My chickens are chasing me!

[centrarchid]

I don't agree. My chickens don't waste much and if there's some on the ground they clean it up good. If it attracts predators depends on how secure your setup is. I have had none such problems in the years that I have had chickens.

My birds do not waste any and I feed roughly 1/2 to 1/3 what they would consume if they did not have access to quality forage.

Most of my raccoon and opossum visits are first targeting feed out after dark, attacks on birds are usually secondary. With current free-ranging setup my feeding stations are more than a hundred feet away from where birds roost. Varmints no longer a problem for me because of dogs.

Best measure I have is that productivity does not decline until crops are empty too early into night or birds range too far.

 

[fiddlebanshee]

See but I have no feed out after dark that is accessible to anyone but the hens and a couple of mice. The feeding station is in a secure run that is closed and locked after dusk. So I have no predator issues whatsoever, and as I said, my hens don't waste any feed either. They freerange during the day on half an acre and do eat noticeably less feed during the summer months than in the winter.

Since my run and coop are super secure I don't need dogs either. Dogs can be a whole 'nuther set of issues. I have read too many reports of guard dogs going after their charges.

 

[centrarchid]

See but I have no feed out after dark that is accessible to anyone but the hens and a couple of mice. The feeding station is in a secure run that is closed and locked after dusk. So I have no predator issues whatsoever, and as I said, my hens don't waste any feed either. They freerange during the day on half an acre and do eat noticeably less feed during the summer months than in the winter.

Since my run and coop are super secure I don't need dogs either. Dogs can be a whole 'nuther set of issues. I have read too many reports of guard dogs going after their charges.

Mice are a potential major headache. They do eat some feed, damage feed containers, and cause serious damage to structures and wiring. They also draw in mice eating animals like snakes, weasels and owls. Most folks do not have confinement systems that stop snakes or weasels. The predators do not strike every year, sometimes you can go for long periods between periods of loss.

I have been doing this for 40 years in one manner or another and found no system is perfect. Although I do now know how to control feed cost, keep birds in top of health, and have a better understanding as to what the limitations of free-range keeping are. Dogs have always been key and with experience they can be your best friends and the same to chickens as well.

 

[fiddlebanshee]

Quote: These critters won't fit through 1/2" hardware cloth, which I have my entire run and coop surrounded with. I have only ever seen 3 or 4 mice and they have not chewed up anything, and I don't mind sharing the little bit that they eat. Occasionally my hens will catch and eat one, so it can also be beneficial. Like I said my setup is super secure. I agree that some folks may not have that kind of setup. I will not get into a discussion on dogs, I have strong feelings that don't mesh with yours but to each their own. If it works for you, all the better.

I just wanted to make the point that you don't have to go to the trouble of feeding your birds at set times. If you have feed available always you have a lot more flexibility in your schedule. But as I said, to each their own. My system works for me, your system works for you. We're both happy.