Chickens - how free range do you have them?

[NoTrespassing]

Thank you. We hate losing any of them to predators, but you are correct that with more birds, losses are less noticeable. With so many hatching, our biggest issue is dealing with roosters. Did I mention that they are the devil? We try to give them a chance to prove us wrong, but they just keep getting more and more aggressive until my wife says it has to go. Then everything calms down and all the hens are happier. Just guessing, I would say that I probably killed 3 dozen roosters this year. Some where from the group that hatched this year, some where older that just got too mean to deal with.

If we didn't free range them all day long, we probably wouldn't have any roosters. Keeping them in the coop created more conflict. Having space to run around calmed all of them down. It's really night and day how they behave.

What do you do with all the roosters? Do you butcher them or just dispose of them? When we used to have chickens our Filipino friends would either buy the roosters and old hens for a dollar or two, or we'd just give them to them.

Kevin

 

[EddieWalker]

What do you do with all the roosters? Do you butcher them or just dispose of them? When we used to have chickens our Filipino friends would either buy the roosters and old hens for a dollar or two, or we'd just give them to them.

Kevin

It really depends on how old they are when they "turn into the devil" If it happens early enough, we use the meat for dog food. If they are "older" there isn't any meat to them. They run themselves down to skin and bones chasing the chickens and fighting each other. Those birds are just tossed out in the wood for the scavengers to eat.

 

[ning]

Secure coop (small wire fencing, not sure what it's called, walls floor ceiling where there's no solid rain roof) big enough to keep them in if I'm on holiday, and a few acres with perimeter fence (doesn't keep bobcats out, and coyotes occasionally manage to come in), plus a dog to watch over them. The dog watches for predators but doesn't herd the chickens, so I'm not sure if they'd wander too far without the fence - I wouldn't try it.

I've found if the chickens have enough space, they won't bother with fences.

My neighbor tried secure coop w/ no other fence or dog, and lost his chickens - now he's got a rather large coop, but it's still not pasture.

 

[EddieWalker]

What kind do you have Eddie? When we had a few roosters it was great. One of them which my daughter named Grumpy became her pet - it would walk up on our deck and look in the windows to try to find her - didn't see her it would go around to the front porch and try again. She would run outside after it and they would run around for a while and then she would bring it back up on the deck and sit in the deck chairs with it. It was a great companion until one day the horse got him. I sure did not have to worry about chicken hawks with him around.

My wife is at a dog show, so I'm gonna try and remember what some of them are. My spelling is probably wrong, and I might have types mixed in with actual species. I'm also forgetting some, and now with all the babies, there are a lot of mixes that look like one or the other, or something totally unique. What is most important to my wife is the color of the eggs. She loves lots of different color!!!!

Americanas, Rhode Islands, Easter Egger, Bard Rocks, Buff Orpingtons, Silkie, Winedots, Polish Crested, Welsummer, Banty, Fancy Feet, Leghorns, New Hampshire and Sussex

 

[Creamer]

My wife is at a dog show, so I'm gonna try and remember what some of them are. My spelling is probably wrong, and I might have types mixed in with actual species. I'm also forgetting some, and now with all the babies, there are a lot of mixes that look like one or the other, or something totally unique. What is most important to my wife is the color of the eggs. She loves lots of different color!!!!

Americanas, Rhode Islands, Easter Egger, Bard Rocks, Buff Orpingtons, Silkie, Winedots, Polish Crested, Welsummer, Banty, Fancy Feet, Leghorns, New Hampshire and Sussex

View attachment 524718

You have all colors shapes and sizes! Hard to cook with those eggs - what size are they??????? depends on the color you grab!

 

[EddieWalker]

The dogs eat most of them. At least 8 a day, but sometimes more. Raw over their food, and scrambled for breakfast. Our 14 month old female took first in breed and 4th in group today. Nutrition is huge with my wife and what they eat.

 

[GLyford]

Hi Eddie,

Have you seen this? A friend who is a vet tipped us off to this one:

Can Dogs Eat Eggs? - American Kennel Club

"Biotin Deficiency - Prolonged feeding of raw egg whites can lead to a biotin deficiency, as they contain an enzyme that ties up biotin and prevents absorption of biotin into the body. Biotin is a B complex vitamin that supports healthy skin, digestion, metabolism, and cells.

While these side effects are rare, most veterinarians recommend cooking eggs before feeding them to your dog"

 

[EddieWalker]

Thank you for the link. I'll show it to my wife, she is the Nurse with all the degrees. She feeds them scrambled eggs in the morning and a raw egg over their food at night. They love the yoke, it's the first thing they go for.

 

[Clint S]

I coop at night have a fenced in area for when I am not around. I I am around I let them range. I lost some the first few years, but a nuisance permit and 5 fox and 4 monk later no losses in a year at least

 

[Creamer]

I coop at night have a fenced in area for when I am not around. I I am around I let them range. I lost some the first few years, but a nuisance permit and 5 fox and 4 monk later no losses in a year at least

Mink are famous for killing a few each time - they can cleanout a coop pretty quick.