Small Flock Thread Anybody?

[SilkieChickenLover336]

I only have 3 chickens. 2 Seramas and 1 Silkie. They are in my profile picture.

 

[minichic]

My flock of seven enjoying some brussels sprout greens, the last from the garden before the winter snow arrived.

 

[showinbirds]

I HAVE A SMALL FLOCK AND AM STILL TRYING TO LEARN ALL THEIR NAMES! LOL SOME ARE STILL LEARNING TO TALK.

 

[AnimalsComeFirst]

I have 3 hens... we are upgrading their 3 x 4 coop and getting a chain link fence so we can get a few more in spring.

2 Buff orpingtons and a barred rock!

 

[Snitcherus]

Hi Small Flockers, I am new to BYC and trying to convince my husband that we can keep a small flock in our enclosed residential backyard. I would like 4 - 6 chickens, and ideally I want to let them free range for a couple hours per day. Our backyard is pretty large, and has nice landscaping with a section of grass and a section of mature & hardy shrubs and plants. The coop would be in the gated side run.

So, my question is -- with a small, limited free-ranging flock....will my backyard be completely ruined? I read the posts about "total destruction" of backyards due to free ranging chickens, but I am wondering if those people had 30+ birds that could do a lot more damage than a small flock.

What has been your experience with free ranging your small flock? Is it as bad as the other threads on BYC indicate? I do not want a denuded backyard. But I also want some pet chickens who exterminate bugs and provide fresh eggs!

Thanks for your advice!

 

[TheSpiceGirls]

I pretty much have exactly what you want to do. I have 5 hens who live in a large predator safe run on my side yard. When I say predator safe, I mean it's covered over the top with welded wire and welded wire is buried around the perimeter so nothing can dig in.

I let them out into the big garden only when I can be out there with them. Which is more often in the summer than the winter. Usually for several hours on Saturday when I'm out gardening. And during the week I let them out in the evening for 15-60 minutes.

They can definitely do some damage with their digging. But not to the point of destroying the garden. They tend to leave things that are as big as them or bigger alone. So my roses are fine. So are the ferns, iris, hydrengeas, etc. Now small, tender plants are free game and they will peck at them. Especially, if you do a veggie garden. I have trouble keeping them away from parsley and other herbs.

They also like to dust bath in soft dirt and they can make some pretty big craters. To avoid this, I make really desirable dust bathing areas in their run by softening up the soil, adding sand and peat and a little DE to keep mites at bay.

But you can barricade things. Buy a roll of welded wire from the hardware store and make big rounds out of it and place them over the top of things you want them to stay away from. Super light and easy to move around the garden.

They will kick dirt all over your patio so try to deter them from scratching right at the patio edge. I've got a spray bottle on the patio and discourage them with that. And it's worked. They stay away from the patio. But they will poop on the patio when they come up to me to beg for treats.

So you have to adjust your expectations a bit. But you can't co-exist peacefully.

 

[Snitcherus]

Dear Spice Girl, Thanks for the detailed response! I enjoyed reading about how your small flock interacts with your backyard, and I learned lots of helpful tips. Limited, supervised free ranging sounds feasible to me now. I am grateful for your wisdom!

 

[TheSpiceGirls]

You are most welcome. I wanted to post some photos too so you could see what my garden looks like. It's a small city backyard and my main focus was for flowers I could cut and bring into the house. So it's kind of wild and crazy. But you get the idea. The bigger the plant, the more likely they are to leave it alone.

I have one hen who answers to her name. So it's loads of fun to be out there and not be able to see them, call her and she answers. Ooo, I have a video of it. Let me share that.

 

[calliexw]

Love the video, that's so cool. Your backyard is beautiful as well!

 

[Snitcherus]

Spicegirl - I think Coco really does know her name! That video is convincing proof. Your backyard is beautiful, similar to mine in layout, and it is not completely destroyed! Thank you for sharing the pics and video -- they are helpful illustrations as well.