Unintentional chicken parents in Colombia. Now what?

[AdrianaG]

Ideally I would love to encourage the ferals to lay where I can find them and let them live free. But the thought of those precious babies becoming dog food kills me!

 

[DobieLover]

Hello and welcome to BYC! Glad you joined.

Thank you, I will look up Shadrach!

You just answered his initial reply! I happen to agree with him. Just let them out and provide them with feed and build a predator-proof coop that they can go in at night only.

 

[janiedoe]

Welcome to BYC.
I understand your protective instincts. I wouldn't be able to let them be either. It sounds like you're on a journey to a tame flock. You'll have to decide wheather that is best in your circumstances.
I wish you the best!

 

[sourland]

Hello, and welcome to BYC. Good luck with your adopted flock.

 

[007Sean]

Howdy, and Welcome to Backyard Chickens.

Happy to have you here with us. Enjoy your time here at BYC!

Thanks for joining our community!

 

[FunClucks]

If you do consider building them an enclosure for the night time, make sure it's appropriate for the weather in your area. For instance, a roof to keep the rain off, with 1/2" hardware cloth around it and an apron on the ground outside, with a few perches inside (no solid walls, just sturdy fencing such as hardware cloth to keep out predators and possibly chain link for strength to reinforce) may be all you need. Maybe a partial wall or some thick bushes next to the enclosure to block the wind when they're sitting on the perches at night, but I wouldn't build the standard box you see most folks in North America have - they're dealing with snow load and winter weather which you will never have, and much lower summer temperatures and humidity than you have.

The chickens are already used to and able to fend for themselves, so if you do build an enclosure, make sure to let them out as soon as the sun is up every day, and make sure predators can't get inside at night. Because once you put them in an enclosure, they can't escape a predator that gets inside, so their safety is then in your hands instead of theirs.

Honestly, they're already adapted to your area, and your location is one where feral chickens can easily live. I'd just provide food and water like Shadrach suggests to keep them close and hunt for eggs as you can. It is sad to think of chicks getting eaten by predators, but the ones who survive, and the hens who are successful mamas will pass on better genes to their offspring, so eventually you will have really smart chickens who are really excellent at evading predators.

Welcome to BYC and enjoy your chicken journey!!!

 

[AdrianaG]

Hello and welcome to BYC! Glad you joined.

You just answered his initial reply! I happen to agree with him. Just let them out and provide them with feed and build a predator-proof coop that they can go in at night only.

If I allow them to go out from the coop during the day will they automatically come back to the coop at night or will semi-feral mama take them out into the wild for the night?

 

[Shadrach]

If I allow them to go out from the coop during the day will they automatically come back to the coop at night or will semi-feral mama take them out into the wild for the night?

A lot will depend on how long she's been free and where her rooster is. She may leave the chicks with you and go and find those still living feral.

 

[FunClucks]

If I allow them to go out from the coop during the day will they automatically come back to the coop at night or will semi-feral mama take them out into the wild for the night?

For domestic chickens, the advice is to keep them inside the coop for a few days up to a week so they get used to laying their eggs there, and then they continue to do so once they're let out. But for feral chickens, I don't know the answer.

Even if feral mama does take them into the wild for the night, remember, that's where they're most comfortable, and they're used to dealing with and avoiding predators there. So they're a lot more prepared to survive and capable of surviving than non-feral domestic chickens.

I like to use fake eggs in my nest boxes. It encourages chickens to lay there because it tells them it's a safe place to lay your eggs because someone already did it. If the eggs are one of your main motivators, might try setting up nest boxes in often used locations around your property, and putting fake eggs in them. That way you know where to go to collect them. NOTE: Snakes will eat fake eggs.

A couple notes about feral chickens (not domestic breeds that have recently escaped from people, but game type chickens that have adapted to their environment and lived feral for some time) - they are not great egg producers. From what I've read, they generally lay 10-12 eggs and then will brood them, hatch them, raise, them, and then repeat the process. So that's a handful of eggs, and then months of no eggs. On the other hand, they totally take care of themselves, so that's a lot of time and money you're not spending to get those few eggs. If you have enough feral chickens coming around and are able to find the nests easily, putting out enough commercial feed to keep them around and then collecting eggs this way may work fine for you.

If you really are interested in eggs (don't blame you, they're one of my favorite things!), you might consider obtaining some domestic chickens that lay the amount of eggs you're interested in having. These chickens would probably tolerate confinement better than chickens that are used to living free. However, there is a significant cost associated with building a secure enclosure, and feeding 100% commercial feed. If you let them out to free range, there will be predator losses, and they will interact with your feral population. Try to pick domestic varieties that are disease resistant for your area, because whatever the feral chickens have, the domestic ones will come down with.

Good luck figuring things out!

 

[AdrianaG]

A lot will depend on how long she's been free and where her rooster is. She may leave the chicks with you and go and find those still living feral.

Two roosters are out and about on our property and the adjacent undeveloped 10 acres all day long. They show up every morning demanding treats accompanied by 3 or 4 hens.