The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[Leahs Mom]

Two head shots I took at bed time tonight

K - What breed is this?

 

[Leahs Mom]

Scott -
On your coop, could you elaborate a bit here about the poop hammock? How you clean it, how it works in summer vs winter, etc.

 

[Scott H]

Scott -
On your coop, could you elaborate a bit here about the poop hammock? How you clean it, how it works in summer vs winter, etc.

Yes, but not tonite...it ROCKS!

 

[armorfirelady]

Two head shots I took at bed time tonight

K - What breed is this?

Yes I agree what breed are they. I have to say I like the crest on them but they do not look like NN to me. Maybe they have their necks scrunched down to keep them warm? Temps in teens here again. I'm sure sick of winter already. More so because I used all the fire wood in the garage I need to drag more in from outside but it's not on my list of favorite things to do. But I also like to be warm......... They said by the end of the week the temps should be in the 40s. I think after shoveling the garden I will start removing some of the DL out of the coop. If I had to guess I would say there is easily 3 feet of the DL in there after all the hay I added. But thankfully the hay seems to be breaking down. Last year it didn't seem to break down. Maybe because I am turning it once a week to it gets some air & to move the poop piles under the nest.

 

[Leahs Mom]

AFL - we have an advisory for tomorrow afternoon of 3-5" of snow and possibly sleet as well. Hope it doesn't come your way. I thought it was supposed to be warmer here too. And I think it is, but then the snow/sleet thing.

The chickens are in the cabin fever stage and not treating each other well even though they've been outside most the day. They just need something to do like digging around outside. Ground is so frozen they can only go so far. No matter what diversions I provide it only seems to last for minutes before there's nothing to do again.

 

[misbhaven]

AFL - we have an advisory for tomorrow afternoon of 3-5" of snow and possibly sleet as well. Hope it doesn't come your way. I thought it was supposed to be warmer here too. And I think it is, but then the snow/sleet thing.

I live in north western IL.. and no signs of snow here yet.

 

[Kassaundra]

K - What breed is this?

These are both NN mixed w/ mottled houdan. The NN was Fm (dark skinned)

 

[Kassaundra]

Yes I agree what breed are they. I have to say I like the crest on them but they do not look like NN to me. Maybe they have their necks scrunched down to keep them warm?

Temps in teens here again. I'm sure sick of winter already. More so because I used all the fire wood in the garage

I need to drag more in from outside but it's not on my list of favorite things to do. But I also like to be warm.........
They said by the end of the week the temps should be in the 40s. I think after shoveling the garden I will start removing some of the DL out of the coop. If I had to guess I would say there is easily 3 feet of the DL in there after all the hay I added. But thankfully the hay seems to be breaking down. Last year it didn't seem to break down. Maybe because I am turning it once a week to it gets some air & to move the poop piles under the nest.

They aren't scrunched down for cold it was near or at 70 here today. They do have larger bow ties, and they don't have their necks extended and I took the face shot so you really can't see much of the necks in these shots, but they are NN or more precisely Nn. (one copy of Na, large bow ties)

 

[ki4got]

Quote: Agree, I've been trying to find some too. I've been directed to a couple of breeders, Dan Honour and .. darn it ... Mark someone ... one of whom does not have them any longer and the other I have yet to contact. Have since taken on other projects requiring putting RC Leghorns of any color on the back burner for now, but sure would love to find them. Ordered chicks from Duane Urch last year but he had no Leghorns at all laying. Very disappointing, but oh well, it is what it is. I think Frank Reese has some Rose Comb Med breeds, not sure if Leghorn is one, but pretty sure he has RC Minorcas, you might try checking with him.

have you tried sandhilll preservation center? I think they've got em.

 

[Pozees]

AFL - we have an advisory for tomorrow afternoon of 3-5" of snow and possibly sleet as well. Hope it doesn't come your way. I thought it was supposed to be warmer here too. And I think it is, but then the snow/sleet thing.

The chickens are in the cabin fever stage and not treating each other well even though they've been outside most the day. They just need something to do like digging around outside. Ground is so frozen they can only go so far. No matter what diversions I provide it only seems to last for minutes before there's nothing to do again.

I had a chance to clean some of the DL out of pens and the layer coop last Friday, and spread it in runs. You would have thought I handed out brand new fantastic toys LOL - the chickens were so happy, digging and pecking and flinging and discovering. I wanted to add some fresh straw and it was getting deep, their delight at new stuff in the runs was a happy result. Maybe try that?