Landrace/adaptive breeding discussion

[Appalachickens]

Do you have trouble with flooding on a piece of land like that? Around here, runoff can rise pretty quickly in the low places.

Our builder, who lives on a similar property, had us go out to the land after a heavy storm and send him photos of the water run-off from the mountain. We have a wet weather creek, so they just dug it deeper to handle what comes down the ravine and also the overflow from our artesian well. Also, while we are low compared to the ridges, the driveway is pretty steep down to the road, so the house isn't at the lowest point. So no flooding issues. I did put the coop up on 4x4 legs, though, since it was roughly in the path of some drainage, but so far it also stays super dry under the coop.

 

[Florida Bullfrog]

I dumped some feed out for my free-range, semi-feral, sow. Some of the flock found it this morning. They only fed around it for about 15 minutes then they faded back into the woods.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

View attachment 4268568

I dumped some feed out for my free-range, semi-feral, sow. Some of the flock found it this morning. They only fed around it for about 15 minutes then they faded back into the woods.

I use the same "15 min" rule to gauge whether I'm overfeeding my birds or not, since the value of my pasture varies so much seasonally. I find it a pretty good indicator, on average - though individual birds continue to vary some in internal fat accumulation based on gender and (seemingly) individual genetics/preferred forage area.

 

[Appalachickens]

I use the same "15 min" rule to gauge whether I'm overfeeding my birds or not, since the value of my pasture varies so much seasonally. I find it a pretty good indicator, on average - though individual birds continue to vary some in internal fat accumulation based on gender and (seemingly) individual genetics/preferred forage area.

I’ll remember that next spring as I’ll trying to figure out how much to feed the forest chickens.

 

[Appalachickens]

Got the doors on this weekend and finished caulking the roof. I think the shelter is raccoon-proof when the doors are latched, but of course they’ll mostly stay open. I put some peanuts on the roof (and also near the coop chicken’s place) in the hopes of attracting crows after a hawk attacked one of my coop chickens last week.

 

[LaurenRitz]

Hardware cloth underneath? Raccoons can dig.

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

Hardware cloth underneath? Raccoons can dig.

There is. I had to zoom in to see it but there is a plenty big apron.

 

[Appalachickens]

Hardware cloth underneath? Raccoons can dig.

Absolutely - there's an HC apron that is about 20 inches.

 

[Wild Iris]

Is there anyone here who doesn't manage which hen goes broody when, and just lets them all take care of their own reproduction?

My game hen is collecting a clutch between the a/c compressor and the house. The boss rooster stood by her & others circled some distance away, squawking & cackling while she fussed with the nest and laid her egg today. When she was done, she carefully hid all the eggs under leaves and everyone left.

She has already raised two clutches this year, and I would generally discourage her since we are going into winter (Alabama, but still...). However, I am hesitant to impose my own assumptions since I've only been doing this one year. Perhaps she knows what she's doing?

Also, I think there is Marek's among the flock and I'm afraid I'm going to lose my second laying hen to paralysis within the next week. I almost want to risk a winter hatch just to increase the odds of someone surviving the disease.

 

[Ridgerunner]

She has already raised two clutches this year, and I would generally discourage her since we are going into winter (Alabama, but still...). However, I am hesitant to impose my own assumptions since I've only been doing this one year. Perhaps she knows what she's doing?

I manage which broody hens are allowed to hatch and I manage which eggs I want her to hatch. We all have our own goals and ways of doing things. What you describe is how a feral hen would do it.

In some respects she is acting on instincts. But a feral hen should be following the seasons. When the days get shorter they typically stop laying eggs and molt. They start laying eggs when the days get longer in the spring. But it sounds like yours is a pullet laying through her first winter. She has not yet gone broody on this clutch. She might, she might not.

If she does go broody she can hatch the eggs and raise the chicks. It's harder in winter, even in Alabama, but not impossible for sure. If she goes broody and you want her to hatch, you can let her. There have been a few threads on here where a hen successfully hatched and raised in winter.