Chickens for 10-20 years or more? Pull up a rockin' chair and lay some wisdom on us!

[ldutch123]

I did not see this one answered.
At 6 months a cockerel can do the deed if the hen will let him. With chickens, the mating ritual is as much about dominance as mating.
Throughout the animal kingdom, it is pretty normal for males to have to impress the females before they are allowed to mate. This might be fighting, displaying horns or feathers, protecting a territory, building nests or dens, dancing, many different things depending on the species. I've had cockerels under 6 months that can do it, and younger pullets are often more easily impressed then mature hens. But it is hard for an immature cockerel to impress the mature hens enough that they will readily allow mating. A lot of times the young pullets are not that impressed either.
When will the hens learn to not fight the rooster? When he matures enough to deserve it. Some do it pretty young. Some never do.

Thanks for the answer. He tries really hard but these girls are just so darn mean . Also the girls are not a year old yet but there are 40 hens and only one rooster all this time. So I noticed the older rooster would have his few girls and he never even bothered with the others. So I think these girls are learning also.

He gets away and he keeps coming back so maybe he will get his groove. It's so bad he is scared to be near the girls at all. He runs up like a bat outta hell and mounts them pulls put some feathers and takes off. Please tell me he will mature please please he is so beautiful Id like to have him around

 

[HallFamilyFarm]

Nesting material?

What nesting material do you prefer?

We always had straw. Either oat or wheat. We have also used hay and dried grass clippings. Tried apice of carpet and did not like using it. After over 30 years with poultry I keep going back to straw.

 

[Erin~TheChickenLover]

Nesting material?

What nesting material do you prefer?

We always had straw. Either oat or wheat. We have also used hay and dried grass clippings. Tried apice of carpet and did not like using it. After over 30 years with poultry I keep going back to straw.

I have been using wheat straw as well. I like it because the chickens have a blast eating the seed and it does not seem as dusty as some stuff. However, when I put it in the pens it seems to disappear after about 2 weeks. What do you put in your pens and runs that are on bare dirt?

 

[ldutch123]

Dangit information overload!!!! I have been following this thread but haven't been taking notes now I don't know where certain information is.....noooooo this needs to be converted into a book so I can highlit certain things I know I need to deal with in my flock ASAP!

Thanks everyone for all the information. This stuff is priceless

 

[Erin~TheChickenLover]

Dangit information overload!!!! I have been following this thread but haven't been taking notes now I don't know where certain information is.....noooooo this needs to be converted into a book so I can highlit certain things I know I need to deal with in my flock ASAP!
Thanks everyone for all the information. This stuff is priceless

I know, so much great information! I've started copying and pasting stuff into a document on my gmail. It's the only way I can keep up with everything!
Thanks to everyone as well

 

[HallFamilyFarm]

Quote:
With our stationary coops we use pine shavings/chips in the winter and grass clippings in the summer.

 

[Erin~TheChickenLover]

With our stationary coops we use pine shavings/chips in the winter and grass clippings in the summer.

I'll try this, after the rain we should have some grass clippings soon.

 

[fowlman01]

I have been using wheat straw as well. I like it because the chickens have a blast eating the seed and it does not seem as dusty as some stuff. However, when I put it in the pens it seems to disappear after about 2 weeks. What do you put in your pens and runs that are on bare dirt?

I use it as well. I am on adobe, so during the winter I have to use straw to build a substrate to keep the birds off the mud. When the ground is full of water it just starts to puddle. Straw is the only thing that lasts here...I just keep adding to it and during the summer I let the chickens plow it up so that I can shovel it out and put it in the garden.I throw scratch into the middle of it and the birds do the rest. It has the consistency of potting soil by then. I have some 20' X 40'...or so flight pens that I have to cover with straw during the rains, so I use a lot of straw to keep the birds clean and the white ones white.

Walt

 

[Erin~TheChickenLover]

I use it as well. I am on adobe, so during the winter I have to use straw to build a substrate to keep the birds off the mud. When the ground is full of water it just starts to puddle. Straw is the only thing that lasts here...I just keep adding to it and during the summer I let the chickens plow it up so that I can shovel it out and put it in the garden.I throw scratch into the middle of it and the birds do the rest. It has the consistency of potting soil by then. I have some 20' X 40'...or so flight pens that I have to cover with straw during the rains, so I use a lot of straw to keep the birds clean and the white ones white.

Walt

I am on adobe as well here, lots of red clay. I actually made clay pots out of it once!

It's good to know that straw works best for you. I've had kind of a phobia of stacking straw on top of straw but I think that's what I'll do when the rain starts coming. I used to clean the pens out at least every week but I'm not going to have time for that and am tired of doing that anyway. I'll stack the straw up and then clean it out in the summer as you mentioned. If it keeps your white birds white then it will work just fine for me.

 

[al6517]

Are supplements necessary? My birds all seem healthy. Chicks were on medicated feed until a week ago. They have access to plenty of grass, bugs, leaves, etc. I'm trying to be as natural with them as possible so I don't know what I should supplement and what I shouldn't....

No I don't think most of them do, it really depends on several factors. if your looking to correct an issue such as an injury or an illness then a temperary addition to their feed may be warranted. Then if your conditioning your birds for a particular reason, or possibly to speed up a particularly nasty molt. but for the most part if your birds are otherwise healthy and content and if you feed real chicken feed of decent quality properly, and avoid excessive feed treating, they will be just hunky dory. There are many times during the year when I feed simple ration and at times do some custom mixing for particular reasons. But for the most part basic rations will sufice for many ordinary flocks.