The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[lazy gardener]

Sounds like you are doing a great job. Have you given them a dish of garden soil yet? You'd think they'd been presented with a huge basket full of halloween candy!

 

[armorfirelady]

Anyone who has candled eggs willing to check mine out & see what you think? Video if poor. Hard to hold the camera & candle lol. I think 2 are def growing with possibly one more. A couple look like clears. Today was day 13

 

[lalaland]

yeah, it is so funny to watch them eat dirt! I like those clay saucers for garden pots - can put a spade full or trowel full of sod and dirt on the saucer and pop it in the brooder. Gets decimated in not time at all.

 

[Sally8]

...

Just wanted to put out a quick post to say that I will be away from the forum for at least the next couple of weeks and possibly longer.  I don't think I'll be keeping up with posts or going back to catch up.

So..
If anyone wants to get hold of me, please send a PM. 

Take care, you def will be missed.

...

Checking in at long last. The past winter and spring has been personally brutal. For both husband and I and my flock. Rather than write a blog about it, hello, hello, again. I've missed you

There is good news. Only one biopsy left for the husband. My tests are finished and nothing I can't live with showed up.

Glad to see you here. Hopefully, you've turned a cornér.. Springtime for new beginnings.

 

[MumsyII]

It was a rough winter and Spring but Summer is here for us. The best June in years. High 70's, blue skys, and lovely. Four Silkies hatched out nice hatches and two are still on nests. This resupply's my pens and gives me a good challenge to sort out the best of the best.

Put one of my HRIR cocks in with the layers and seperated them from the Silkies. Everyone is much more calm now. Including me.

The garden is in bad shape but I've weeded the Walla Walla onions and strawberry beds this morning. There is still life there yet.


F1 Pen 1 Aug 2013 Catdance sire offspring pullet with her eight Paint Split chicks.

The Paint chicks show Dominate white with black holes (black down feathers). One chick has pigment holes in the toes. (pink skin) This is common and can be bred out. I'm relieved they have the required five toes per foot and dark horn and skin. Watching for pigment loss in the eyes is something I'll check out as they grow. Also common and can be bred out.

 

[amenfarm]

I certainly did not say it was junk food! I said it makes everything better!

And now for something completely different...

Can anyone point me to a comprehensive list of good herbs to grow in the vicinity of chickens? It seems like I read about one that is good for them and also repels mosquitoes.

check with fresh eggs daily (blog).
http://www.fresh-eggs-daily.com/p/gardeningherbs.html, herb usage by problems or conditions.

 

[delisha]

Sorry I have not been on for a while..

I am over 1000 post behind and do not think I will be catching up anytime soon.

Mumsy..good to see you..I have missed you


This is busy time for me..so I might be over 1000 posts behind the next time I pop in..

Vicki

 

[armorfirelady]

Glad to see you Vicki. How are all those new chicks?

 

[lalaland]

thinking of ditching the rooster so the current flock, the new legbar chicks, and the sulmtalers and hatched chicks can all be in one coop! Its nuts taking care of three separate groups.

I think 4 of the 6 chicks are pullets...2 for sure are cockerals and one is probably a pullet but possibly not...


Here are the babies piled up in the little coop. The hatching mama is the one in the corner. 5 of the 6 chicks are visible in the pic, spread out in the feathers of all three hens!


and out grazing

 

[armorfirelady]

Beautiful pics Lala. I hear Roos make good soup?