Is there a way to do it?

[Bettacreek]

My brother and I were down at the "farm" today putting in a plot for a garden. He has 14 acres of farmland, which will eventually be his homestead. What I'm wondering is, is there any way to raise poultry in an area with nobody around to keep an eye on the pens? We both live about 15 miles from the wanna-be-farm, so nobody would be there overnight or anything, but someone could stop in daily. Anyways, is it possible to raise poultry this way?

 

[BarredBuff]

It is possible, but I would make sure the coop was secure, and plenty of food and water everyday.

 

[the funny farm6]

Do you know if there are prediters in the area? Wouldn't take much for a coon or stray dog to kill them all.

I suppose if you had a shed where you could lock them up at night so they were secure they would be safe.

 

[pinkfox]

youd need a good strong coop...it would need to be solid, secure, lockable.
if your only able to get up there once a day a large chicken tractor would be your best choice. it would need to be big enough to give each chicken 10sqft of outdoor space and an additioanl 4sqft of indoor space. you would need to use PREDATOR proof wire on the run, Chainlink with hardware cloth over it would probably be choice with welded wire wire on the floor of the run to make sure nothing can rip in or under. since youd only be going once a day and cant lock them in and out of the coop the coop would have to be INSIDE the wire run.
you would then move the coop/tractor every day to a new spot, give fresh food and fresh water (youd want a large poultry waterer) and tada...
i think a HEAVY DUTY chicken tractor would be your safest bet if you cant check in at least wice daily.

 

[Farmfresh]

I agree about the secure movable tractor or pastured poultry coop. I would go one farther and use an electric wire or electric poultry netting around the entire thing in addition to the heavy duty run and coop. I did this for years. When used with a solar charger it really keeps the predators back away from the coop.

Watch using a wire floor on a moveable run. Chickens can get their toes and feet severely damaged when they are clinging onto the wire when it is lifted and then it is set down with their feet under the wires.

 

[Beekissed]

I've done it for the past 6 years now and left my coop wide open and free ranged the flock. I had two dogs on wireless containment and had a perimeter fence around the acre but the birds could get through most of it...it was mostly cattle fencing. Since I worked all day, every day, it was pretty much the same thing......just check on them each evening and throw down some food, give water, collect eggs. Never even had to look at them in the mornings before going to work. No neighbors to watch them.

Even would leave all animals while on vacation for a week....no predator losses except one stubborn pullet that wouldn't roost in the coop and got picked off by an owl one night.

You might want a sturdy perimeter fence for the casual predators and dogs for the not so casual.....but it can be done if you have the right dogs.

 

[Niele da Kine]

Yup, we pretty much did the same as Beekissed. The crazy border collies kept the other dogs away and didn't eat the chickens. Occasionally a mongoose would make off with a young chick, but the majority of the chickens were okay. You could also try something like guinea hens which are half wild to begin with.

 

[Cindlady2]

I have never done it, but it dose sound feasible. If you choose to "free range" I would agree about the guineas. 4 to 6 should do, and raise them with the chickens. 1 rooster per 10 hens would also be good. They would alert and protect the flock. I read a story about some guineas taking on an hawk and winning! Any and all security you could do wouldn't hurt!!! Also if you "free range" make sure there are lots of places the could hide... like loose brush piles.

 

[~gd]

yES millons of chickens [meat birds] are grown without any person on the farm in my county alone. Some are in buildings designed for factory farming But many live in old warehouses that have been equiped wito auto feeders waterers and poop removal systems. the auto equipment is controlled by computers hooked to yhe internet with alarm functions hooked to cell phones. One person per shift can keep an eye on several of these farms if backup people are available to make flying visits to handle problems that always come up. Of course it takes a lot of capital to replace farmers on site. most of these birds see people twice in their short life, once as chicks when they are turned loose in the graw house and again when they ate cought and loaded on the trucks that take them to freezer camp. Sad but true.