Real Newbie Question..If I let my chickens free reange

[tomlizmom]

during the day, how do you get them back to the coop in the evening? Okay, I am newer than new and please don't laugh too much. Thanks for the help. I am learning so much here.

Debbie B in MD

[Fred's Fine Fowl]

Hi Debbie..

This is such a common question... and the answer is actually pretty amazing when you think about it...

When I have visitors here in the middle of the day, they see the far ranging birds.. some off in the woods, others in the meadow.. while others remain at your ankles just in case you drop that hot dog bun and all!

"Fred.. oh my, how do you get them all back at the end of the day?"... no matter what you keep your chickens in, they will instinctively return to it when the sun begins to descend, or when a winter storm drops anchor over your property.

Problems arise, when.... your birds were purchased as adults (may already have bad or free roaming habits)... or conditions inside the coop are just so bad the the bird would rather play in traffic!

Chicks reared from day one-two-three.. whatevva... are easy, as they have no prior experiences. Whatever building... portable coop, chicken tractor, work shed, potting shed... they are kept in, they will return to at night and emerge from in the morning (unless it's like 28 deg. F. out there with no grass showing).

This is funny to me, as we often put out day old chicks in a little run while they are not yet large enough to range with the older and brood hen guarded folks. At the end of each day, I have to go out there and collect them into a cardboard box and haul them inside for the overnight. Day by day, the routine is the same and finally, I merely have to come and sit with the box at my side and they come and wait to be picked up and put in. Sure, there are a couple of those cat minded chicks... you know, come as if going in and then changing their mind at the last minute and walk away.

One incentive for your birds to return to roost, is of course, to keep the coop area clean and dry... provide plenty of fresh water, feed and nice roosting bars (wood is best). As night comes, they will return to roost, often led by their champion of the flock, the "Rooster"... get it? Takes his hens to "roost"... thus the term.. "Rooster"... or, women like to say it's because he does little but "roost" all day long.. {"> Rooster=male couch potato chicken.

If you have new birds that are older, then they must be kept in the coop for a week or more before ranging... this hopefully dulls their memory of the last place they lived in and will now accept the new digs as home... where they are to return at night and every night here-to-for.

Hope this helps... and no one is laughing at you... seriously... I mean, how would you know?

Fred
www.FredsFineFowl.com
http://www.youtube.com/user/HTCSWEOD

[tomlizmom]

Thanks so much Fred. You are right, how would I know. I actually ordered your DVD today. I am really looking forward to the whole experience.

Debbie

[gardengirl72]

It's amazing. You truly don't believe it until you see it.

[birthblessed]

I have a tractor for my 6 birds. It's 3'x6' and I move it around the yard. I move it every 2-3 days. The kids actually go out every morning and let the chooks out of the tractor to roam, dust-bathe, eat bugs... for about 20-30 minutes. They'll be let out again in the evening for about 20-30 minutes. It can be an hour if the kids stay out and play-- or if we are in the pool or something. We have found that with only a 4' fence between us and the neighbor, the chooks can end up in another property if we aren't out there doing *some* supervision.

Anyhow. When I move the tractor I use the water hose first to water in the mess they leave behind and wash off the frame of the tractor that gets dirty. Then I move it to a new position in the yard.... every day once they've been out about 20 minutes, it's really amazing-- as if they could tell time, the birds just walk over to the tractor and walk right in. But if I don't shut them up, in about 5 minutes they'll wander back out LOL.... then it takes 20 minutes for them to decide to go back in again.

[Ginger]

I'm new here so this may have been answered before. I've had chickens on and off for several years. First, I had a 5 acre farm with a real chicken coop, when I lived in Seattle. Now I live in the Rocky Mountains. I built a chicken tractor about 4 summers ago. During the winter, the chickens did fine, but the water was a solid block of ice for three months. I moved them into the greenhouse, thinking that would solve the problem. It didn't they ate snow, but had no water unless the temp rose above 32F. I kept chickens in that green house until last spring. Now I have none. So how do you water them in the winter with 2 or 3 feet of snow on the ground and temps below freezing?

[NaturalDesignChick]

You've got to warm the water up. :-)

Ideas:
1. A light bulb above the water dish
2. De-icer - they're sold at farm/ranch stores
3. Heated dog bowl

[Fred's Fine Fowl]

last winter we did several tests with various water/drinker systems for chickens...

There is a new plastic base drinker system which I didn't like for several reasons, one- the plug is in the base where it is guaranteed to get wet and become a shock hazard.. on the side there is a label (UL parts used)... oy.. "parts" not the entire system has a UL rating... so much for that!

My favorite system for winter watering, is still the galvanized round metal base. It's designed for the galvanized Little Giant (or similar) drinkers.. they come in 2gl, 5gl and 7gl sizes normally... They also save energy, as they don't turn on until temperatures drop into the 30's, then on warmer days, they are off...

Drinkers must be kept out of direct exposure to wind or drafts... otherwise they still ice up and chickens don't have access to water... For kicks, we put the new plastic system outside exposed, just to see if it could keep up without shelter.. it was impressive down to about 30 deg. F. lower than that and it formed ice on the surface and the trough went solid... so, no good.

Heated dog bowls may seem like a solution, but the chickens can get debris into their open surface and they get messy quickly and require more cleaning than do the closed systems. Chicken droppings are also a problem with low open watering systems.

Elevate your drinkers so the water level is even with the chicken's back, this helps to keep the water clean also.

IF you do not have electricity in the coop or hen pen, then you are left with dumping out the ice and filling with fresh water at least two times a day...

If you are not willing or able to do that? Then I suggest not keeping live stock. Domesticated animals depend on us to provide for them and they should not be without food or water resources. Because they suffer quietly.. some people are unaware.

This is the type of heater base I use in all my buildings..
http://www.strombergschickens.com/products/fount_heaters.php

This link shows the design I tested last winter and do not recommend due to plug location and overall durability...
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.pet-dog-cat-supply-store.com/shop/shop_image/product/small338611.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.pet-dog-cat-supply-store.com/shop/bucket.php&usg=__tziUePUdkj9HL2M7IR1Z6obyTLs=&h=70&w=70&sz=2&hl=en&start=13&um=1&tbnid=bDgKQZsvVEKoFM:&tbnh=68&tbnw=68&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dheated%2Bpoultry%2Bwater%2Bbase%26hl% 3Den%26safe%3Doff%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26sa%3DN%26um%3D1

As always,

Fred

www.FredsFineFowl.com
http://www.youtube.com/user/HTCSWEOD

[gardenladymg]

We gave our bantams the run of our yard when we were home. One day, my teenage daughter started blood-curdling screams, followed by "Momma, A Hawk!" I said, "Gotta go!," hung up the phone and ran. Our faithful Aussie/ German Shepherd was charging and barking at the hawk who had our chicken in its talons. My daughter was jumping and screaming. The hawk couldn't fly out from under our tree without encountering our dog or my daughter. At my arrival, the hawk dropped the chicken and flew up and out. All our chickens were gone. When we called, 2 showed up. We started searching the yard. Suddenly, the chicken who the hawk attacked and we thought dead, gave a moan-"Aaaarau." She was unconcious and woke up. We couldn't find the other 3 hens. Just before nightfall, they came into the coop. The hawk-hit chicken was very sore for a while, but she survived.

I believe in chicken tractors. It takes the count of 1-2 for a hawk to take a bird. If your chickens are pets, you can't defend them loose.

Just my take.

[gardengirl72]

It was almost the hawk's lucky day! A tractor that you can move around your yard works really well. I call it a chicken vacation when I tour them around the yard. Also, I hae 4 cats and other neighborhood cats that can't be trusted either.

[Fred's Fine Fowl]

Certainly for some poultry owners, free ranging is not an option... due to lack of space, respect for neighbors or predator type and density.

Hawks generally don't get the jump on my chickens... I know when one is around as the entire poultry yard empties...

Those of you who have seen my video "Regarding Chickens" know that field savvy chickens are quick to alert one another and escape birds of prey and other predators. In one sequence, chickens disappear, hawk swoops in and the Roosters actually move towards the Hawk... Coopers, Red Tails and Sharp Shinned hawks have all suffered profound humiliation and taken a severe spurring by a gang of full on defensive Rhode Island Reds Roosters.

Flock composition is key also if one is free ranging. Strong, sizable and highly instinctive breeds are a must. The easily preyed up on birds are normally banties, or those with poor visibility, like the Polish Cresteds.

I have lost the occasional Bearded Belgian d'Uccle Mille Fleur over the years and that's always sad. But the social order of free ranging flocks is a profound benefit and source of study for me here at Fred's Fine Fowl.

Prevention:

Don't locate coops near dense growth or stands of trees.

Elevate coops on stilts or trusses at least 12" off the ground, this provides rapid shelter and shade/protection.

Rhode Island Reds & African Guineas are great first alert birds and often flock defenders.

Put out a scare crow (';') on a pivot so it can twist when the wind changes direction. **side note, crows are not afraid of scare crows unless you put a fake gun in it's hand**

Do not discourage crows, they run off and hassle birds of prey until they leave the area and their kaaaw-kaw is also a first alert.

Drinkers and feeders should be "inside" coops or portable shelters, so your chickens are not off guard at predictable locations unprotected.

If you are new to chickens and have chicks you've raised without the benefit of adult mother hens, then they are comparative dullards on open range ("> chicks reared by brood hens are quicker, more alert and generally more savvy about the ways of predators. Starter flocks are just trying to learn as they go and without adult examples, tend to eat the wrong things and react slowly to threats.

Small flocks, kept in urban settings will probably require a run or portable coop for protection... there just isn't enough space for them to see the critters coming after them.

Enjoy your birds (">
Fred

www.FredsFineFowl.com
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t7M3WbIemi4