The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[oldhenlikesdogs]

It has been the weirdest molting year I have ever experienced, never have I had such late molting or such hard molting, it makes me wonder what is going on. Our weather here in Wisconsin has remained mild, I always wonder how the animals seem to know about weather to be.

 

[Ballerina Bird]

It has been the weirdest molting year I have ever experienced, never have I had such late molting or such hard molting, it makes me wonder what is going on. Our weather here in Wisconsin has remained mild, I always wonder how the animals seem to know about weather to be.

That is fascinating that you have found animals to know what the weather might be. I don't have enough livestock experience to have seen that myself, but I am quite ready to believe it. Very interesting; thanks.

 

[Birdrain92]

I am scared mine haven't molted yet, and we are mid winter, they just reduced their laying now we are getting 2-4 outta 9 hens. gonna have to do something though one started to brood and another wanted to help, she got mad and broke all 10 eggs she was sitting on.

My chickens aren't molting yet either. Though it could be the fact that they are all 7 months old. Though in the past my hens would mainly molt in July or August.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

That is fascinating that you have found animals to know what the weather might be. I don't have enough livestock experience to have seen that myself, but I am quite ready to believe it. Very interesting; thanks.

I can usually tell what kind of winter we will have by the coat the goats and donkeys get for winter, this year they are not as fuzzy, and there strangely seems to be more berries and fruit left on trees and shrubs in colder years.

 

[slordaz]

Patiently waiting on current eggs to start pipping, then got one last one to do these are the white leghorn hens eggs , will get to play a guess whose the daddy as out free ranging both roosters were mating them, was supposed to be the red.

my guess we are gonna get the brunt of cold this year, the angus calves have really thick fur and even the chickens are still out free ranging but seem to have more down showing through their feathers

 

[Ballerina Bird]

Animals are so amazing. Thanks, @slordaz and @oldhenlikesdogs ; I love learning about this kind of thing.

 

[armorfirelady]

Same here I didnt think the molt would ever end. I finally added Calf mana to the ff to up the protein level.
I was 6 almost 7 weeks with only Silkie eggs.
Got 1 regular egg on Thursday & Friday and 3 Eggs today. So they are starting back up But the no eggs is a Huge issue this year on a lot of the chat threads.

hey AFL, how are things in your neck of the woods?

my flock is having weird molts this year, in fact one of the girls just started yesterday! And someone else is starting judging from the feathers in the coop. I thought everyone was almost done, but must have missed some. I'm grateful for the mild winter, normally this would be disastrous to have a sudden and hard molt in mid december.

Glad to hear I was not the only one experiencing a real molt this year. I keep thinking I should of left the electric netting up longer.

Very mild here. We just had our first snowfall last Friday. Set a record for our area for being so late. And its all melted now with a high of 60s for Christmas.

I've been giving the hens lots of meat, eggs, fruit & homemade suet. Still no eggs. Perhaps the stew pot set out in their area would show them I mean business?

 

[lalaland]

lol, the stewpot could help!

I don't do lights, so usually only the pullets lay during the dark winter days. And then only some of them...

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I am having a strange year, I have three whole chickens that have resumed laying already, they usually wait a few more months, I'm wondering if it's the warmer weather we have been having, and I also switched them to an all flock pellet a couple of months ago or perhaps it's because they are still free ranging.

 

[slordaz]

doesn't the all flock feed have more protien? that might explain it.

Keeping mine on their reg feed without extra light or heat they laid almost 2 months longer than most in the area