Setting Up for Intermittent Free-ranging of Juvenile Chickens

[Mrs. K]

This is none of my business, but what are you going to do with 200 head? If you care to share...

 

[centrarchid]

This is none of my business, but what are you going to do with 200 head? If you care to share...

I am not backyard to start. Some are sold; enjoy the legal concerns you are eluding to. Over half will serve as table fare. A smaller number of 10 to 20 are used for outreach. Roughly 25 are used to replaced broodstock.

 

[Mrs. K]

No, I realized that you were not backyard. I was not eluding to anything, but completely understand. For some reason, I did not think you were into egg sales, and 200 seems a lot to eat, for me, a cattle rancher.

What is outreach?

 

[centrarchid]

No, I realized that you were not backyard. I was not eluding to anything, but completely understand. For some reason, I did not think you were into egg sales, and 200 seems a lot to eat, for me, a cattle rancher.

What is outreach?

Outreach as I do some of outlined in thread below.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/ambassadors-for-the-farm.407880/page-8

This year I am adding several new chickens to team, especially on the female side to make keeping broody hens more continuously available from March to October when most events take place. Some additions also for genetics where variation can be used to explain inheritance. I have yet to see another use chickens in the way we do it. The chickens run about through crowd interacting with people coming when called and being very gentle.

We consume only half and that is done before they reach 16 weeks old so they are usually less than 2 lbs. What does being a cattle rancher have to do with anything? As a kid our cow calf herd ranged from 20 to 80 cows, yet it does not give me any insight on what chicken consumption for another would be, especially if they were not from a farming operation like ours. We killed, dressed, processed and consumed a fattened steer or so each year.

 

[centrarchid]

As of this morning violence ceased. About an hour ago I partially opened door so about 10 juveniles could get out. American Games, especially the little Edgar's, are taking lead foraging perimeter. A couple flew back up and back into elevated pen before coming out again which is exactly what I want to see. Chiggers are driving me insane.

 

[Mrs. K]

No offense intended. Chicken is our novelty meat, we might it once a week, but not every week, that is all I meant. I do not have insight on another family's consumption. I just butchered 15 meat birds, and my freezer has never had that much chicken at one time.

 

[centrarchid]

All the little Edgar's and little T's returned to pen on their own by time I went to close pens up. Little Rollo's all piled on ground with a two Line B x dom pullets while Butch and the Gooch could not figure out how to get back into pen even though they were flying up on it.

As I policed up the chicks, the two Line B x dom pullets were skittish. Once all others were penned the pullets got real animated and flew up and into batch 2's pen where those birds immediately attacked and drove the pullets out. The pullets then allowed me to pick them up with net and walked from it into their pen as I released them.

Overall, first evening worked well.

 

[centrarchid]

No offense intended. Chicken is our novelty meat, we might it once a week, but not every week, that is all I meant. I do not have insight on another family's consumption. I just butchered 15 meat birds, and my freezer has never had that much chicken at one time.

Beef is novelty in our home
Poultry, pork and fish more important.

 

[centrarchid]

Today we round up materials needed to construct 3rd pen. There will be four when done. I will also be moving a chain-link 10' x 10' dog pen to a location that is easy to observe from house using a spotlight at night. Ultimately it will contain a bachelor flock of American Dominiques and Missouri Dominiques that will be overwintered. The bachelor flock will have best males of each chosen from groups of nearly 30 per breed.

All five groups need to show fidelity to roosting pens when going back to roost at night. Soon leg bands and Jiffy Wing Bands will be applied to allow positive ID where gross appearance does not work.

 

[centrarchid]

We are very well into this. Thus far zero drift between pens even though openings are only 15 feet apart.