- Aug 15, 2012
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We did not have a coop, our chickens were on their own. We did have a very large barn, machine shed, a four bin grainery, two wood stave silo's, an ice house and smoke house and some small odd buildings where we used hand cranked tools to remove corn kernels and grind our own corn and wheat.
The reds took up the machinery shed. The leghorns stayed in the lower level of the barn which had pens for the three milk cows, one or two steers, pigs and sheep. It was warm from the body heat, and there was always good pickings of dung.
Grandpa had two huge dogs, i never knew the breed but they weighed about 150 to 180 lbs each. He would let them loose at night, they did not bother the chickens and we would often find dead weasels, coons, possums, skunks, bobcats and stray dogs in the daytime.There were no coyotes in northern Ohio fifty and sixty years ag
ur only "worry" came from above.
We had about twenty good red sitters, they would sit on 6 to 10 eggs and hatch 4 to 6 chicks each.
About one rooster and one hen would grow to an adult from each clutch.
Did you ever try to catch a chicken on open ground? They run like hell. The reds ducked for cover or the livestock when an Eagle, Hawk, Falcon, Owl, or Turkey Vulture circled overhead.
Vultures can and will take live chickens and chicks, i have seen it happen. Often other predators are blamed. We sometimes had a rare black bear or cougar come through, but they were not any trouble. In the open the leghorns were sitting ducks, i guess their brains were bred out, by the first molt we would butcher twenty or so remaining out of fifty.About six months before the first molt, grandpa would buy fifty leghorn chicks for two cents each. They were protected their first month. Grandpa liked white eggs and lots of them.
Chickens have survived for millions of years without our "help". Mainly from Asia they were here with the Sabre tooth cat, giant lions, wolves, leopards, hyenas, wild cats, bears, and a host of other predators and most likely will still be here when humans are long gone.
The reds took up the machinery shed. The leghorns stayed in the lower level of the barn which had pens for the three milk cows, one or two steers, pigs and sheep. It was warm from the body heat, and there was always good pickings of dung.
Grandpa had two huge dogs, i never knew the breed but they weighed about 150 to 180 lbs each. He would let them loose at night, they did not bother the chickens and we would often find dead weasels, coons, possums, skunks, bobcats and stray dogs in the daytime.There were no coyotes in northern Ohio fifty and sixty years ag
ur only "worry" came from above.We had about twenty good red sitters, they would sit on 6 to 10 eggs and hatch 4 to 6 chicks each.
About one rooster and one hen would grow to an adult from each clutch.
Did you ever try to catch a chicken on open ground? They run like hell. The reds ducked for cover or the livestock when an Eagle, Hawk, Falcon, Owl, or Turkey Vulture circled overhead.
Vultures can and will take live chickens and chicks, i have seen it happen. Often other predators are blamed. We sometimes had a rare black bear or cougar come through, but they were not any trouble. In the open the leghorns were sitting ducks, i guess their brains were bred out, by the first molt we would butcher twenty or so remaining out of fifty.About six months before the first molt, grandpa would buy fifty leghorn chicks for two cents each. They were protected their first month. Grandpa liked white eggs and lots of them.
Chickens have survived for millions of years without our "help". Mainly from Asia they were here with the Sabre tooth cat, giant lions, wolves, leopards, hyenas, wild cats, bears, and a host of other predators and most likely will still be here when humans are long gone.
