Continuing her series, Cathy Isom has a couple of great tips about how to manage a free-range flock. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours.
Sometimes when chickens have an entire world to roost, they’ll get it in their heads that the coop is not the safest place to roost at night. When you are raising birds you plan to free-range, do your best to instill strong roosting habits from the beginning. Placing young birds on roosts at night time will help to show them where the ideal sleeping areas are. There are many ways to take precautions to help keep your birds as safe as possible from predators. Consider keeping a rooster with your flock who will keep a watch on his hens to alert them of danger.
Another possibility might be a Livestock Guardian Dog to help watch out for your chickens. Before adding either of these to your farm, make sure that you do adequate research to make sure you pick what works best for you and your farm. If you choose to free-range chickens, you’ll need to make sure that the rest of your homestead is protected. You can get creative with decorative coverings over flower pots that may be vulnerable, or consider hanging baskets that stay out of the chicken’s reach.
I’m Cathy Isom…