The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[armorfirelady]

On Electronet -
I have the electronet for the purpose of protecting against stray dogs during the day. I got mine at Premier and also use the solar charger.

I got the poultry net PLUS which had the fence posts closer together than the regular poultry net. Those are only 100 ft. as the weight of the extra posts would become too hard to handle at the longer length. They do, however, sell the 164 ft. ones but they tend to sag more since the posts are farther apart. http://www.premier1supplies.com/fencing.php?mode=detail&fence_

I agree with LM the poultry net plus is the better of the 2. And the double post one works great. I got the 100 ft ones with double posts & I can somewhat easily take it down & move it my self. The green is hard to see. Ask the hawk who thought he was having chicken dinner because he didnt see the fence and flew right into it

yeah,...it's almost like they need/like something in some greens and then won't touch others. And I find it's not consistent from flock to flock and sometimes winter to summer. Strange...but true...

I got some chard for my kiddos and they wouldn't touch it. Spinach - no. Kale...look out! Stampede and a competition. And these were all organic so it shouldn't be an issue of pesticides residing in the veggies so...

I haven't given my girls the greens in the freezer in awhile. Its been so cold they don't stay un-frozen. I need to add that to the to do list for tomorrow.
But the girls did taste test my living christmas tree.......its in the veggie garden for the winter and they all had a taste. Wouldn't you think pine needles would hurt to swallow?

 

[RedRidge]

Scott, some of the greens have a lot of oxalic acid in them and they won't eat them. But sometimes they'll eat them if you lightly cook them which breaks it down some and makes it more palatable and the nutrients more bio-available.

most plants and plant-based foods, but there's enough in spinach, chard and beet greens to interfere with the absorption of the calcium these plants also contain. For example, although the calcium content of spinach is 115 mg per half cup cooked, because of the interference of oxalic acid, you would have to eat more than 16 cups of raw or more than eight cups of cooked spinach to get the amount of calcium available in one cup of yogurt. However, the oxalic acid in vegetables is broken down in cooking and doesn't interfere with the absorption of calcium present in other foods, cheese for instance, that you might eat at the same time. Calcium is available from many other food sources ....

My kiddos will eat kale but not spinach and some of the greens. Other birds will eat some of the stuff mine won't...probably depends on what they need at the time.

Spinach and Swiss chard are higher in oxalates than all the other greens. .. says someone who can't eat then due to 7 lithotripsies. ;-p

 

[RedRidge]

As far as greens in the winter mine get alfalfa meal. That said, it is MUCH more important to keep their animal protein intake up this time of year.
I don't keep greens in my freezer, I keep BSF instead.

 

[ki4got]

Our standard is 13 this spring..he does not allow any dog, other than our immediate neighbors dogs, to hang around or even pass thru..LOL...hates coons and pays no attention to the chickens. Pretty much won't let anything in the yard that doesn't belong there....but he's getting old.

Shadow was my possum dog. never killed one but would always get them to 'play possum' and then bring it to the house for me to dispose of. LOL the first time the 'dead' possum got up and started to walk away I was in shock! LOL Sunny on the other hand, is a killer first and foremost. it took a LOT of training to redirect his very strong prey drive towards something other than the chickens.

more than once he's had a post-midnight bath to remove copious amounts of blood from his (mostly) white fur. never his own. he's brought down possums and raccoons and many many 'squeaks'. aka mouse/rat/chipmunk/squirrel/rabbit... the squeaks he's allowed to eat. the others he brings what's left (usually not a lot) to the house for me to dispose of. if they go to tree, he'll let us know so we can knock it down for him with the rifle.

 

[SallyinIndiana]

someone released a rabbit into our woods today. Our cat has been chasing / stalking it most of the day. Rabbits don't make it long around here. Yet they keep getting released. Fully grown, and just showing up close to the road before working their way up towards the trees near our house.

 

[delisha]

I seem to be able to find it now. At first, I could only get what was apparently the first day it was started.
I have three ponds where I raise fish and have been combining the fish farming and the chickens with natural feeding. I mentioned this on a couple of other threads to see if I could find other people doing the same, but hadn't any responses yet.

Jack

My chickens love fish..I had ducks and the ducks dragged the fish out of the pond for the chickens. They ate them raw..

I've spent a lot of time in Maine (40 years ago)
I have three ponds, the biggest is 400' by 100', the smallest 120 x 50.
I'm raising tilapia, catfish, bass, etc. I feed them the floating catfish pellets. The biproduct of this is a lot of nitrogen and phosphate in the water. I've added water lettuce and a floating plant similar to duckweed and water hyanthics (*sp?{. They bind up the minerals as vegetable matter. Then, I harvest about two wheel barrows a day and feed it to the chickens.

As you know, the little buggers are gluttons, so they pig out on the veggies first thing in the morning. After that, I feed them their corn and mash. The plants as I understand are about 8 percent protein, so it's filling and nutritious

Since the fish are used to eating those little pellets, I tie fishing flies out of deer hair, trimmed and dyed to imitate the pellets and fish for them just like you would for trout in a river or lake. They get up to 12 lbs, but the average adult is about 5 pounds. that's about 20 inches and the 12 lb fish is nearly 30 inches in length.

After filleting the fish, I take the carcasses par boil them and feed them to the chickens. At first I was afraid that they might choke on the bones, but in several years of feeding, I've never had it happen.

Also, I've found several plants which grown in my butterfly gardens which overpopulate such as the spanish needles and the birds love them. It cuts my feed bill by 50 percent. I have 140 birds and use slightly over two bags of food per week.

Jack

I love fish and my chickens would love all of that protein..have you noticed any off flavor in your eggs during high fish feeding?

I don't know anything about the black soldier flies. but yes, they love the water lettuce. The floating plant here is not actually duckweed, but quite similar with a leaf of perhaps a quarter of an inch across. The birds eat everything on the fish except for the bones. Another tip I've discovered about using fish carcass'; I put some on the stove and simmer them until most of the water is gone and add this to my dog's dry food. They really love it. If you put the liquid in the refrigerator you will be amazed at the gelatin and fish oils which are in the broth as it congeals. I've seen this keep dogs relatively arthritis free for years and years past what you would expect and give a decent amount of relief to those already affected by the condition. I had one large dog which lived for 20 years, an almost unheard of age for a big one. Now, I'm not scientifically sure, but I feel the concentrated broth had a lot to do with it.

I'm in SW Florida, so we don't have many frosts with which to deal, although we did get a record breaking freeze about three years ago when it dropped to 22 degrees killing a few hundred orchids I had out on my nature trails. I'd say that my ponds and chickens take about an hour a day minimum maintenance, but if you add in all of the time I spend in veg. garden, planting new stuff, playing with my birds and fish, It's about 25 hrs a day (i wish, ha ha!!!0

x2

I have been researching and researching, but I think I need some actual advice. I currently have 4 hens and 1 rooster. I keep them in a small coop with attached run that I bought at a local farm store. I really am not happy with the quality of this small coop, especially in the winter months. I prefer to free range, but in the beginning, I lost 3 birds to neighborhood dogs. Now I can only free range when I am with the chickens, and I generally have to carry a gun to scare some pretty scary dogs away.

Anyway, I need to increase my flock size of layers, to at least meet the needs of my rooster. I would also love to butcher throughout the year to provide meat for my family. I'm not really interested in butchering 50 birds at a time, but 50 birds over the course of the year, if I can provide enough space.
I have had 2 metal sheds given to me. One is a barn style storage shed and the other a 3 sided shelter. I am considering using the storage shed as the coop, and the shelter as a covered run. I think I would like to use the deep litter method. I also would like to make the run safe enough that they could come and go as they please. I plan on running an electrical line out to it, for heated water bowls and a light, maybe. I also plan on fencing a larger yard around it so that if they can not free range safely, or if I can not be out with them, they can at least have a safer outside area to be in. I should also mention that I have a very small budget so I can't get too fancy.
Thanks for any tid-bits of wisdom you can share with me.

My caution is in the metal building..using the building for roofing is a great idea..
Most metal sheds get really hot in the summer and chickens do not do well with excessive heat. Buildings that keep cooler in summer and warmer in winter are ideal. Metal does not fit that criteria. Start looking for wood scraps..old doors..old windows..find someone who is taking down an old barn etc. Make sure your coop has good air flow..good drainage..predator protected.

Quote: You need to use what ever is necessary for what you have for predators in your area. Using both would not be a bad idea. Once a predator kills your chicks they will return..you need to shoot them.

All samples tested negative!!!!!!! Hooooooray!

Debating testing again in a few months...DH thinks I'm paranoid lol

Great news!!

All of my birds are separated for breeding!!! WOOO HOOO!!

I have an order to fill for February 22nd - 20 Barred Rock Chicks, 5 Silkies, 10 Easter Eggers and 2 Naked Necks.

It is great you have orders so early..I will not ship this early..too darn cold. I started with breeding pens today too..I have AM's and BLRW and GLO all in pens.

someone released a rabbit into our woods today. Our cat has been chasing / stalking it most of the day. Rabbits don't make it long around here. Yet they keep getting released. Fully grown, and just showing up close to the road before working their way up towards the trees near our house.

We have so many rabbits..I wish someone would cull them..they are too fat and breeding like..well like rabbits...

 

[NanaLynn]

They did run into it a couple times when I first put it out but quickly learned to stay away from it. The younger, lighter birds flew over a few times but just quit doing it.

Wonderful news!

Thank you for all the electric net info! I really appreciate it! Now I have some more research to do, your links will really help.

Thank you everyone else too. This thread moves so fast! So hard to keep up. Great info though!

 

[RedRidge]

Ok... question for those of you who breed purebred chickens...
My cockerels have always gotten along just fine as a group prior to breeding season. When breeding season starts they ate divided into breeding pens with their own girls (I set my first of eggs on Jan 1st -yeah).
But... In trying to decide how to house my breeding roosters after being season is over in a few months. I know some breeders keep their roos in cages the rest of the year. I'd like a little better living conditions but don't know what's practical. I cannot see putting 4 mature roos back together so am curious what other folks do and house they house their mature roos during the summer and fall when they can't all be with the main free range flock.
There area lot of ways to skin this cat... I'd like to hear all the various things people do.

 

[cubalaya]

leave them with the hens, rotate them to other pens, or cage alone i would think.

 

[Pozees]

Ok... question for those of you who breed purebred chickens...
My cockerels have always gotten along just fine as a group prior to breeding season. When breeding season starts they ate divided into breeding pens with their own girls (I set my first of eggs on Jan 1st -yeah).
But... In trying to decide how to house my breeding roosters after being season is over in a few months. I know some breeders keep their roos in cages the rest of the year. I'd like a little better living conditions but don't know what's practical. I cannot see putting 4 mature roos back together so am curious what other folks do and house they house their mature roos during the summer and fall when they can't all be with the main free range flock.
There area lot of ways to skin this cat... I'd like to hear all the various things people do.

With the caveat that I have not done this myself yet, I have read of others putting all the cocks back together in one large run with a coop for roosting, who say they do okay as long as they are not able to see any of the hens/pullets. I assume there is some initial squabbling as order is re-established within the new arrangement. You probably have enough room to try it, hopefully on a day you can remain nearby for the first few hours to ensure they don't actually try to kill one another. I guess if they did you could put in some temporary dividers of chicken wire, hardware cloth, or electronet while they adjust to each other.