roost system in need of revision

[speckledhen]

roost system in need of revision

Yup. You only have to read all the accounts of stoppage of egg production in survivors of a predator attack/scare to know they do fear predators. If egg production is the goal, and for most of us, it is, then we have to manage their stress levels.

I've never lost a bird to a predator, not in the more than five years I've owned chickens. That is my goal. The way they are managed so far meets that objective. Of course, odds are I will lose one to one of our many predators here, but so far, so good. And I do free range them several days each week.

Domesticated chickens are akin to domesticated dogs, IMO. A domesticated dog has a hard time surviving like a wolf does, if thrown out in the wild; in fact, he may be that wolf's lunch. I just love when folks like to brag about how little they do for their livestock.

What does sdwd have to do with anything, anyway? That was coined by someone as a joke so why even allude to that acronym? I don't have breeds like junglefowl, or whatever you would deem more able to survive in harsh conditions, because I want larger eggs and more of them than a that type breed produces. My goal is to provide eggs for my family, not to prove how little I can do for the flock and still have them survive, not conduct an experiment. You do whatever you like with yours.​

 

[centrarchid]

speckledhen,

You and a couple others have taken my efforts in a light not intended. Most of my birds are infact contained. I am just trying to find a way so that some can produce egg and meat products while having reduced inputs in the form of wood and metal. My preferance is for natural forages to take a greater role in supporting such production and free-range selected birds in my opinion are most likely to deliver. I am compensating with other means such as with guard dog. I have also kept chickens for much longer and have gone periods longer than five years without loosing any birds but average can be adjusted pretty quickly by just one loss event. I am not familiar with your setups but suspect your hazards imposed are related to overheating during summer months, ventilation issues, fire risk, and you or someone else for some reason not being able to let birds out in mourning or lock them down in the evening.

I am not trying to prove how little. Someone else coined that previously within thread.

All said and done, if my efforts offend, then ignore them. I do the same when reading about how birds are selected purely based on SOP without consideration of genetic conservation.

Take time to look at following thread. https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=454723&p=1

Many folks posting about free-ranging systems I am accustomed to. It is that I am trying to realize now without barns and outbuilding we used to have. The system is more integrated and dogs figure heavily into success, or failure. Chicken breeds important as well.

 

[kathyinmo]

Honestly, do you think yours is a unique interest? Do you not think the fabulous breeders of times past (hundreds of years) have not considered this? You can spend your lifetime sacrificing your chickens, and you will not come up with a unique variety of chicken that will take care of themselves and yet provide you witheggs and meat. I would bank on that.

I find this very disturbing, and really wonder if this borders on animal abuse. That is something I may need to further investigate.

 

[DuckLady]

Closed at OP's request.

Folks, feedback needs to be constructive and helpful, not confrontational and threatening.

Thanks