Free ranging young chicks.

[Jtodd99]

So, I know most people don’t have the space I do to free range, it’s about 8 acres in very rural northeast Florida. There’s woods all around, and cattle that graze the pasture, so it’s rich in biodiversity.

Since it’s pretty warm here year round, the chicks I hatch go outdoors pretty early. I have some three week old chicks now who are completely free ranged. I feed them just why’s they need in the evening, but other than that they take care of themselves.

I’ve noticed the earlier a chick is let out the forage, the more they do so as they get older. I have some three month old chicks who’ve been raised the same way, and I hardly see them. They’re out from dusk till dawn finding food, and go to bed with a full crop. They know where to find the best food too, they go to the canals to eat frogs, and get water. To the pasture for insects and to scratch through cow manure for undigested corn. The woods are piney woods, so a layer of pine straw is great to scratch through for insects.

I will initially loose a few to hawks, an eagle, even the feral cat or two if they get bold. But the remaining chicks are super hardy, and learn how to avoid danger. My other hens that I got from a buddy who raised them in a coop, don’t forage nearly as much, and these chicks are their offspring.

I’m hoping these chicks will hatch out some eggs, and teach that generation the same,etc. I’m lucky because a 50lb bag of layer feed can last me a few months. They hardly touch it. With all the tender new growth, and insects they seem to be getting plenty of protein. There is oyster shell out for when they need it.


Just an observation I made that I felt like sharing.

 

[DobieLover]

So, I know most people don’t have the space I do to free range, it’s about 8 acres in very rural northeast Florida. There’s woods all around, and cattle that graze the pasture, so it’s rich in biodiversity.

Since it’s pretty warm here year round, the chicks I hatch go outdoors pretty early. I have some three week old chicks now who are completely free ranged. I feed them just why’s they need in the evening, but other than that they take care of themselves.

I’ve noticed the earlier a chick is let out the forage, the more they do so as they get older. I have some three month old chicks who’ve been raised the same way, and I hardly see them. They’re out from dusk till dawn finding food, and go to bed with a full crop. They know where to find the best food too, they go to the canals to eat frogs, and get water. To the pasture for insects and to scratch through cow manure for undigested corn. The woods are piney woods, so a layer of pine straw is great to scratch through for insects.

I will initially loose a few to hawks, an eagle, even the feral cat or two if they get bold. But the remaining chicks are super hardy, and learn how to avoid danger. My other hens that I got from a buddy who raised them in a coop, don’t forage nearly as much, and these chicks are their offspring.

I’m hoping these chicks will hatch out some eggs, and teach that generation the same,etc. I’m lucky because a 50lb bag of layer feed can last me a few months. They hardly touch it. With all the tender new growth, and insects they seem to be getting plenty of protein. There is oyster shell out for when they need it.


Just an observation I made that I felt like sharing.

You have an outstanding setup for natural chicken keeping. Lucky you!
I think that you will have a very predator savvy flock as they continue to learn to evade them while foraging. I would love to have a similar setting to observe more natural chicken behavior. Thanks for sharing.
My chicks forage with their mothers but they only have a 1/3 acre pen to forage in. No frog survives long in there!

 

[Billylynn]

I took my week old chicks outside yesterday to take a couple photos for Easter greetings and was surprised at how much they loved being outside. I'm so glad to read your post. I raise CornishX in a tractor and have never had any health problems, and have noticed that they do like to forage around our fruit trees, but otherwise are not active. So maybe I can at least start with a little outside run for them and get them out of the brooder on warm days.

 

[hanneke]

So, I know most people don’t have the space I do to free range, it’s about 8 acres in very rural northeast Florida. There’s woods all around, and cattle that graze the pasture, so it’s rich in biodiversity.

Since it’s pretty warm here year round, the chicks I hatch go outdoors pretty early. I have some three week old chicks now who are completely free ranged. I feed them just why’s they need in the evening, but other than that they take care of themselves.

I’ve noticed the earlier a chick is let out the forage, the more they do so as they get older. I have some three month old chicks who’ve been raised the same way, and I hardly see them. They’re out from dusk till dawn finding food, and go to bed with a full crop. They know where to find the best food too, they go to the canals to eat frogs, and get water. To the pasture for insects and to scratch through cow manure for undigested corn. The woods are piney woods, so a layer of pine straw is great to scratch through for insects.

I will initially loose a few to hawks, an eagle, even the feral cat or two if they get bold. But the remaining chicks are super hardy, and learn how to avoid danger. My other hens that I got from a buddy who raised them in a coop, don’t forage nearly as much, and these chicks are their offspring.

I’m hoping these chicks will hatch out some eggs, and teach that generation the same,etc. I’m lucky because a 50lb bag of layer feed can last me a few months. They hardly touch it. With all the tender new growth, and insects they seem to be getting plenty of protein. There is oyster shell out for when they need it.


Just an observation I made that I felt like sharing.

Nice. You got coyotes and fox where you live?