Hello, my boyfriend & I were at tractor supply getting seeds to start our in door garden & some how walked out as new owners of 10 chickens (that I like to call Peepers). I believe we have 5 Plymouth (Barrad) Rocks & 5 pullets that we believe to be (with the help of a friend) Leghorns. Right now they are at their ugly molting stage (that i call their awkward teenage days). We have 22 acres & plan to raise them as free range chickens. I'm super excited about this voyage with our peepers & I have alot to learn & that is why I am here
Greetings from Kansas, Mumford Peepers, and ! Happy you joined the chicken universe. Free range vs. penned is a personal choice - you balance the risk with the rewards - be aware - chickens predators are a fact of life. Make sure you build them a good, strong predator proof coop for night time as chickens are helpless in the dark. Good luck to you and enjoy your hens!
Thanks for the advice, i'm already reading up on the free range risks, which out in the country we have alot!! I will protect my peepers
Welcome to BYC from California wine country in the Western Sierra Foothills! My large-ish flock ranges freely on two-thirds of an acre, fully fenced and with lots of tree cover. The only losses I've suffered were youngsters picked off by the neighbor's cat. That is, until a friend of mine stayed for a month with her 64 pound dog... That cat didn't know he just wanted to play but it worked. Hehehehehehe. Nowadays, the whole danged flock alerts to the cat's presence on the outside of the fence; all the ducks gabble, the ganders honk and the tom turkey gobbles any time they see it. Pretty funny, really. 23 ducks all standing tall and facing the same direction, hollering like crazy. Rusty (the cat) now scurries past on the road, with the whole flock in a cacophony the entire distance. No more sauntering by, checking out ways to get into the yard. It's especially funny because MY cat walks amongst the flock all the time and has even napped in the sun with some chickens. I have two Barred Rocks and a White Leghorn in my very mixed flock of fifty hens & pullets, three roosters, 23 ducks, four turkeys and two ganders. I started with eight "pullet" chicks in 2009 - one turned out to be an accidental rooster. This was when I lived on rental property; I am so glad I was able to move up here onto my OWN property! You are SO gonna love the different and individual personalities of your chickens. Both are great laying breeds. The BRs are very friendly.
