Daytime Free Range Questions

[Reilyjarm]

You should be getting close to egg laying time for the barred rocks. Since they are out all day you might keep an eye out for them to nest somewhere in the yard. Once they start using the nest box they will go back to the coop to use it when it's time to lay an egg. But if they are out every day it is possible they will lay eggs somewhere outside.

I’ve been wondering about this and have been constantly checking the yard! The ladies used to stay outside all day, but the past two days I’ve been finding 2 (Gloria and Harriet, my biggest hens) going in to their hen house DURING THE DAY!! So I’m hoping an egg is coming soon!!!

We live in South Louisiana and it is SO HOT. I have fans, made an outdoor AC, water misters, THE WORKS to try to keep them cool in their house, but it still gets ridiculously hot. I feel so guilty leaving them in their all day. So I’m kinda stuck on that one! If I do find eggs in the yard, I’ll have to reassess. Thank you for your words of warning!

 

[Reilyjarm]

View attachment 1547326 Hawk hideouts sure glad those were mentioned. My garden/yard has many and I spent time when they were younger showing them where they were. Yes...I’d get a chair some treats and we’d spend time at each one as they ventured further away from the run. They KNOW the word “Hawk!” (I scream it). it sounds funny but where I live we have Hawk Drills far too often.
A turned over wheelbarrow a piece of plywood leaning onto the fence I have bushes next to the house I continue to add/beautify my hideouts.
Thanks @jolenesdad for mentioning that...so important!

Wow! Thanks so much for the picture!! I love your hawk drills, and am in the process of setting up a nice place for them to hide!!

 

[Reilyjarm]

Wow! You have green grass! Here in Northern California everything is dry and dead, we have had no rain since March. Our temperatures are still around 95 or so. Your girls must be very happy. Yes, give them water outside, no food. I would give oyster shell in a separate dish just to be sure they get what they need. If they want it they will peck it up! Waiting for eggs can be frustrating but they will lay when they lay! I know you have heard this before, but it's true! Good luck, your girls are lovely and I'm envious of your grass!

It’s so crazy to imagine a life in which it hasn’t rained SINCE MARCH.
We live in South Louisiana and even when it’s not raining, the air is so saturated with water sometimes it makes it hard to breathe! For the last two weeks our temps hit 103 and it has rained, at least for 30 mins, every single day.
I’d send some your way if I could!!
Thank you for your advice on water and Oyster Shell!!! Will do!

 

[Shorty22366]

I would definately put water out. Not food unless limited foraging grass and feed supplies. They will get grit on their own and definately add hiding spaces.

 

[Reilyjarm]

I’m so terrible I see all that lovely grass and I say to myself....let’s see that yard one year from now. I know I’m terrible.....

Am I going to have no grass?

 

[RodNTN]

I always leave an extra waterer out for my flock, and sometimes I may leave their feeder out in the afternoons. But always put the feeder back in the coop in the evenings.

I always keep a bag of grit in my basement, I rarely have to provide it in the spring, summer, and fall. But when winter comes and they don't go out in the snow, that's when I use it

As for speeding up the process of laying, the only thing you can do is set out their nests and wait

 

[Folly's place]

Giving them 'pep talks' can't hurt either! And patience is a virtue, right?
Mary

 

[MissChick@dee]

Am I going to have no grass?

Well...that’s a good question. The pecking is no problem. Provide a awesome dust bath area (pray the use it) see how their digging goes. You may have to fence a “special area” if you to keep it lush and green. I wire around my bushes and flowers (on the ground). My raised boxes get wired down in winter too. They get board especially in winter. Hey! That could be a new thread you could start ~chickens vs grass ~ I’m sure lots of people would weigh in.
Me...I planned a “chickens” yard. I live in the desert so I rake rocks for my landscaping. LOTS of raking.

 

[Reilyjarm]

View attachment 1548108 View attachment 1548107
Well...that’s a good question. The pecking is no problem. Provide a awesome dust bath area (pray the use it) see how their digging goes. You may have to fence a “special area” if you to keep it lush and green. I wire around my bushes and flowers (on the ground). My raised boxes get wired down in winter too. They get board especially in winter. Hey! That could be a new thread you could start ~chickens vs grass ~ I’m sure lots of people would weigh in.
Me...I planned a “chickens” yard. I live in the desert so I rake rocks for my landscaping. LOTS of raking.

GREAT IDEA FOR CHICKENS VS GRASS!!! I love your chicken yard! It’s so awesome!!! And since I live in basically a swamp, if I have no grass... it would be... bad. Super bad. I can just image the muddy, smelly, nasty slop hole now, and I DO NOT WANT THAT FOR MY CHICKEN SANCTUARY!! I for sure need to come up with a plan!!! They loveeee to dirt bathe in an area under one of the oak trees, which is in a low lying area of the yard and grass won’t grow there (because it floods with water every time it rains) so I’ll keep all that dirt over there JUST DIRT. In hopes they will keep their digging to that area!!!

Thanks so much and awesome pics!!!!

 

[Reilyjarm]

I always leave an extra waterer out for my flock, and sometimes I may leave their feeder out in the afternoons. But always put the feeder back in the coop in the evenings.

I always keep a bag of grit in my basement, I rarely have to provide it in the spring, summer, and fall. But when winter comes and they don't go out in the snow, that's when I use it

As for speeding up the process of laying, the only thing you can do is set out their nests and wait

Waiting and waiting and waiting and waiting.
And thanks!!! They now have a water area outside of their house because y’all awesome people are giving me such great advice!!! They have really... developed, and grown a lot since being out of their house!! especially now, since they are more comfortable and have everything they need inside AND outside of the house!!


Pep talks x1000 !! I even have framed photos of eggs put up in their hen house!!! Haha I’ll have to get a picture tomorrow since they are in there for the night and I don’t want to bother them just *INCASE* they might be deciding to *FINALLY* lay us some eggs!!