Who free-ranges chickens w/horses present?

[babalubird]

That's funny. The horse probably gets a little warmth out of it too, all those feathers spread out along their backbones.

Connie

 

[Barn Maid Ann]

 

[babalubird]

Great picture! Guess that says it all, huh?

 

[Cara]

Our geese and ducks free range at our house, and we usually have a few horses in the pens. Its surprised me how none of them are particularly afraid of the birds, even a new TB we had. The ducks and geese come running at feeding time to pick up anything that the horses drop, and get under their feet. A couple of times they have been kicked, but never hard enough to get hurt (like horses kick at flies). They will not stay out of the troughs, even when the horses are drinking. My filly likes to cut the birds, she's a nut! She even tried to help me when I had an escapee rooster, keeping him against the fence and cornered.

ETA the birds do a great job of picking up leftover hay, the short bits.

 

[ThreeBoysChicks]

I was off today and took some pictures of the stall that Duncan (horse) shares with the chickens that live in the barn. This is a 12X12 foot stall.

In this first picture, you will see Duncan's feed box with a hay rack over-top. I mounted two baskets (no longer used in the house)under his feedbox, which the hen's use as nests. This past summer, one of the Wheaten Ameracauna's brooded 6 eggs in the top next box with horses, goats, ducks and geese all watching. You will note, that I mounted a piece of plywood from the ceiling to the top of the hay rack, to discourage the chickens from roosting on his hay rack, which meant their droppings went into the feed box.

Here you can see the roosts mounted on the wall (5 ft. off the ground), In the corner is a built in feeder. I had to do something to keep Chantilly, my beautiful Belgian from getting to the chicken feed. Some of the chickens opted to model the roost and its effectiveness.

Close-up of the feeder

Basically, I mounted a piece of plywood as a shelf, then mounted 4 2X4 cust on 45 degree both ends into the corner of the stall. Leaving a couple of inches from the shelf to the bottom of the first board. I then mounted another 2X4 about 2 inches in front, thus making a trench where the feed falls out. The chickens can eat for a week or more, while Chantilly looks on, but can not get to the feed. I win!!!!

edited to add that this is a 12X12 foot stall.

 

[Rare Feathers Farm]

Quote:
Is that an Andy?

 

[Rare Feathers Farm]

My chickens usually do not make it all the way out to the horse pasture...I have one horse who chases/tries to stomp them, two that completely ignore them and one that chases/tries to stomp them if I am not watching. Funny...that is the dam of the one that chases/tries to stomp them....

 

[Goat_Walker]

We have 1 , 2, 3, .....9 and they ignore the chickens and goats.

 

[EweSheep]

My mini flock and Paso Finos all ignore them, once in a while a young foal would take chase but loses interest when the chickens get out of the pasture or under some kind of divider.

Yep, they all LOVE horse manure piles!