The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[slordaz]

add magpies to that list too, there were 5 in a group and took out a broody leghorn to get after her eggs

 

[lazy gardener]

add magpies to that list too, there were 5 in a group and took out a broody leghorn to get after her eggs

 

[Leahs Mom]

Wow. I guess that is even more reason for me to be sure the small ones are in a covered run until they are larger. I remember @SallyinIndiana used to say that she waited until they were the size of a volleyball before allowing them out on range.

I'm not sure some of my adults are that big.. for sure not around but they are that tall... But I guess the point is that they need to be large enough to fend for themselves.

These SFH I have are like little monkeys. Running here and running there.

Climbing on things. Jumping off. If they were kids someone would label them "hyperactive" and give them a drug!

 

[Leahs Mom]

I'll be curious to see how the Buckeyes compare in personality and activity level.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I've always allowed mine to range after 8-9 weeks. I haven't lost any over the years. We have many hawks but they seem to be only after mice. I do worry sometimes but they seem pretty level headed and are quick to take cover.

Have you had losses to hawks leahs moms?

 

[Leahs Mom]

I have only had one loss to a hawk and it was a bird that I told my husband was going to be "hawk fodder". This particular bird was afraid of its shadow. It one of the other chickens walked by her she would scream and run away. Was always skittish and most of the time alone. I theorize that she had some kind of mental disability (I'm being serious...she just acted so different than any other bird.) She was also a light blue (all my other birds at the time were darker colors) and she had a crest (which made me hate crests honestly).

So... besides the "mentally handicapped" bird, I've never had a loss.

 

[Leahs Mom]

An interesting side note - the one I lost was broody-raised. That group of chicks was out with a mamma so they got out much earlier than I'm considering on these.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Hopefully you certainly get something put together for them, they sound rambunctious, and healthy.

 

[SallyinIndiana]

Wow. I guess that is even more reason for me to be sure the small ones are in a covered run until they are larger. I remember @SallyinIndiana used to say that she waited until they were the size of a volleyball before allowing them out on range.

I'm not sure some of my adults are that big.. for sure not around but they are that tall... But I guess the point is that they need to be large enough to fend for themselves.

These SFH I have are like little monkeys. Running here and running there.

Climbing on things. Jumping off. If they were kids someone would label them "hyperactive" and give them a drug!

yes not all chickens get to be that big but the breeds I had the most of were larger fowl and I waited that long because in my area we have owls and hawks. Plus it took me about that long to rotate the chicks from the various brooding pens I had until I could get them familiar with the adult birds too. I did the see but no touch method along with the once they met they had to have a large area with plenty of running space so the fast but smaller chicks could run away.

 

[Leahs Mom]

Thoughts, please.

Have a group of 6 chicks that range in age from 7-9 weeks old. Another group that will be 3 weeks old on Friday. These are very different breeds! (SFH the older group, Buckeye's the younger group.)

Do you think it's too early to try integrating these 2 groups together? I assume that the 3 week olds would still need to have a safe escape fro the 9 week olds...