The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[lalaland]

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.

I kind of like the idea of the 3 side shelter as a coop - you could have the open side facing south and make it into one of those fresh air coops. Or......you could place the sheds some distance apart, and make a run from one to the other, divide in half or more and have places for multiple flocks. Or, you could make various runs coming out from the shed, and separate it into different quarters for different flocks.
So many options! and don't forget that is really nice to have a separate place for chicks or broodies or recovering....

I have had something getting into my BOSS. I just noticed it yesterday and there's a pile of hulls laying in the floor of the feed room. I set the rat sized live trap because the pile seems bigger than a mouse would leave. This morning the trap wasn't tripped but it looks like something ate part of the bait..... I guess I'll set a couple of regular mouse traps and see if I get anything. Do you all give the trapped mice to your chickens? I know many people have said their chicken kill and eat mice on their own..... was just curious as to what you guys do.

I have had chickens catch the mice on their own and eat them. Don't get grossed out but when the live trap is full of baby mice I just tip them out into the run and let the chickens have them. This only happens a few times a year. Once in a great while the chickens just watch but usually someone will start to catch one and then there is a big free for all with chickens chasing each other with mice in their beaks.

 

[PrimroseMom1]

I only have one 'pure' Easter Egger (in that she came from culls from a pure bred Ameraucuna flock) and we named her Amelia for her bizarre flight attempts. She will spring 6 feet into the air, wings flapping, scream like she's been punctured, and then land about 6 inches from where she took off.  Repeat ad infinitum.

Yep. They're a funny little breed. A little nervous, but really curious. All of mine will come sit with me but they are the first ones over and look at me as if to say"what the heck are you?" They like to stay close but if I want to hold them I have to wait until dusk when they're sleepy. Lol. Big fliers. Love the name Amelia.

 

[Pozees]

Yes, lalaland, my chickens like mice too - I'll not soon forget the day they uncovered a nest of mice in the garden and chased one another all over the place while DH looked on in a mix of horror and fascination

 

[PrimroseMom1]

Yes, lalaland, my chickens like mice too - I'll not soon forget the day they uncovered a nest of mice in the garden and chased one another all over the place while DH looked on in a mix of horror and fascination

I have to ask bec I see it all over: I think DH refers to husband, but what's the "D" stand for?

 

[lalaland]

Just had to share...for the first time I got 5 eggs, today! So, everybody is laying!

hooray hooray!

I have all kinds of new pullet eggs, can't match them up with the pullets, and wouldn't you know, they are all white? my egg customers are not so fond of white eggs...and here I thought I would have asurplus of blue eggs from what I had ordered from that dog darn danged woman who hatched them. I have instead, one green egg layer and 3 cream egg layers, and....white white white white white white and unknown unknown. shoot!

 

[PrimroseMom1]

hooray hooray!

I have all kinds of new pullet eggs, can't match them up with the pullets, and wouldn't you know, they are all white?  my egg customers are not so fond of white eggs...and here I thought I would have asurplus of blue eggs from what I had ordered from that dog darn danged woman who hatched them.  I have instead, one green egg layer and 3 cream egg layers, and....white white white white white white and unknown unknown.  shoot!

My molt ers are laying again. Yea!! But not my Americaunas. They are just thinking life is too good to have to do that. Lol. 9 months old this month!!

 

[Pozees]

Quote:
Dear - and he definitely is Calls me almost every day with chicken updates - he is home retired, I'm still working, so he has taken over a lot of chores during the week for me, bless his heart.

 

[Pozees]

Quote:
LOL you need to take a road trip to Delisha's and get some Orpingtons!

 

[lalaland]

LOL you need to take a road trip to Delisha's and get some Orpingtons!

oohh and she has such incredibly beautiful Orps! and a road trip to Delisha's - who wouldn't sign up for that? (careful Delisha, one day you'll open your door and find a caravan of NCK thread folks on your doorstep)

 

[marktoo]

I have to ask bec I see it all over: I think DH refers to husband, but what's the "D" stand for?

Depends upon your mood at the time of the post.