Chicken coop

[Big C]

What do you think Scott v?6 hens getting about 3 eggs a day.


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[slimeyslab]

You letting them free range? I been thinking about opening my pen up and letting them range but scared the neighbors dogs will get them. I got some roosters I may test with.

[Big C]

I started with an enclosed pen.But after talking to few people,I started leaving the pen door open and every night they return to the pen.As far as dogs go i've got two fighting roosters that can put a whoopin on a dog.I will let you have one if you want it.They were givin to me and i want to get rid of them before my hens start setting.

[ScottV]

I like it Big C. Mine don't free range because of dogs and hawks but they have a 25 x 25 pen that I let them run around in during the day. I have netting over the top of it for hawks. They go up their ramp into the coop at night and after dark I go out and let the chicken door down with a rope from outside the coop. That's to make sure a coon or possum don't get in the coop. I've got 10 hens and I've been getting 7 to 10 eggs a day.

[Cray]

You got that cope all closed up at night to keep the coons out?

[Big C]

Steve guess i've been lucky with not losing any chickens.I'm thinking my 3 dogs may keep alot of predators away.Have killed two bobcats not far from the house.All chicken predators must die.

[DonDon]

A fox will eat em all up. Dang nice coop though

[stickum]

Y'all get you a good Anatolian shepherd dog or a Boz shepherd. We have an Anatolian and have not lost a chicken to predators and all of ours (40+) free range...even up on the porch and out in the woods.
The Anatolian's are used by sheep herders in the Turkish mountains to guard the flocks of sheep. Not aggressive, but very protective of whatever they are given to protect.

Here's a pic of our Anatolian when He was a pup. He is much larger now and weighs around 140 pounds at 2 yrs old.

[Big C]

I have only been raising chickens about 6 months.Is there any advantage to free range verses caged?

[ScottV]

Free range chickens get a bigger variety of things to eat, you just have to worry about predators adding them to their variety.