Starting my resilience flock.

[Appalachickens]

Very exciting! They all have good camouflage colors, and that rooster is gorgeous. I'm in the process of building a little shelter in the woods to start a free range flock in the spring, figuring they'll mostly be game/leghorn mixes. I'm putting them some distance from my coop chickens although those girls go on walkabout now and again so they will likely encounter each other.

 

[CraziChknLady]

We are ranchers - we live in wilds of South Dakota. I have always loved to let mine out...but.

So in the last few days, I noticed a small flock of wild turkeys on the home place, and a deer...hmm I am thinking, the dog got well, has been running the place, I think the coyotes moved out. Maybe I am being too much of a worry wort - and well I let my chickens out.

My son gets up after lunch, walks to the picture window and sees a coyote right there walking up the back side of my coop. My coop is tucked behind a knoll. Right amongst our buildings. SWEAR!!!

He goes to get the gun, I go to count chickens. I do notice that my juvenile rooster is still in the run, he is not much good, but I really have not let him out much. But I do have all my chickens, and I rounded them up, and locked the gate.

I wonder if the coyote has gotten so used to them being locked up that he did not even check. And because it has been such a time since I let them out, they were hanging not far from the coop/run.

Whew!

Mrs. K

What a close call! Coyotes would come through our back yard often. Once had a fox practically at our front porch. If we didn't have our door open, so the cats could look outside, we would have never seen it walk by. The dogs knew though! I have found it helps to stagger and change things up.

 

[Cammo77]

Your OEG roo is gorgeous, by the way. I do like the idea of a resilient flock, but not sure how well I'd do here. Have a high predator load with hawks,crows, owls,foxes, bobcats,racoons and coyotes being the main ones. Not to mention skunks, snakes,opossums, and anything else out there, like my mom's dogs which broke into the chicken run, or the neighbors dogs ( which literally climbed our fence to get at them).
I have bantys right now in a TSC producers pride coop with 8x8 run. I'm thinking I'd have to do a free range rotating pasture system. When I go with my larger chickens ( in a different coop), breeds I'm looking at are Buckeye, Australorp, Speckled Sussex, Silver Laced Wyandotte, Chocolate Orpington, and Sapphire Gem. No solid white, brahma or RIR, or any mixed with RIR ( too aggressive). That's the idea anyways. Please keep us up to date, I'd like to hear how your journey goes!

Thank you, I haven't had much to do with gamefowl but am liking them even more. He's still only young but I don't know if he'll make the grade yet. He's not protective enough so I may have to switch him out to an American game or even an Asian game like an Asil/Aseel type. Your predator load is definitely impressive so I really think the choice not to free range is the best. I won't fully free range either but will let them out mid morning and lock them up before dusk. I didn't mention in the OP but I'm working on a lot more then just free ranging to make a more resilient flock. I'll put up a comment below to explain everything I do.

 

[Cammo77]

We are ranchers - we live in wilds of South Dakota. I have always loved to let mine out...but.

So in the last few days, I noticed a small flock of wild turkeys on the home place, and a deer...hmm I am thinking, the dog got well, has been running the place, I think the coyotes moved out. Maybe I am being too much of a worry wort - and well I let my chickens out.

My son gets up after lunch, walks to the picture window and sees a coyote right there walking up the back side of my coop. My coop is tucked behind a knoll. Right amongst our buildings. SWEAR!!!

He goes to get the gun, I go to count chickens. I do notice that my juvenile rooster is still in the run, he is not much good, but I really have not let him out much. But I do have all my chickens, and I rounded them up, and locked the gate.

I wonder if the coyote has gotten so used to them being locked up that he did not even check. And because it has been such a time since I let them out, they were hanging not far from the coop/run.

Whew!

Mrs. K

I'm in Australia so really don't know much about Coyotes but I imagine they're as cunning as the Red Fox we have here? Do you have any livestock guardian dogs on your ranch?

 

[Cammo77]

Very exciting! They all have good camouflage colors, and that rooster is gorgeous. I'm in the process of building a little shelter in the woods to start a free range flock in the spring, figuring they'll mostly be game/leghorn mixes. I'm putting them some distance from my coop chickens although those girls go on walkabout now and again so they will likely encounter each other.

Thank you, he's looking the part at the moment but not sure if he'll make the grade temperament wise. I need something a bit more protective. Are you able to get any Fayoumi chickens where you are? I've heard from more then one source that they're one of the healthiest birds available. Very flighty too and also good layers.

 

[Cammo77]

I should of mentioned in the original post but there are a few more things I'm doing to breed more resilient chooks. I can't fully free range so if I can't take them fully to nature I bring nature to them. I let them out mid morning after I think they've laid so I don't have to go looking everywhere for eggs and the swamp hens (native water fowl that live next to them) don't steal their eggs. Some of the other things I'm doing are:
- Spending a lot of time learning how to feed them to best suit their natural gut biome and get them healthy from the inside out.
- Choosing breeds known for their hardiness and also best suited to our sub tropical climate.
- Culling for health reasons rather then aesthetics. Also culling birds that dont do well.
- Using breeds that aren't highly feathered so staying clear of overly fluffy butts and feathered legs.
- Not overstocking to reduce viral/pest loads in the coop and also flock harmony. I plan on running 12 hens + 1 main rooster (and possibly a cockeral until he challenges the main rooster) and selecting/culling stock to keep to that number.

 

[Appalachickens]

Your OEG roo is gorgeous, by the way. I do like the idea of a resilient flock, but not sure how well I'd do here. Have a high predator load with hawks,crows, owls,foxes, bobcats,racoons and coyotes being the main ones. Not to mention skunks, snakes,opossums, and anything else out there, like my mom's dogs which broke into the chicken run, or the neighbors dogs ( which literally climbed our fence to get at them).
I have bantys right now in a TSC producers pride coop with 8x8 run. I'm thinking I'd have to do a free range rotating pasture system. When I go with my larger chickens ( in a different coop), breeds I'm looking at are Buckeye, Australorp, Speckled Sussex, Silver Laced Wyandotte, Chocolate Orpington, and Sapphire Gem. No solid white, brahma or RIR, or any mixed with RIR ( too aggressive). That's the idea anyways. Please keep us up to date, I'd like to hear how your journey goes!

We have every last one of those predators as well. I’ve only been free-ranging for about 6 weeks, but so far so good. Gives me hope that when I get my game/leghorn mix’s they’ll survive being out full-time.

 

[Appalachickens]

Thank you, he's looking the part at the moment but not sure if he'll make the grade temperament wise. I need something a bit more protective. Are you able to get any Fayoumi chickens where you are? I've heard from more then one source that they're one of the healthiest birds available. Very flighty too and also good layers.

There is someone in the area who has them, I’m just not sure if he will have the available when I’m ready.