Paleo Chickens

[salunra]

Thanks for the responses! We are a paleo family and I am looking to get chickens again in spring. We've had problems with coyote and racoons in the past, they ate all our chickens and guinea fowl and even the wild turkeys our flock adopted. We are re-fencing about 3 acres of mixed open fir forest and weedy fields with field fence and installing a llama. I hope this will provide the safety needed for free ranging chickens. 
Any thoughts on how to keep the free rangers safe and how many chickens we can sustain on our land?
Breed suggestions are welcome too! I was thinking black sex linked, so they don't go broody on me.

If you are really looking to keep predators away get a good livestock guardian dog. I have a great pyreneese. She is an amazing dog and nothing is going to come in my yard when she is out.

As far as breeds.... I don't have a lot of experience with different kinds of chickens but my Swedish flower hens are great foragers and very alert for predators.


Her are a couple articles you might like.


http://www.richsoil.com/raising-chickens.jsp

http://www.makeitmissoula.com/2012/07/eliminate-the-cost-of-chicken-feed/

 

[MamaKat]

I was just talking with my hubby about a great pyraneese. We want piglets too but I worry I'd just be feeding them to the bobcats & cougars. Does your dog stay in the field all the time? How does that work? I can't imagine not having it in the house too, like a pet. Do you have a house dog too? & how does that work if the great pyraneese is a guard dog that defends against dogs too?

 

[salunra]

Nanuk is a house dog. She does choose to be outside a lot, but she is in after we go to bed. But we do not have a high predator load out here. We used to have a pair of coyotes that lived in the field out behind our house. I have not seen them since we have gotten the dog.

Most people with high predator loads get a pair of LGDs and leave them outside 24/7. They live with their stock and have appropriate housing in order to get out of the weather. But I have found with the few foxes and coyotes that we have that having her out when she wants to be has been enough to keep them away. Pyrs are *Barkers*. Not so much if they are inside or if it is daylight, but outside at night she barks and barks. This warns off predators. Also, they have a tendency to "do their business' out by the property line. Again, another warning to predators that this is their territory and this helps.

She is our only dog. But she is very friendly and gentle with other dogs. My sister in law had a lab puppy and would bring it over to play. The pup couldnt have been 1/4 of Nanuk's size, but they played so nicely together and puppy went home tired.

Good luck with whatever you decide. This dogs have been bred for generation to work with father's to keep their livestock safe and they know their work. They love their people, but do not need to be in your lap all the time to be content.

 

[MommaDye]

neat I'm glad someone already posted about being paleo! We are a paleo family and I've always been curious what other paleo peeps feed their chickens. I feed mine corn free/soy free feed, and they forage in the yard all day. Plus they get scraps. The feed store tells me I'm the only one who buys the corn free/soy free feed, and I've just been wondering if they're still getting adequate nutrition from it. I'm always looking for more tips!