Blue Laced Red Wyandotte THREAD!

[7acres]

Any thing in the runs is good for the birds to pick threw. It does several things. Exercise, and meat. DL in runs is a biologic food grounds for healthy microbes to grow. You can't bag that. It is nature at its best. If I had to keep the birds in a run, the run would be my compost pile. I would also use electro net and move them around in small paddocks filled with herbs, kelp, kale and grasses. The reduction cost in feed would pay for the electro net in the first year. The safety of the net would shave off years of stress and worry.

Thanks for your responses. Helps give a direction.

 

[ki4got]

mine all free range as much as possible... I don't really have a 'compost pile'. the horses just drop what they do best where they want. the chickens spend hours scattering it looking for the grubs (fly larva). they also have lots of wooded mountainside to wander, scratching thru dead leaves & such too.

it's interesting watching them with a mouse or chipmunk (the dog helps by depositing bodies.) one roo will find it and start to carry it away, talking to his girls the whole time, then there's a tug of war. kind of gruesome. or if it's really small I've seen one roo swallow it whole. maybe a bit TMI but it's funny watching the tail disappear as he's gulping it down...

I have no problem feeding mine chicken. yesterday they got a whole flat of "chicken lizzards" (gizzards hearts and livers) that was marked down at the grocery store. I just stand there with a pair of scissors and cut it into 1/2" strips and toss. the dog gets some, the chickens get most. I don't specify who gets what, because the chickens are faster at the snatch and grab than the dog is. LOL (and no, he's not slow, or old. he's a 3 year old standard poodle who's raw-fed daily, a primary diet of chicken).

this was the scene a few days ago, when he found (and confiscated) an egg up in the woods...
I'm not sure if he's looking guilty or the birds look jealous. LOL

 

[delisha]

mine all free range as much as possible... I don't really have a 'compost pile'. the horses just drop what they do best where they want. the chickens spend hours scattering it looking for the grubs (fly larva). they also have lots of wooded mountainside to wander, scratching thru dead leaves & such too.

it's interesting watching them with a mouse or chipmunk (the dog helps by depositing bodies.) one roo will find it and start to carry it away, talking to his girls the whole time, then there's a tug of war. kind of gruesome. or if it's really small I've seen one roo swallow it whole. maybe a bit TMI but it's funny watching the tail disappear as he's gulping it down...

I have no problem feeding mine chicken. yesterday they got a whole flat of "chicken lizzards" (gizzards hearts and livers) that was marked down at the grocery store. I just stand there with a pair of scissors and cut it into 1/2" strips and toss. the dog gets some, the chickens get most. I don't specify who gets what, because the chickens are faster at the snatch and grab than the dog is. LOL (and no, he's not slow, or old. he's a 3 year old standard poodle who's raw-fed daily, a primary diet of chicken).

this was the scene a few days ago, when he found (and confiscated) an egg up in the woods...
I'm not sure if he's looking guilty or the birds look jealous. LOL

What wonderful information and guidence

lovely picture too

 

[ki4got]

Quote: lol well, I was trying not to get too graphic for the more squeamish, but sharing what I do and observe of my own guys...

and making a side point that dogs and chickens CAN get along, regardless of diet or natural tendencies, I guess...
at the swaps I get tired of people telling me 'you can't feed a dog raw because it makes them aggressive.'
yeah. right. LOL usually at that point I grab the nearest chick and hold it up to the dog. 'ok sunny, breakfast.' and he just licks the chick and looks at me like 'what am I supposed to do with THAT?'

ok so i'm really off on a tangent tonight. LOL sorry bout that. been a loooong day.

 

[7acres]

lol well, I was trying not to get too graphic for the more squeamish, but sharing what I do and observe of my own guys...

and making a side point that dogs and chickens CAN get along, regardless of diet or natural tendencies, I guess...
at the swaps I get tired of people telling me 'you can't feed a dog raw because it makes them aggressive.'
yeah. right. LOL usually at that point I grab the nearest chick and hold it up to the dog. 'ok sunny, breakfast.' and he just licks the chick and looks at me like 'what am I supposed to do with THAT?'

ok so i'm really off on a tangent tonight. LOL sorry bout that. been a loooong day.

Appreciate the information. Grew up in Virginia. Passed through your area quite a few times. Beautiful country.

 

[Jtabor1387]

Hello I am new to this thread, but I have raised wyandotte bantams for a while now. I am wondering if anyone knows where I can find blrw bantams, either show quality or close to it. Thanks for any input.

 

[sol2go]

<edit quote>

Not all of my birds are free ranged. I have some Imported breeds that I am not confident they have the capacity to thrive in the wild. I need a few generations of them to convert them to smarter birds. I have third generation tiny tots ranging outside of the fence now and are doing well. They are with broody mothers and learning how to find foods and understanding that it is dangerous outside of the fence. I worry that predators are going to get them. Time will tell. My imports can't fly as adults. They are too large. I do not have an LGD and to be confident I should have one.

<edit quote>

Do you have coyotes in your area? What are your main predators?
Do your free-range birds return to a secure coop at night?

 

[homeworkin]

Going to be breeding some chicks for the first time in the spring and I want to make sure I have the right breeding stock. (Oh, what a slippery slope chicken ownership is!) I am not looking to become a championship breeder, but I would like to breed for quality. I am seeing way much crappy stock locally and I would like to at least be improving these rare breeds instead of raising mutts if I can.

I bought a Foley-descended cockerel (previously pictured in this thread). As far as I can tell he has reasonable conformation and color and he is a SWEET little guy. I believe personality is as important as other factors if you are going to breed for family use. I have a hatchery BLRW (maybe 2-3 weeks old) someone gave me, which is what started all this BLRW fascination - but she is pale blue/grey with very brassy highlights. She is too young to tell the conformation, but her coloring is nothing to write home about. I am assuming at this point that she is not really breeding material though she will likely be pretty and she is somewhat friendly. So, I'll need a BLRW pullet or two.

I can get hatching eggs from his breeder - and she had some really nice birds. From what I have seen in this thread, you all are saying that it does not matter that these future pullets could be his sisters. The color/conformation matter most. Is that right? I don't want to be like the dog breeders that have created sick dogs by inbreeding so much.

Second, I have a one year old trio of Buckeyes from a local breeder and also the same breeder gave me a Buckeye chick about 2 weeks old now. Have not researched this breed much yet, but they all look like they have good coloring and size. When this chick grows up - it is ok to breed her to the rooster that is likely her dad?

 

[Fancychooklady]

mine all free range as much as possible... I don't really have a 'compost pile'. the horses just drop what they do best where they want. the chickens spend hours scattering it looking for the grubs (fly larva). they also have lots of wooded mountainside to wander, scratching thru dead leaves & such too. it's interesting watching them with a mouse or chipmunk (the dog helps by depositing bodies.) one roo will find it and start to carry it away, talking to his girls the whole time, then there's a tug of war. kind of gruesome. or if it's really small I've seen one roo swallow it whole. maybe a bit TMI but it's funny watching the tail disappear as he's gulping it down... I have no problem feeding mine chicken. yesterday they got a whole flat of "chicken lizzards" (gizzards hearts and livers) that was marked down at the grocery store. I just stand there with a pair of scissors and cut it into 1/2" strips and toss. the dog gets some, the chickens get most. I don't specify who gets what, because the chickens are faster at the snatch and grab than the dog is. LOL (and no, he's not slow, or old. he's a 3 year old standard poodle who's raw-fed daily, a primary diet of chicken). this was the scene a few days ago, when he found (and confiscated) an egg up in the woods... I'm not sure if he's looking guilty or the birds look jealous. LOL

I mean this in the nicest possible way. " your dog looks like a sheep "

lol

 

[ki4got]

Quote: lol he gets that a lot at the swaps... I don't like lots of hair so keep him (and myself) buzzed short.