Seeing OTHER folks' free range chickens

[BeccaOH]

Oh, I know the feeling. I'm spotting more and more chicken coops. I don't know if they really are new additions to yards I've passed many times before or if I'm just more attuned to them now that I've had chickens for 1.5 years.

I also notice things like old buildings or materials like doors and windows sitting in people's yards and think about how I could use that for a chicken coop.

I did finally stop at a house where I'd been admiring their chickens and Great Pyrenees dogs. The guy was super nice and told me the flock was all Light Brahma. Looked very nice. He laughed, though, and said when people stop at his place, it is usually to ask about the goats. I barely noticed those.

 

[sotelomary]

I live too much in the "concrete jungle" to see free ranging chickens. I would defintely knock on peoples doors to ask about their chickens! I think most of us that have chickens love to share our knowledge and experiences.

I used to do the flowers for our church and since we had no budget, I would knock on stranger's doors and ask for a couple of blooms from their plants. Of course, I would only take a few and I never had anyone say "no" to me. So go ahead and knock, you have nothing to lose and you just might make a friend!

Mary

 

[jennh]

Quote:
I thought I was the only one who looked at other peoples trash.

I have found lots of "treasures" in peoples trash--a perfectly good bench that just needed painting, a day bed, the back is hanging on my fence, the sides are gates, one to the run, and the other to the side yard. I also found an antique childs desk and chair. That's on my front porch. I have stopped and asked for old boards, rocks, etc.

Jen

 

[schellie69]

my oldest son found a lady down the street that has chickens also I used to walk down to her house to hear her rooster crowing until I got my own rooster it seems the 2 rooster do talk they crow back and forth, I also trash pick as we call it here I have gotten some great stuff that way. my oldest son is the best at it, he has brought home folding chairs tables all kind of the things. that we use or donate to help others,

 

[Mervin]

I know that chicken keeping is on the rise in my area. It was always kind of popular, but I know of several families that are starting up flocks. What I didn't really remember seeing until last summer and this spring is all the free ranging that goes on in my area. I remember peacocks free ranging for about as long as I can remember, but never really chickens. There are free range chickens all over the place now. Or, maybe I never noticed 'til I got bit by the bug.

 

[gryeyes]

Oh, cool! I feel better about my scoping out others' freely ranging chickens now!

I do let mine free range, but only when I'm home, and in my own large back yard. I asked my landlady (she lives on the same property; I'm in the back house and the acre around us goes even "further back") if she would mind if I opened my rear drive gate to let the chickens roam where she lets her 3 sheep wander. The sheep go past the front of my house, from her back yard to the "back forty" all day long. My back yard is kinda cluttered with the 3 coops, oddly sized run, 2 goldfish ponds I put in BEFORE the chicken bug hit me, and some raised garden beds. Plus my porch, a bench, some chairs, stuff like that.

As I see so many of those other folks' chickens out and about, and in the photos shared here on BYC, I just think it would be cool for MY chickens to have an open field in which to range freely, too. Hence the back forty thought....

My landlady was surprised I even asked her. Of COURSE I may let the chickens get bugs from ANYWHERE on the acre! She added "They're really pretty, too, so it would be lovely to see them without having to walk over to your back yard."

Wahoo! This weekend will be the inauguration of the Back Forty Range Experience.

I'm sure I'll still be slowing down to watch chickens elsewhere, though.

 

[Danny39]

Quote:

I nearly had a head on collision

while driving down a country road....what was I doing....checking out a chicken coop that I have drove past umpteen times!
And I don't call it trash digging, around here it is known as dumpster diving!
Every storage building I see at Lowes, Home Depot, in other peoples yards, etc. I think to myself and many times out loud to whomever might be with me....this would make an awesome chicken coop!
I too really enjoy watching free range chickens....unfortunately mine cannot free range as there are dogs and even cats that would love to make chicken dinner out of them

, so unless I am going to be around they are kept in very secure spacious coops.
You are not alone and I think completely normal! For what that is worth.

 

[FarmerJamie]

Quote:

Oh yeah

DW and I are in negotiations for a demo shed with the local home improvement warehouse right now. Grand plans on a budget!

With regards to OP, what I'm noticing is not necessarily the new flocks popping up, it's the "brown eggs for sale" signs popping up all over the local area. 6 of them within 1.5 miles of home.

 

[stuckinthecity]

Holy Crap, I do the exact same thing! Well...not here, but when I'm on my way to my grandfathers. And yes! I always look for their coop, the type/age of chickens and I do want to ask questions!

 

[jettgirl24]

I do the same thing... It makes my BF crazy, especially when we're out running. I have chicken ADD

I'm surprised by how many of my neighbors have chickens (we live in the city) and also how many of them just let them run loose. I see them milling around parked cars and on the parking strip all the time. It makes me like our new neighborhood even more cuz that definitely wouldn't fly in my old neighborhood which was just up the hill from downtown. Also, no one seems to follows the 3 hens law here... I think I have the smallest flock I've seen at 4 and most of the neighbors have at least one roo. So far no one seems to complain (knock on wood) which is good cuz my roo started crowing on Tuesday. No word from the neighbors about that but luckily he hasn't been super loud. He even slept in until 9:30AM this morning! What a good little city roo!

I think it does help that the previous tenant had 3 pitbulls that started getting aggressive with the neighborhood kids. I'm sure a pretty BO roo is a welcome sight after that!