A Journey Through a Different Way - Funny Story Pg. 69

[hcammack]

Yep I raise my hens in chicken tractors for the first 6 weeks then free range away from the main flock but later integration into the totaly free range flock (even when I am at school)

Henry

 

[Reinbeau]

Quote:
That should be a photo of the week!

 

[ruth]

Those are my bon-fire benches where I also sit to watch the chickens. Lately they've taken to all sitting there in morning and again in evening to preen and relax. There are two benches and both will be loaded with chickens. There were initially a lot more on there but by time I got my camera, some had taken off.

Just one of the many joys of free ranging.

 

[Zookeeper9000]

Got to love that pic I think I would blow that one up for the wall. Just love it. How you weathering the storm hope ya are doing good.

 

[bayouchica]

Hey Monique, love that pic,lol. My chickens do that too.

I've noticed after a rain they flock to our benches to clean up & preen.
My chickens here are so glad to be out ranging again.Two days of solid rain & wind hasn't been good for them.

 

[ruth]

Well, had a nice little surprise yesterday. I discovered a hidden nest in the duck coop with a female mallard sitting on it. Waited till today to see what was in nest. Found 15 eggs. 4 duck eggs and 11 green Araucana eggs. I knew at least one of the two Araucanas was laying because I had been finding her eggs just laying on ground in duck yard.

The male Araucana and his two females fly into the duck yard every morning when they are let out of the chicken coop and are the last to go back in coop at night. They hang out with the ducks all day. I had put a few of the eggs I found two weeks ago in bator and they were developing ------ UNTIL ---- Gustav. Lost all of the dozen eggs I had developing since we didn't have power for a week. So nice surprise to find the nest today. Even more of a surprise is the duck that is laying is not even four months old, will be soon but not there yet. I've never seen any mating going on in duck yard but they do spend a lot of time in their coop. I've put all 15 eggs in bator and we'll see what we get. I'm hoping for some Araucana chicks - these are tufted and rumpless.

Ducks and chickens laying at 4 months is just one of the many advantages to free ranging. They seem to mature faster and lay sooner. I had read that the Mallards wouldn't be mature till several months old. Don't know about the males, but I know my males all have their full drake coloring and drake feathers and have had for quite a while.

Ruth's babies are too cute and of course, are special to me. They get to free range in the coop with the big girls and the peacocks while all others (mean ole roos) are left on outside. I call the coop my "Women and Children Club - No Men Allowed". The older hens, my original group, won't come down off rafters in morning cause the roos get after them. So we've worked out this system for now. Sometimes I leave the door closed all day and make many trips out there opening it and closing it for all the other females that want in to lay their eggs. Sometimes I open the door mid-day while roos are out free ranging and the hens can make a run for it. In that case, they won't go back in in the evenings but instead come running to me and I have to carry them one at a time into coop and put them on rafters. This systsem where Monique does all the work seems to work for them.

I finally let the peachicks out of hutch to run around coop. They have gotten so big. I think I had posted on this thread that I lost two. Thought it was because they were packed full of hay and blocked up, especially since finding and pulling out a rope of hay out of the one that survived. But then the man at the feedstore that raises peacocks told me it was worms that got them. That they must be kept off the ground till they are months old. The guys at Leggs Peafowl Farm had also been calling and checking on them and they too raise them on wire, off the ground for months. So off the ground the survivors went even though they had been used to freeranging the coop. They have not been happy about it. I gave them some Wazine in their water and it's been weeks so today I'm trying again with letting them out. They are just too big to stay in that hutch. They had so much fun dustbathing and checking out Ruth's babies up close and flying all over the coop. Of course, the big girls never bothered them or the babies which is also typical of free ranging chickens that have lots of room.

Pics from today:

Ruth's babies:

Here's one of the Black Sex Links babies - I'm sure he's a little roo.

Well guess that's about it for today's updates. The sun came out today and things are finally drying up after 4 days of non-stop rain from Gustav.

 

[deerman]

Quote:
Peachick, and turkey best raised on wire, first 10 weeks.

 

[deerman]

Quote:
Looks like you have a outside brooder, just using a brooder light.

You are still brooding them just outside. I brood most all mine outside.

 

[ruth]

Hi Deerman - thanks for the advice. The hutch with the peachicks is inside the coop and they have had a light up until last week when Gustav knocked out our power for a week. I'm leaving it off now that they have gotten used to it. It was heating up the hutch and the coop too much. It's 90+ degrees here and all the chickens, chicks and peachicks would move around coop and eat and drink all night with the light on. The peachicks are 8 weeks now (hatched July 8th) and though initially I was letting them run around coop after they started getting sick I returned them to the hutch and they have been there, off ground, wire bottom, with light since Aug. 19th. After consulting two different peachicks breeders they all agreed it's best to raise them off the ground for first several weeks. I probably still won't let them out every day but today was such a pretty day after all the rain and the coop was nice and dry with a nice sunny fresh air blowing through it so I let them out. I was also told to worm them monthly. Is that something that you do also?

 

[hcammack]

I am going to try a version of your tequnique this time around I am getting 8-10 marans and ameraucana and brooding them in a tactor outside I will keep them away from my hens though untill at least 14 weeks because you must have a nicer flock then me.

I am secreatly hoping for a rooster that is quite and I can keep SHHHH I am glad everything is turning out great around your place how are the goats? I hope you get some araucana

Henry