Old and Rare Breeds

[Pozees]

Understand this is just my opinion. I'm sure there will be someone who reads this and says, 'I do it just the opposite and it worked for me.'
What I'm giving you is what I have personal encountered.

Malays need to develop slowly. Not to much protein. They also do much better in a large run (say 1/2 acre or more) or totally free-range. The problem is not with the females but the males.

Requirements for raising the males (as I see it):
1. Plenty of access to grass.
2. Plenty of area to run and develop leg muscles.
3. Not to much protein.
4. Plenty of sunshine.

All right - here is my setting, tell me what I might do to prepare:

I have 42 acres. East is frontage road then highway, North is neighbor a mile away, West is 600+ acres of State-owned land leased by a cattle rancher, South is neighbor a few hundred yards away where so far chickens have never ranged but if they do there is no fence. South Neighbor has no animals I have been able to detect. Almost all our acreage is North of the house and outbuildings, we have made essentially no use of it to date (been here 7 years). It is VERY dry here. Sun is out 300+ days per year. Summer tops 100 degrees for at least two weeks, Winter dips below freezing around the clock about the same (2 weeks per year sequentially). Native predators include Coyote, Owl, Hawk, Prairie Falcon, loose dog occasionally, Raccoon, Rattlesnake, Bull Snake, and the usual assortment of parasites and rodents periodically make their presence known. Regular visitors include pigeons, cottontails and antelope/pronghorn. I am told wild turkey frequent acreage not far from us but we have never seen them, we do occasionally see blue scale quail. At this time I have a 12x16 coop divided into 4 pens and an aisle, a 4x8 coop, and a 3x4 coop, all occupied, and a 24x36 barn occupied by stuff and a broken down van I plan to move out of the barn and turn into a coop. Resources are limited at this time, but we have been known to be creative/inventive when needed. With all this land and sun, it seems I should be able to create the proper infrastructure for Malays as I develop my poultry skills further. What will I need to do to maximize success? Sturdy fencing and coops? Grass is all prairie grass, will it suffice?

 

[Pozees]

Not nearly as aggressive by any means. They have lots leg and heart problems.

So separating males from females and running all the males together for some time is possible?

 

[saladin]

So separating males from females and running all the males together for some time is possible?

Absolutely!

 

[saladin]

Sounds like you have the perfect place to me. You have several options as I see it.
1. Building several coops with say a fenced in acre or two.
2. Build one main coop with several acres to house your hens.
Construct one or more fly pens for the growing young.
Use pens to do your mating.
3. Build one main coop with ? acres to house your hens.
Let all your young males run complete free range from the time they are 12 weeks until they are fighting to bad.
Use pens/cords to keep multiple males.
Use pens to do your mating.

In any of these options you need to make certain there is plenty of shade. It is very hot where I live. All my cocks are housed in a wooded area. The fly pen is completely shaded. There is shade in the hen yard and all brood pens get shade.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

All right - here is my setting, tell me what I might do to prepare:

... It is VERY dry here. Sun is out 300+ days per year. Summer tops 100 degrees for at least two weeks, Winter dips below freezing around the clock about the same (2 weeks per year sequentially). ...
Grass is all prairie grass, will it suffice?

I'd work on developing some shade from the sun and cover from aerial predators.
The prairie grass if cut or grazed by cattle will be ok for chickens when the new shoots come out but I'd try for something more diverse. My chickens avoid the grass and go for more succulent things. Some of which are hard to establish when it is arid. It's good to get the plants well established before the chickens take over. I find a rotating pasture system to work well.
Some xeriscaping ideas to get you started.
http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/Garden/07229.html
http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/Garden/07230.html

That can be less costly than building shade.

 

[Pozees]

Thanks to you both for the ideas and suggestions! I have tried some of the trees, shrubs and groundcovers listed but those are really excellent links and reminded me of a few I haven't tried yet. We have antelope/pronghorn who have a fondness for biting all the branches off trees - not to eat them, just to bite them off - so it will have to be fence first.

The hens have to be kept separate from one another, once they reach laying age, correct?

 

[Lacy Blues]

Thanks to you both for the ideas and suggestions! I have tried some of the trees, shrubs and groundcovers listed but those are really excellent links and reminded me of a few I haven't tried yet. We have antelope/pronghorn who have a fondness for biting all the branches off trees - not to eat them, just to bite them off - so it will have to be fence first.

The hens have to be kept separate from one another, once they reach laying age, correct?

Pozees,

I live in high desert too and my land is pretty barren. I was wondering if you would share which trees, shrubs and ground covers you have tried and why you think they did or did not succeed? I'm just getting started and don't really want to waste my time and money on something that just won't make it. I think my zone is either 5 or 6 and we get a lot of wind and very hot sun in the summer. Excruciatingly cold in the winter on some days.

 

[NanaKat]

I'm not Pozees, but. There are several varieties of blue stem that do well in zone 6 and did well in our Oklahoma droughts over the past several years...old world blue stem and turkey foot blue stem. They both have a wide blade of grass and good seed heads that the birds liked. Also a form of Dallas grass (buffalo grass) is also a good variety. The chickens would jump up to get the seeds.

Shrubs like Vitex agnus castus (also known as chaste tree, chaste berry, monk's pepper, Indian spice) does well in zone 6 - 11. It is a multi trucked shrub that grows fairly slowly to 15 feet...similar to crepe myrtle. It can die back to the ground, but returns in the spring.

 

[Pozees]

Pozees,

I live in high desert too and my land is pretty barren. I was wondering if you would share which trees, shrubs and ground covers you have tried and why you think they did or did not succeed? I'm just getting started and don't really want to waste my time and money on something that just won't make it. I think my zone is either 5 or 6 and we get a lot of wind and very hot sun in the summer. Excruciatingly cold in the winter on some days.

Right, I think we have nearly identical climates. I have had good luck with New Mexico Privet, Trilobata Sumac, Blue Mist Spirea, Russian Sage/Purple Sage, and whatever Juniper is actually native here - we thought it was Rocky Mountain so bought some seedlings, and they struggle and mainly die here, so that was a no-go for trying again. Apples and Maples if you keep them watered with drip irrigation, same for Austrian Pine and Pinon Pine - once they get bigger they need less frequent attention. Chokecherry has done well right next to the yard - meaning it gets water anytime the grass gets watered. Oh, and Honeylocust has been a great performer here as well. Catalpa should have done well but didn't, I think it didn't like the hot wind. Aspen doesn't like as much sun as we get here, I believe, I have a couple still alive but struggling. I have a honeysuckle on the west side of the house that's done well, can't remember what kind though. Elm does well and grows fast with water. Western White Pine, if you can find one a few years old so it isn't just a little seedling, should do well with help from drip irrigation. Not the same as Eastern White Pine.

I like Nanakat's suggestion of some of the blue gramas, we want to try them next year. Catmint, once established, takes off like fire, it's great for honeybees, and what was recommended to me was, only plant it where you want it forever - like most mints.

Herbs do well for me in a bowl shaped bed surrounded with large rocks - I think they absorb heat from the sun and keep the soil from freezing - I have an 8 year old Rosemary plant in there, and have sage that has wintered over twice.

 

[Penny Hen]

Right, I think we have nearly identical climates. I have had good luck with New Mexico Privet, Trilobata Sumac, Blue Mist Spirea, Russian Sage/Purple Sage, and whatever Juniper is actually native here - we thought it was Rocky Mountain so bought some seedlings, and they struggle and mainly die here, so that was a no-go for trying again. Apples and Maples if you keep them watered with drip irrigation, same for Austrian Pine and Pinon Pine - once they get bigger they need less frequent attention. Chokecherry has done well right next to the yard - meaning it gets water anytime the grass gets watered. Oh, and Honeylocust has been a great performer here as well. Catalpa should have done well but didn't, I think it didn't like the hot wind. Aspen doesn't like as much sun as we get here, I believe, I have a couple still alive but struggling. I have a honeysuckle on the west side of the house that's done well, can't remember what kind though. Elm does well and grows fast with water. Western White Pine, if you can find one a few years old so it isn't just a little seedling, should do well with help from drip irrigation. Not the same as Eastern White Pine.

I like Nanakat's suggestion of some of the blue gramas, we want to try them next year. Catmint, once established, takes off like fire, it's great for honeybees, and what was recommended to me was, only plant it where you want it forever - like most mints.

Herbs do well for me in a bowl shaped bed surrounded with large rocks - I think they absorb heat from the sun and keep the soil from freezing - I have an 8 year old Rosemary plant in there, and have sage that has wintered over twice.

Have you ever tried a live oak tree? They are evergreen with a waxy coating on the leaves that will resist evaporation. They usually grow in coastal areas naturally but I have always wondered how they would fare inland in hot dry places like yours.