Meyer Hatchery: A Raise A long (Black & Blue Copper Marans, Cuckoo Marans, Easter Egger and Olive Eggers Galore)

[Pumperkinz]

Found out yesterday that our Marans are now able to fly out of their brooder! I had leftover chiffon from an old project I was finished with, so I clipped it over their enclosure. I figured it would be the most breathable cover I had currently available. Between that and the mesh along the sides of the pack n play they're in, they seem fine. I keep checking their thermometer, and have a fan in the room (to the side, not aimed At them), for airflow.

Nice! they look to be happy. Airflow, Clean Water and Food and they generally are going to be happy little ladies! I've found my pups love the chickens more then their cat/dog siblings. It took me a good two weeks of acclimating and correcting my dogs outside for me to fully trust them without being prey driven to chase if the chickens get spooked etc. I've found also I had only one death in all my time due to predation and it was because the chicken got outside of our fence and my heeler couldn't get to through to help out the poor lady. I can't speak more highly of raising dogs w/ chickens in this sense as they help decrease unnecessary losses in my opinion.

 

[Midnight Maran Momma]

I'm very thankful we saved up and had a 6' privacy fence put up around most of our residential acre of land. The front yard is quite open, but the fence starts at the front of our home (maybe 40' in). We're looking to build our coop & run where the blue is, along one side of our home. There's fencing directly behind the trees to the left, as well, so the chickens will be somewhat sheltered from the elements, we're hoping.
I love the ideas of letting them free range in our yard, but we've got racoons, rats, possums, snakes, and hawks in our area (thankfully, I've not seen a snake since we moved in, almost five years ago). Several of our neighbors let their cats roam freely outside, as well. I'm not a fan of this, but thankfully, they've not come inside our new fence, so far.