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Something got to our chickens...
We were finding them outside their structure with their head missing. The building has now been modified several times and the birds seem to be safe again.
We have a younger batch of chickens (a pretty large group) that will start laying in 2 or 3 weeks. Until then, we'll have fewer eggs.
We were finding them outside their structure with their head missing. The building has now been modified several times and the birds seem to be safe again.
We have a younger batch of chickens (a pretty large group) that will start laying in 2 or 3 weeks. Until then, we'll have fewer eggs.
OUR EGGS AND WHY WE ARE UNABLE TO BE FREE-RANGE
Before 2023, our hens were free-range (eating grass in our pasture). Below
is a description of the journey that led us to pull them out of the pasture.
March 2023
The young chicks are still not large enough to avoid becoming hawk food.
May 2023
Our hens are mature and out on pasture. They now eat both organic pellets and
pasture grass. They rely on protection from our large black rooster.
August 2023
We began losing chickens… possibly to hawks, the ravens, the dog? We paused
free-ranging for the safety of the birds.
September 2023
We confirmed hawks were the predators. And, the first bird we lost had been our
black rooster — likely defending his flock. We like to think he died a hero.
Today
Our flock lives their daytime in a large, netted enclosure. At night, they're
in a wooden building. No more free range for our birds. But...we do throw
lots of greens to them.
During the winter and spring it rains, so its easier to come up with greens.
Weeds are always available. The hens go near crazy when greens are
tossed into their enclosure.
During the summer and Fall, greens are not so easy. Even so, but we're able
to collect a good amount of the alfalfa leaves that fall from the hay
as the goats eat. And there's always weeds in the field. Recent, we've learned that
our birds love big cauliflower leaves.
They also get bones... We frequently cook large batches of bone broth.
This process produces both broth and piles of bones.
We eat broth and the birds get the very fragile bones.
is a description of the journey that led us to pull them out of the pasture.
March 2023
The young chicks are still not large enough to avoid becoming hawk food.
May 2023
Our hens are mature and out on pasture. They now eat both organic pellets and
pasture grass. They rely on protection from our large black rooster.
August 2023
We began losing chickens… possibly to hawks, the ravens, the dog? We paused
free-ranging for the safety of the birds.
September 2023
We confirmed hawks were the predators. And, the first bird we lost had been our
black rooster — likely defending his flock. We like to think he died a hero.
Today
Our flock lives their daytime in a large, netted enclosure. At night, they're
in a wooden building. No more free range for our birds. But...we do throw
lots of greens to them.
During the winter and spring it rains, so its easier to come up with greens.
Weeds are always available. The hens go near crazy when greens are
tossed into their enclosure.
During the summer and Fall, greens are not so easy. Even so, but we're able
to collect a good amount of the alfalfa leaves that fall from the hay
as the goats eat. And there's always weeds in the field. Recent, we've learned that
our birds love big cauliflower leaves.
They also get bones... We frequently cook large batches of bone broth.
This process produces both broth and piles of bones.
We eat broth and the birds get the very fragile bones.