Woodland chickens

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Woodland chickens
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ButteryHOLsomeness

Joined: 03 Apr 2005
Posts: 770

Posted: Wed Apr 27, 05 2:33 pm Post subject:

when we were on skye we applied for a job as a sort of live in permacultural couple to work on an organic steading there (basically some rich retired farmer from down south) the house and land were set in heavy woods with only a large open clearing for the house and huge walled gardens.

his chickens roamed freely and when we asked about foxes he said he only had problems if he didn't lock them up at night. he did mention however that having a few dogs about the place helped too

Lloyd

Joined: 24 Jan 2005
Posts: 2699

Posted: Wed Apr 27, 05 4:13 pm Post subject:
Tahir, didn't you yourself provide an article on this a few months back? By the way, round 'ere foxes take chooks all through the day as well as at night

judyofthewoods

Joined: 29 Jan 2005
Posts: 804
Location: Pembrokeshire

Posted: Wed Apr 27, 05 4:44 pm Post subject:

sean wrote:

cab wrote:

Aren't wild boar considered fair game by some islamic groups?

The people on the kibbutz I worked on used to hunt wild boar to cook at religious festivals. However, they were very very irreligious.
And I think kosher and halal are slightly different lists aren't they?

Which kibbutz? Probably the north where there is plenty of woodland. I spent a few months on Kibbutz Urim in the Negev, way back in '78, the volunteer hayday, I think.

sean
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 42219
Location: North Devon

Posted: Wed Apr 27, 05 4:48 pm Post subject:

judyofthewoods wrote:

sean wrote:

cab wrote:

Aren't wild boar considered fair game by some islamic groups?

Which kibbutz? Probably the north where there is plenty of woodland. I spent a few months on Kibbutz Urim in the Negev, way back in '78, the volunteer hayday, I think.

Lehavot Habashan, near Kiriat Shemona in the Upper Galilee. I went for about six months in 1981, then went back in 82 for the university summer holidays.
I got to be lifeguard for the swimming pool.

judyofthewoods

Joined: 29 Jan 2005
Posts: 804
Location: Pembrokeshire

Posted: Wed Apr 27, 05 5:05 pm Post subject:

I've had experience with both chicken and pigs in woodland. The chicken were free range bantams, which are able to fly out of harm's way, and I had no problem with the fox, who did show up close to them on several occasions, and just walked streight past. My neighbour's dog killed some (caught him red handed), and once I failed to lock up a hen with her chicks in time, and it appeared that they were killed by mink (tell-tale tiny puncture marks on the skull of a chick). In that case the hytch was quite low and away from the caravan. I had the other chicken in a shed next to the caravan, which was open around the base, any animal could have entered it. Only once did a fox get inside, but I got there streight away, and the fox made off without any chicken. Not bad for several years. The chooks were totally free range, would be off into the thick of the wood most of the day and let themselves into the shed at night. Chicken are naturally woodland fowl, but not sure if the larger breeds are quite as safe. I certainly wouldn't trim their wings. Broodiness was a bit of a problem, and I did loose the odd clutch of eggs, but ended up with a larger flock.
The pigs were iron age pigs, which are a cross between wild bore and Tamworth, and have the look of the wild bore with the temperament of a domestic pig. Lovely pigs, the very best, great characters. BUT escape artists, so good fencing is essential. They also do a lot of damage to the ground, and are not suited to small runs on heavy cley, they will poach it forever. Rounding them up is not too difficult. If they are kept confined to a small secure run when young they will become extremely tame and will learn the sound of a bucket with pellets ratteling and when you have to round them up they'll come squeeling along for the treat. Mine were about half grown when I got them, and within days they knew me and the sound of pellets and my voice. Had no problem gathering them up down the road a mile away.
Real wild bore come under the dangerous or wild animal act, and fencing has to be extra high. You also need a licence for moving any pigs.

Gervase

Joined: 17 Nov 2004
Posts: 8655

Posted: Wed Apr 27, 05 7:44 pm Post subject:
Thanks for that Judy - bloomin' brilliant, informative reply! Still not sure about effectively keeping modern egg chooks away from Charlie, though (not that it's a probem I'll ever have to worry about - woodland on my patch is as rare as hen's teeth).

tahir

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45669
Location: Essex

Posted: Thu Apr 28, 05 9:15 am Post subject:

Madman wrote:

Tahir, didn't you yourself provide an article on this a few months back?

By the way, round 'ere foxes take chooks all through the day as well as at night

It was a link (the same as the one Bugs posted) I wanted to know if anybody had tried it and what problems tyhey might have had. I did try and contact PINE but they never got back to me.

tahir

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45669
Location: Essex

Posted: Thu Apr 28, 05 9:18 am Post subject:
Thanks for that Judy, went to see a place that used to be a free range poultry farm and he said that in the end he installed electric fences all the way around which kept the foxes out no hassles.

Andy B

Joined: 12 Jan 2005
Posts: 3920
Location: Brum

Posted: Thu Apr 28, 05 11:26 am Post subject: Re: Woodland chickens

tahir wrote:

I'm looking to learn more about free ranging chickens (meat and eggs) in a woodland setting, anybody ever tried it?

I would think the chickens would love it, but you would have a right game finding the eggs.

tahir

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45669
Location: Essex

Posted: Thu Apr 28, 05 11:27 am Post subject: Re: Woodland chickens

Andy B wrote:

you would have a right game finding the eggs.

Be fun though

Bugs

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 10744

Posted: Thu Apr 28, 05 11:31 am Post subject: Re: Woodland chickens

Andy B wrote:

I would think the chickens would love it, but you would have a right game finding the eggs.

Isn't that what you keep the children for?

Andy B

Joined: 12 Jan 2005
Posts: 3920
Location: Brum

Posted: Thu Apr 28, 05 11:36 am Post subject: Re: Woodland chickens

Bugs wrote:

Andy B wrote:

I would think the chickens would love it, but you would have a right game finding the eggs.

Isn't that what you keep the children for?

In my house one of them's job is to reguarly make sure that his playstation is still working, whilst the other one getting very good at murdering tunes on the piano. Its not easy to look authorative whilst trying to hide a nervous twitch.

alison
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 29 Oct 2004
Posts: 12918
Location: North Devon

Posted: Thu Apr 28, 05 8:32 pm Post subject:
The egg hunting would be difficult when you don't know how old the eggs are though.

Joey

Joined: 03 Nov 2004
Posts: 191

Posted: Fri Apr 29, 05 9:07 am Post subject:
https://www.attra.org/attra-pub/PDF/labelrouge.pdf might be useful reading. it is an american report on french Label Rouge.

tahir

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45669
Location: Essex

Posted: Fri Apr 29, 05 9:09 am Post subject:
Ta Joey useful link

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