WE have been doing it for 8-10 years now with great deal success
To go long with releasing hens my family does a lot of fur taking in the winter months so that really helps those pen raised birds get a hold.
Yes we do release brood hens early in the laying season.
Large flight pen with lots of cover does get them ready to for the wild. This last batch are 1/2 grown hens that are coming from those flight pens with thick cover with a small corn field in it.
WE also try and turn them loose where we spot wild birds next to the roads early in the AM they seem to bunch quicker with them which seems to help keep them alive. We Believe that helps them find hiding places in that first day,By following the wild ones into the cover, Come on back and see how many hens you will see in a week hunting those areas we are releasing the hens in and tell me it not working LOL.
A lot of groups pull up to a slough and toss 10-15 birds and drive on thinking WOW I have really helped, first you have take out the predators that will be eating those birds that you will be turning loose to give them a chance of get wild.
We know that it works on the farms we own and land that my family farms because they do see them a lot hanging with wild birds until they get the same darker color of feathers and length of feathers.
I'm a firm believer that the predator hunting is want makes the big different is how well they survive around the farms we have,
along with the cover they leave for the birds and the winter feed they leave out for them.
"I have found if you go the extra mile it's Never crowded".
>[Font][Font color = "green"]Life member of
>the MM green signature club.[font/]