Subject: Free Ranging Fowl

From: [email-masked] ()
Date: Mon, 26 Apr 1993 13:27:59 GMT

Hi,
  I'm looking for some information that goes into detail about
free-ranging chickens, ducks and/or geese.  I've read a couple of books
("Raising Poultry the Modern Way" and "The Home Duck Flock") but so far they
have just given passing mention to free ranging.  I've never raised any fowl
before and I feel that I need more detailed information.  I think I would like 
to free range to save on feed costs but I'm really not sure what the drawbacks 
are (eggs harder to find maybe??).  I saw some plans in Eliot Coleman's 
"New Organic Grower" for a movable chicken house (on skids) that he uses to
free range chickens on pasture land and I've read some articles in magazines
about using birds as weeders which sounds interesting. If you know of a good
book or have some experience/advice to share I would appreciate it.

Thanks,
dave. 
-- 
David Irby   [email-masked]

Dammit Jim! - All ideas and opinions expressed herein are my own.

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From: [email-masked] (Andrew Davidson)
Date: 27 Apr 93 09:54:38

In article <[email-masked]> [email-masked] (Ronald Florence) writes:

   Newsgroups: misc.rural
   Path: appserv.Eng.Sun.COM!news2me.EBay.Sun.COM!sun-barr!olivea!uunet!mercury.hsi.com!mlfarm!rosie!ron
   From: [email-masked] (Ronald Florence)
   Lines: 16
   Sender: [email-masked]
   Organization: Maple Lawn Farm, Stonington, CT
   References: <[email-masked]>
   Date: Mon, 26 Apr 1993 18:59:37 GMT

   [email-masked] () writes:

	I'm looking for some information that goes into detail about
      free-ranging chickens, ducks and/or geese.... I'm really not sure
      what the drawbacks are (eggs harder to find maybe??). 

   We free-range our few chickens.  The drawbacks are that they sometimes
   hide their eggs until we discover the new hiding place, and they
   sometimes make a beeline for new plantings in the gardens.  One year
   newly planted zinnias disappeared overnight.  For the next week, the
   chickens laid purple eggs.

   For much of the year we don't have to feed the chickens, the only
   clean-up is under their roost, they seem to do a good job on weeds,
   grubs, and other nasties, and the eggs are delicious and attractive,
   with deep yellow yolks that are nothing like storebought eggs.
   -- 

				   Ronald Florence
				   [email-masked]

What about flies? I have heard that free range chickens are great at
reducing flies around that barn yard. I have also heard that they
create more flies than they eat?

Andy

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From: [email-masked] (James White)
Date: Wed, 28 Apr 1993 14:12:30 GMT

Well I am certainly not an expert on free range chickens, but I do have some
observations about my flock.

First, since they are free ranging they can get to and poop on places you
would never dream they would go to.  So watch where you put your hands.  They
often walk into my garage just to dump.

Second, they do like to hide their eggs.  Especially batum chickens.  Mine
used to lay them out in the field.  You haven't lived until you stepped on a
year old field egg.

Third, the roosters are free ranging also.  This means that if they wish to
attack a small child wearing red.  Well, that option is available.  Our flock
is now roosterless due to just this.  Now I'm not saying the rooster was all
bad, since he was good for about three meals.

Fourth, the eggs are wonderful.  Green, reddish, white, pink, brown.  Who needs
to color Easter eggs when the hens lay them that way.  Around our house,
everyday is another Easter egg hunt.

I look forward to the time my childern are a few years older so they can
defend themselves against all the wierd animals I wish to have running around
my place.  For now a few hens, caged rabbits, sheep, and turkeys will have to
do.

-- 

James White

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From: [email-masked] (David A. Sticha)
Date: Wed, 28 Apr 1993 22:49:27 GMT

>book or have some experience/advice to share I would appreciate it.

I've been free ranging my chickens for four summers now. The benefits include
reduced feed, healthier birds and better tasting eggs. The downside is reduced
egg laying (can't find them all and they use a lot of energy scratching for a
living) and losses due to raccoons, possums, feral cats, and my retriever.
Generally, if I let them out (in an enclosed area if the dog is out, free if she's not) first thing in the morning and remember to lock them up 1/2 hour
before sunset, I have no problems. While they are out, I keep the coop door shut.

My garden is within the 20X20 confines of the chicken yard. I fall sow a cover
crop and let the chickens start on that early in the spring. It also trains
them to stay close to the roost. Always count heads before closing the door for
the night and shoo any inside that have an inclination to roost anywhere else.
After two weeks, my flock of a dozen or so has usually stripped the fall cover
crop to the bare earth and has redeposited it in the form of droppings. I then
turn the garden area over by hand (the soil is butter soft) and plant my early
crops. The chickens then switch to foraging outside the yard. Again, count heads
at night and find any that are trying to go wild. The retriever is good at this.
After the early stuff is cashed in I let the chickens back in for a week or so
and they cleanup the leftovers. I then plant warm weather stuff and the cycle
continues. 

Throughout the summer I keep their feeder filled with laying mash
but it lasts a long time because they don't bother with it except for rainy days.
I also feed them table scraps through out the year, except for meat. Also fruit
cores, rinds, stale (not moldy) bread, etc. In short, any non animal based
organic matter. They do have a tendency to gobble the landscaping and occasionally
mess the porch or patio with their droppings. But the benefits I mentioned above
far outweigh the bad things. Finally, I just enjoy watching them. I've heard
people refer to this form of entertainment as "chicken tv".

Dave Sticha

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From: [email-masked] (Ronald Florence)
Date: Thu, 29 Apr 1993 18:55:39 GMT

David A. Sticha writes:

   I fall sow a cover crop and let the chickens start on that early in
   the spring. ...  After two weeks, my flock of a dozen or so has
   usually stripped the fall cover crop to the bare earth and has
   redeposited it in the form of droppings.

Another option is a `Dutch Roto-Tiller.'  Build a one-meter on a side
cubic frame and cover every side but one with chicken wire.  Put a
couple of chickens inside with the open side down on the garden site.
When the chickens have tilled, weeded, and fertilized that square
meter, move the cube to an untilled area.  In a few days, the whole
garden is done.

We've never tried it.  The chickens like our gardens too much as is.
-- 

				Ronald Florence
				[email-masked]

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From: [email-masked] (Jay Miller)
Date: Fri, 30 Apr 1993 19:22:47 GMT

Regarding free-ranging chickens (I don't know anything about ducks
or geese, I would like to know more about ducks):

I tend the chickens here at East Wind.  We have something I've heard
referred to as an "eggmobile".  It's great.  It's a house on wheels,
ours is about 12' x 18' with 32 nest boxes around the sides, and roosts
inside.  The chickens get into the nest boxes from the inside and they
open up outside to collect the eggs.  Every morning we go out and open
the coop.  The chickens come out and scratch around and eat bugs and 
worms and the like.  We still give them feed, which we put inside the 
coop, so they keep going inside.  At night, they like having a place to
roost, so they go inside.  Someone goes out at dusk and closes up the 
house.  At first you have some of them wanting to roost underneath the
coop, so you have to climb underneath and get them out.  Eventually they
learn and all go inside.  The only time this is trouble is when the coop
is near trees, which they like roosting in almost as well.

We find this to be a great system.  We figured that we get 2/3 the eggs
but provide 1/2 the feed, so we come out ahead.  I'm told that the eggs
have been much healthier since we started doing this, but I wasn't around
before so I don't know.

If you move the coop frequently enough (every 2 weeks or more often) then
the pasture doesn't get too messed up in one spot, and actually thrives
from all the chicken litter being spread on it.  If you have them in a 
pasture with cows, they scratch up the cow patties to get maggots, cutting
down on flies and spreading the manure.
--
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Jay Miller               East Wind Community
[email-masked]    Tecumseh, MO  65760
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Jay Miller               East Wind Community
[email-masked]    Tecumseh, MO  65760