the pecking order. As long as there is no blood shed, leave them to their business. They are doing what chickens do!

 

[Beekissed]

I agree! Though the pecking order never really ends, getting the chickens together sooner rather than later can get things more settled in the flock. I've never seen any blood drawn in all the years I've had chickens of mixed ages.

 

[jenniferlamar70]

The m
The more you interfere and keep them from working out the pecking order among themselves, the longer it will take them to establish the pecking order.   You are doing a good thing by letting them out to free range together.  I suggest that you toss some scratch across the area, and then leave them alone.  The Alpha hens will continue to chase the younger ones until they are satisfied that the younger ones respect the pecking order.  As long as there is no blood shed, leave them to their business.  They are doing what chickens do!

I agree!  Though the pecking order never really ends, getting the chickens together sooner rather than later can get things more settled in the flock.  I've never seen any blood drawn in all the years I've had chickens of mixed ages. 

I agree and disagree. They do need to assert the pecking order but a bully is a bully. Different breeds can be more aggressive as well. I had silver laced wyandottes that ripped part of my black sex links wing. Blood and feathers everywhere. Poor thing was terrified. I got rid of that hen. There is another user on here that had their chicken scalped in the hen house. I think integration can be a very dangerous time for a new chicken. It's important to try different methods and find out what works best for your chickens so their is as little pain as possible.

 

[maryann momhen]

I appreciate all the different views. I do think I am being a little too "mother hen"ish. The older ones aren't being super aggressive, and the younger ones aren't completely helpless, they move alot quicker than the older ones,and the enclosure is big enough for them to get away when necessary,

[/IMG][/IMG]so I'm starting to get brave enough to put them together, but since I view them more as pets and less as livestock, I do tend to be overly protective.

 

[ShrekDawg]

YW!  

Now is the time when forage gets good and the birds lay on tremendous fat on the quality of grass, bugs and seeds coming available in Aug/Sept/Oct.   Feed consumption always goes down during this time in the coop and more hunting out there on pasture.  The sugar level in certain grasses change in the fall, a lot of grasses are also going to seed before cool weather, while certain bugs are more active before cool weather as well, as they are out feeding and multiplying before winter comes. 

This is the time we try to refrain from mowing as often so those grasses can develop and go to seed, so the bugs will have some cover and something on which to feed and so those fall grasses have a chance to grow well.  If we mow at all, it's only on the highest setting in order to keep things looking smooth but not actually cutting it short. 

This is also the time when the garden is going to seed in many ways, so the flock gets to benefit from that also.  Overripe cukes, squash, tomatoes, etc. all get thrown to the dogs and chickens, with the dogs getting more than their fair share but the chickens manage to get good food too.  Canning left overs are also given to the animals, so more food available.  Any fruit we can forage will also be shared with the animals in the form of canning leftovers and bad or rotten fruit being given to them. 

Come butchering and hunting season, even more nutrition will be on hand for the dogs and chickens, so the laying on of fat for winter time comes to a peak then. 

I encourage all you free rangers, be it in a small range or a larger one, to set up similar opportunities for your flock so they can lay on good fat for winter in their fall foraging.  If you can scavenge with other gardeners who are just throwing out their veggies onto a compost pile to let you have it for your flock, any fruit trees you see in your area that no one is going to pick and use, see if you can pick up any fallen fruit for your flock.  Let your grass go to seed for them if you can so they can glean those seeds.  If you have a local grocer that is just throwing out old produce, see if you can collect it for your flock. 

Later on in the fall, anyone decorating with pumpkins and gourds in town who don't know what to do with them when they are done or start to rot, see if you can gather those for your flock, letting them rot and ferment a good bit before you feed them out....they will eat them much more quickly if the pumpkin is rotting and soft than they will if you just feed them a pumpkin.  Store some for winter feeding if you can, as they will really love having the "fresh" food later on...the freezing and thawing of the pumpkins converts the starches to sugar and softens it all up for better eating.   Don't worry if you see mold on the pumpkin...it won't affect them whatsoever. 

My dogs even love the rotted pumpkins and both sets of animals will not leave even a small morsel behind, licking the ground until it's all gone.  The seeds are really good for them, so let them have the guts and all. 

I think i might have to start letting my girls free range more again, this certainly sounds convincing.

 

[Beekissed]

That's where a good culling criteria comes in handy....some breeds are just nasty, some birds within a breed are nasty, but this often is evident long before one ever tries to integrate more birds into the flock. For the folks who never intend to kill a bird, no matter what happens, this forces all the other birds to live in a flock with a mean bird and integration becomes fraught with peril, heartache, and misery~for the birds and for the owner.

Long before integration ever becomes an issue, individual bird temperament should be evaluated and those that needlessly pick on other members of the flock can be weeded out. Could be another reason why integration isn't such a big issue where I live....all cranky birds get removed when their temperaments are first revealed. There's really never any reason good enough to keep a cranky bird around, as all the other birds regularly suffer from their bad behavior.

I also avoid breeds known for bad temperaments....Wyandottes are just such a breed. Every time I've ever had the misfortune of having a Wyandotte in a mixed flock I've bought, I've had to cull them for mean tempers and also for poor laying....I've seen it time and again that these two traits seem to go hand in hand. Pretty birds, bad attitudes, why bother even getting them? So, now I don't. Same with Delawares....pretty birds, bad tempers, poor laying. No more of that kind either.

Over time a person learns what works and what doesn't work to prevent integration problems rather than trying to deal with those problems while attempting to integrate.

 

[jenniferlamar70]

I appreciate all the different views. I do think I am being a little too "mother hen"ish. The older ones aren't being super aggressive, and the younger ones aren't completely helpless, they move alot quicker than the older ones,and the enclosure is big enough for them to get away when necessary,

[/IMG][/IMG]so I'm starting to get brave enough to put them together, but since I view them more as pets and less as livestock, I do tend to be overly protective.

In this situation you may need to step back a bit. Keep watch though. Make sure you have multiple waterers and feeders to prevent the others from keeping the new ones from eating and drinking. There will be pecks and a little chasing. That is normal. Mouthfuls of feather plucking or blood draw is not normal and sign of a bully. Everytime you intervene or remove the new chickens the pecking order has to start again so just make sure if you do intervene that it is indeed bully behavior.

That's where a good culling criteria comes in handy....some breeds are just nasty, some birds within a breed are nasty, but this often is evident long before one ever tries to integrate more birds into the flock.  For the folks who never intend to kill a bird, no matter what happens, this forces all the other birds to live in a flock with a mean bird and integration becomes fraught with peril, heartache, and misery~for the birds and for the owner. 

Long before integration ever becomes an issue, individual bird temperament should be evaluated and those that needlessly pick on other members of the flock can be weeded out.  Could be another reason why integration isn't such a big issue where I live....all cranky birds get removed when their temperaments are first revealed.  There's really never any reason good enough to keep a cranky bird around, as all the other birds regularly suffer from their bad behavior. 

I also avoid breeds known for bad temperaments....Wyandottes are just such a breed.  Every time I've ever had the misfortune of having a Wyandotte in a mixed flock I've bought, I've had to cull them for mean tempers and also for poor laying....I've seen it time and again that these two traits seem to go hand in hand.  Pretty birds, bad attitudes, why bother even getting them?  So, now I don't.  Same with Delawares....pretty birds, bad tempers, poor laying.  No more of that kind either. 

Over time a person learns what works and what doesn't work to prevent integration problems rather than trying to deal with those problems while attempting to integrate. 

X2 yes I completely agree with this. I have had a little success with rehabilitating bad behavior by removing chickens and then adding them back. It doesn't always work though and I won't keep a mean chicken. I just think it's important to sometimes remember their are alot of new chicken keepers on here that don't realize it's bully behavior and end up with a dead chick. I know I hadn't been expecting the amount of aggression I saw my first time. I didn't want to disagree just good to show both angles just in case this time they turned out to be bullys.

 

[ShrekDawg]

That's where a good culling criteria comes in handy....some breeds are just nasty, some birds within a breed are nasty, but this often is evident long before one ever tries to integrate more birds into the flock.  For the folks who never intend to kill a bird, no matter what happens, this forces all the other birds to live in a flock with a mean bird and integration becomes fraught with peril, heartache, and misery~for the birds and for the owner. 

Long before integration ever becomes an issue, individual bird temperament should be evaluated and those that needlessly pick on other members of the flock can be weeded out.  Could be another reason why integration isn't such a big issue where I live....all cranky birds get removed when their temperaments are first revealed.  There's really never any reason good enough to keep a cranky bird around, as all the other birds regularly suffer from their bad behavior. 

I also avoid breeds known for bad temperaments....Wyandottes are just such a breed.  Every time I've ever had the misfortune of having a Wyandotte in a mixed flock I've bought, I've had to cull them for mean tempers and also for poor laying....I've seen it time and again that these two traits seem to go hand in hand.  Pretty birds, bad attitudes, why bother even getting them?  So, now I don't.  Same with Delawares....pretty birds, bad tempers, poor laying.  No more of that kind either. 

Over time a person learns what works and what doesn't work to prevent integration problems rather than trying to deal with those problems while attempting to integrate. 

In this situation you may need to step back a bit. Keep watch though. Make sure you have multiple waterers and feeders to prevent the others from keeping the new ones from eating and drinking. There will be pecks and a little chasing. That is normal. Mouthfuls of feather plucking or blood draw is not normal and sign of a bully. Everytime you intervene or remove the new chickens the pecking order has to start again so just make sure if you do intervene that it is indeed bully behavior.
X2 yes I completely agree with this. I have had a little success with rehabilitating bad behavior by removing chickens and then adding them back. It doesn't always work though and I won't keep a mean chicken. I just think it's important to sometimes remember their are alot of new chicken keepers on here that don't realize it's bully behavior and end up with a dead chick. I know I hadn't been expecting the amount of aggression I saw my first time. I didn't want to disagree just good to show both angles just in case this time they turned out to be bullys.

Well that's rather disappointing to know I am adding 2 Wyandottes this fall. I have heard some say they can be mean, especially when adding new chicks, but I've also heard some thaey are nice chickens so I'm hoping mine turn out to be the latter. I am adding 1 Golden Laced Wyandotte, 1 Silver Laced Wyandotte, 1 Partridge Rock, 1 Speckled Sussex, and 1 free chick, don't know the breed. Of course since the other 2 are more mild breeds, or at least the Sussex is, I am sure the Wyandottes may indeed be at the top of the pecking order but I am hoping that by being new chicks themselves and being integrated in they won't be bullies as opposed to getting them first and adding new chicks. I likely won't be adding more after these so that shouldn't be a problem. I hope they behave. I'm actually worried about the newbies getting picked on. None of mine are mean anymore but never know.

 

[jenniferlamar70]

Well that's rather disappointing to know I am adding 2 Wyandottes this fall. I have heard some say they can be mean, especially when adding new chicks, but I've also heard some thaey are nice chickens so I'm hoping mine turn out to be the latter. I am adding 1 Golden Laced Wyandotte, 1 Silver Laced Wyandotte, 1 Partridge Rock, 1 Speckled Sussex, and 1 free chick, don't know the breed. Of course since the other 2 are more mild breeds, or at least the Sussex is, I am sure the Wyandottes may indeed be at the top of the pecking order but I am hoping that by being new chicks themselves and being integrated in they won't be bullies as opposed to getting them first and adding new chicks. I likely won't be adding more after these so that shouldn't be a problem. I hope they behave. I'm actually worried about the newbies getting picked on. None of mine are mean anymore but never know.

Wyandottes are great chickens. The thing is when you have a mixed flock you need to have breeds that complement each other. It wouldn't be fair to get a road island red which are known to be dominant with a faverolle which are almost always low on the pecking order and easy targets for bullying. I would just do a little research on the breeds you are purchasing and just get the ones that compliment each other. It will save you alot of heartache later plus any integration problems can lead to a chick being hurt badly. Good luck.

 

[ShrekDawg]

Wyandottes are great chickens. The thing is when you have a mixed flock you need to have breeds that complement each other. It wouldn't be fair to get a road island red which are known to be dominant with a faverolle which are almost always low on the pecking order and easy targets for bullying. I would just do a little research on the breeds you are purchasing and just get the ones that compliment each other. It will save you alot of heartache later plus any integration problems can lead to a chick being hurt badly. Good luck.

Thanks!!

I did research when I got my first chickens but the problem is it turns into a little bit of information and a lot of opinions. For example, the breed info may say it's supposed to be calm or friendly but lots of people may say theirs is mean so it's kind of hard to tell.

But I currently have 1 Barred Rock, 2 Black Australorps, 3 Buff Orpingtons, and 2 Easter Eggers and the ones I'm adding are a Silver Laced Wyandotte, Golden Laced Wyandotte, Speckled Sussex, and Partridge Rock and a random chick. But the Orpingtons and EEs are supposed to be gentle and easily picked on but mine hold their own. One EE and one Orp appear to be shy and lower on the pecking order but one EE pecks and chases others off (not in a mean way but holds her own) and with food (treats) the Orps and Australorps are right up there chowing down while the Rock and shy EE hold back. And I read Rocks and Australorps can either be really nice or supposedly can be bullies but mine are nice. The Australorps were a tad mean when younger but not at all now and in fact I can't even tell which chicken is head chicken. So I find that research isn't always 100% accurate and can be individual so my hope is that the new chicks all get along and integrate well. I'm building a new, much bigger, coop and run though and may start free ranging again so I'm hoping that might prevent any problems whether it be integration with the big girls or within their little flock. I figure one chicken has to be at the bottom of the pecking order anyway, even with all friendly calm breeds, so I'm hoping they just have normal pecking order stuff and not bullying. I also firmly believe a lot of my issues with my first chicks were from lack of space so I'm going to provide a lot more space and try to prevent that. I hope they aren't bullies cause I've heard they can be nice and get along. My first flock I did a lot of research and went for chickens that were people friendly (able to be pets) as well as good layers and cold harder so wound up with those breeds but admittedly this order I mostly went for looks, as well as the Sussex's reputation for being extremely friendly. Although that said I did want all these breeds when I got my first chicks so I did do research on them then too but yeah, mostly added for looks