Reasons we don’t free-range our poultry.
First reason. Coyotes. Foxes. Possums. Raccoons. Hawks. Owls. Loose dogs. Loose cats. We have lost or nearly lost poultry on the property to just about every predator on the list! We have had an owl smashing into the side of our coop trying to get at our birds. My children almost lost a remote control flying dragonfly to a swooping owl who pulled up at the last second when he realized the toy was NOT food!
Second reason. Chickens are like little destructive rototillers, and they will get in your garden and destroy a lot of plants in a big hurry! There was an elderly lady I went to church with years ago who had a really good system that took advantage of this. She had a large fenced in garden that was divided in the middle. One half was her garden, the other half was her chicken coop. When one season of growing was done, she would move the chickens to the garden side, where they would eat the remaining old vines and crops, larvae and bugs, weeds and their seeds…plus fertilize while they were at it! Next growing season, she would switch them back. She said her gardens were really productive!
Third reason. Poultry do not understand property lines, and may take their little destructive rototilling selves over to the neighbors.
Fourth reason. Attack birds! We had two guineas named Ed and Gurt. Ed was MEAN, and lost his freedom when he attempted to scratch the eyes out of my friend’s head with no provocation whatsoever. Into a cage he went! I was always grateful that my friend took it in stride…I told her if I had to choose a friend to get attacked by an animal on my property, she was on the list! Maybe it helped that she was a vegetarian.
No comments:
Post a Comment