4 ms·
I started raising chickens 2 years ago. A few things I have learned: If you have a yard that they can run free in, they don't need a coop. Chickens will happily
by jakeogh 10y ago
I started raising chickens 2 years ago. A few things I have learned: If you have a yard that they can run free in, they don't need a coop. Chickens will happily roost in the trees. I live in southern Arizona, so the winters are mild, but I know of people that do the same thing in much colder climates. Chickens are tough. An added benefit is they are actually safer, if they are locked in a coop, and a predator gets in, it's going to kill them all. Outside, they can hide (good luck finding a scared chicken, they are really good at bolting to a hideaway) or fight. Chickens make all kinds of commotion if there's a predator around. They will make their nests in secluded shady spots and unlike a coop, they do not poop in their nests so the eggs are very clean. I supplement their foraging with chicken feed, but it's not necessary, there's enough critters and plants, they often just ignore the feed. What they really want is your compost, no need to separate out what they eat and don't eat, they do that. The rest attracts their favourite food of all: bugs. Going coop-less also removes the chore of cleaning the coop. In AZ their poop dries up very quickly and if they are free range it's not really noticeable since it's so spread out.
They need lots of water and shade, so make a continuous drip somewhere in the shade.
Domestic cats don't mess with full grown chickens, and in my experience they leave the chicks alone too if they are fully feathered and about pigeon size. The cats eat pigons on a regular basis, but they let the chicks run around and seem to enjoy them. In the daytime it's common to see the cats and chickens laying around in the shade within a foot of each other. Racoons like chicken, and they are good climbers, but the chickens just make lots of noise and fly off if one gets too close. By then I have my paintball gun out and the Racoons learn quickly to get dinner elsewhere. I'm constantly surprised about how smart they are, if they know they are not allowed in a spot they will wait for you to go away and then rush over. If you catch them in the act, they freak out and run off back to their allotted area. I find small firecrackers a good way to tell them "stay away". They learn quickly.
Most of my chickens are good flyers, they can easily jump up to a perch 5ft above the ground and then into a tree from there. They could also easily fly over my fence and exit the yard, but they _never_ do.
I wish I had started years ago, the eggs are fantastic.
- ischnura 10y agoI have seen a similar setting in Brazil with small Bantam chickens. Some breeds are more self-sufficient l than others. What chicken breed do you raise?
- jakeogh 10y agoI have 2 Yellow Brahma (big bids, very nice temperament, cant fly far so they need a way to get to their perch, one is still too young to lay), 1 New Hampshire Red (she's the alpha, pretty good at flying too), 2 Leghorn (well one might be a Blue Maran), one grey/blue one white (smaller, really fast, great flyers, practically impossible to catch), 1 New Hampshire (still growing and not laying yet, super sweet temperament) and 1 Belgian Bantam (also not laying yet). They hang out in groups by age. The Bantam/Leghorn/Maran hens have a celebration every time they lay an egg which can be a bit annoying if it's 7am, but usually it's mid morning. Other random tips, to pick them up, especially fast chicks, place your hand under their belly and let the legs hang down, don't come at them from behind or above or too fast. Laying chickens often will assume a mating pose if you go to pick them up which makes it easier and you can just grab them with 2 hands around the folded wings. They like being pet under their chins, but generally not on top of the head. Be sure to wash your hands even though they look perfectly clean. They are all pretty spoiled, if it was a harsher situation I would stick to the small fast breeds. Also, I give them the eggshells back, they love em and need the calcium anyway. Some folks say that encourages them to eat the eggs but I have never seen that. It's only when one gets broken by accident.
- gadders 10y agoOur cat is a pretty good hunter - normally one dead mouse/baby rabbit/vole/bird per day and he leaves the chickens alone. He did pounce on one once by jumping on it off the bonnet of my wife's car, but soon got off it. I think it was more for fun than a serious attempt.
- jakeogh 10y agoHa. Yep, I had a similar experience. Tossed a chick (they love getting air and get all excited when they land) at my most friendly cat once without thinking and he instinctively reached out and caught it, but immediately let go and gave me the "oops sorry" look. I suspect the domestic cat/chicken/human triangle goes way back.
- gadders 10y agoYou might have a point. We frequently incubate chicks from eggs, and although they are caged, our cat (Marvin) never makes any serious attempts to get to them.