Peas in the Trees ?

[valewife]

Does anyone allow their birds to free-range all the time
and roost in the trees- no pen or coop ?
And if so, what about storms/bad weather ?

 

[zazouse]

I free range mine and they sleep in different places,for a month they roosted on my barn that is about 20 foot at the peak, it did get slippery up there after the last rain we had and now they have moved down to roost on top of their old pen.

They only roosted in the trees once and then never did it again.

But the best thing about mine is they always roost in the same area as my guineas,chickens,ducks and geese and that area is guarded by a pack of dogs so they are safe at night without a coop.

They love to hide from me in the loft of the barn.

Part of the pack

 

[Kedreeva]

Zazouse, are those great pyrenees I see? How are they at guarding the birds? My friend has to keep hers penned (the dogs) because they like to eat her chickens :| Not useful! Did you raise them with your birds?

I don't see why you wouldn't let them in the trees, Vale. They're safer up there in most cases than anywhere else, as most things that might eat them (coyotes, dogs, skunks, foxes) don't climb. They'll move if there are storms coming.

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

We have two Pyrenees also and the male is perfect with the birds, the female is coming along slowly but requiring much more work around the birds to be trust worthy. She seems to be more puppyish the he is when it comes to working/playing. They are both just over 1.5 years old now. Some LGD's just aren't cut out to guard fowl, just like some Labs aren't made for hunting (gun shy).

 

[Steve_of_sandspoultry]

delete

 

[greenbird]

I've got a peacock that sleeps in a huge walnut tree every night, on the same exact branch. He sleeps on a dead branch, but most of the tree is alive, so there are a lot of leaves and branches to cover him. If the weather is really bad he goes inside our barn, and sleeps in the rafters.
My peahens sleep in the barn, and or garage. They are free range all the time.

 

[valewife]

Quote:
I'm happy for them to live in my trees, but as usual for me, I'm obsessing over doing things 'correctly'.
My peas (three- 11 month olds) free-range most of the day and in the late afternoons I lure them back to their pen for supper
and close them up in their coop at dark for safety.
Yesterday afternoon a storm removed most of the netting covering their pen so, of course, they didn't stay in there
and spent their first night outdoors, in a tree next to my house.
So I'm now debating whether to repair this pen which is really a temporary one and return to our routine
or just let them do their own thing and roost in the trees. We have huge old oaks around the house.
I spend way too much time, energy and money trying to keep them safe, warm/cool, dry and well-fed
which is making me and my very patient husband alittle crazy, mostly because the birds do not cooperate
with my practical, well-thought-out plans !!!

 

[zazouse]

Mine have always come home to roost so i do not think you will have a problem with them.

 

[zazouse]

Quote:
The second from the right is an Anatolian Shepard/great pyrenees cross and he is the only one i had problems with as a pup, i had to feed him 3 times a day as he was growing so fast he was always hungry and would eat anything he thought was food and that included baby chicks, but we got that under control and he has been a wonderful flock dog.

 

[natron96]

my friend as 36 blues that free range his property the roost in the trees next to his house and we get pretty bad wind storms but they seem to manage however racoons have been known to climb a tree and get ahold of one