The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[TeaChick]

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.

Good for you!!! =D

 

[Scott H]

Our BLRB Wyandotte who's coming out of a molt (actually looks like a chicken again) squatted for me today! Maybe she'll come up with an egg soon. We've been eggless at Twin Lakes for quite some time.....

 

[lalaland]

I just open the doors after breeding season is over..the whole flock intermingles. I am just putting some back into breeding pens now..I have one coop that is not usually set up into breeding pens. I will be changing that this year.

The brick breeding pen will be done this spring so I have those for Orps.


I would love that..I would put you all to work learning how to butcher chickens

I would turn it into a class..I would bribe you all with fresh bakery and delicious chicken recipes.

sign me up, Delisha!

 

[Leahs Mom]

Our BLRB Wyandotte who's coming out of a molt (actually looks like a chicken again) squatted for me today! Maybe she'll come up with an egg soon. We've been eggless at Twin Lakes for quite some time.....

Hoping for bounty at Twin Lakes!

I faithfully get 2 from the red birds. All the others are roost potatoes.

 

[Leahs Mom]

FROSTBITE

Question for those with dairy animals.... Any issue with frostbite on udders?

 

[armorfirelady]

I would love that..I would put you all to work learning how to butcher chickens I would turn it into a class..I would bribe you all with fresh bakery and delicious chicken recipes.

sign me up, Delisha!

Me to!!!!

 

[SallyinIndiana]

I know light helps chickens lay eggs. But do my ducks need so many hours of light to lay eggs too. If so how many? We have moved the ducks. Their new house is really a small house with a nice run but made to grow out turkeys or house the spare troublesome rooster. So no power. I don't want to give up eggs but I don't want messy ducks in an area with my chickens either. It just makes for frozen or at best wet bedding.

 

[ki4got]

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

well, my raw-fed dog takes care of our rabbit population quite well... sometimes I wish they would breed better. I wouldn't have to feed him as much. LOL

 

[TeaChick]

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.

Our dog barks at squirrels like they're trying to steal the yard. He barks at vehicles that drive up in the yard like he's going to eat them. He ignores the chickens, they walk through his area with impunity and drink out of his water dish like it's their own. It's funny to see b/c he's a really big dog. lol

ALL poodles should have a roughly square frame. it's the poor quality backyard breeders / puppy mills that do the stumpy legged ones that do NOT fit the breed standard.

I'd love another standard, but not sure my bed could hold myself and 2 large dogs (twin size bed). it was crowded when sunny and shadow both had to be on ME at the same time. LOL usually Shadow won, but he was older and crankier so sunny backed down each time.

and I don't know what color I'd look for. I don't want another black. Shadow's been gone for well over a year and it still hurts. I feel like Peter Pan when he couldn't get his shadow to stick, but mine's gone forever.

I'm sorry about Shadow!

Maybe a smaller size of poodle would be better than another standard?

Funny, mine won't touch lettuce, spinach, chard, or broccoli. I save all those things for the rabbits and goats. The goats LOOOOOVE broccoli. One of their all time favourites. Alice loves carrots, but the others aren't huge fans.

I haven't tried greens for a long time. They may like them now that there is nothing really green to eat. They do like timothy hay.

Mine will eat lettuce (romaine), but only out of the compost and and on their own time and they won't touch it if I put it in the hen house.

Mine love spinach and broccoli...and evidently chard.....I know about the cooking thing to release nutrients in some veggies. That's how I keep my girlish figure....

 

[ki4got]

Quote: thanks... and I like the larger minis, but Sunny is my current service dog, and I would want to train up another as backup, so I would need another Standard. (and no, another breed isn't an option, i don't deal well with shedding and dander). As it is, Sunny went into 'active duty' about a year before I had planned to retire Shadow.