Chickens for 10-20 years or more? Pull up a rockin' chair and lay some wisdom on us!

[mmmchicken]

Before getting this ill-used flock back in my coops, I only examined birds once a year unless I spotted an obvious problem...which is so rare as to be almost never. Of course, I am just talking from a backyard perspective and not a breeder point of view.

Each year I do a cull. I've pretty much already visualized the birds that will make that cull just by watching their behavior, overall appearance, health and feed thrift. The only physical exam I do at that point is to check for who is laying, who is not...the rooster gets out of this exam but I swear even he lays an egg the morning after a yearly culling. He is that motivated to stay out of the cull...

So, for your answer...once a year for layers, never for the rooster...except if a problem is spotted.

Problems that warrant a closer inspection than just eyeballing? Feather loss when there shouldn't be any, skinny bird when it didn't used to be, any visible wound, skin problem or obvious limp, excessive scratching or shaking of the head, a bird standing off by itself in a hunched manner or staying by itself in the coop in the same hunched stance. Check these last ones, in particular. Sometimes it's nothing and you will see the bird later all happy with the flock, but if she is easily caught while standing there, could be something is wrong.

Excellent info (as usual!) Thank you so much! I know I've got a good group of birds. May not be all I expected (have 2 bantam EE's ... not exactly what momma ordered) but I do appreciate them all... even the cock. I suppose.

As long as I have your attention for the moment Bee.. I remember back a ways ago you mentioning the type of bird you'd highly recommend for families.. meaning it was a peaceful, good chicken around children who were good producers, and I do believe they were cold hardy to boot. Was it the Black Australorp? (sp?) I can't remember, but I thought it was Black something or other. Ring a bell?

 

[mmmchicken]

Oh yes, and another question I have about FF. Where do you store it/brew it when it's cold out??? Being in Wisconsin and knowing how too cold it gets here, would out in the barn work? I have yet to start this, but printed out all the info and am planning on getting this going. I've informed the husband I might have to have our brew in the house until the weather permits (that went over well, but checking here first to see if it would ferment and do it's job just out in the barn. My gut reaction thinks this is not possible as it needs a warm temp to get the ferment going. Thoughts?

 

[mrsamplias]

OMG ITS HAPPY HEN DAY TODAY !!!!! Guess what I found in the coop just now ????


My first ever egg !!!!

This just made my night after a horrible migraine at work & 12 hours at work.

They just turned 30 weeks old this week & I really thought I was not going to see an egg till spring......so glad I dont go in till 11 tomorrow so I can see if I can figure out who laid the 1st egg It wasnt in the nesting box but on the ground below it in a hen crop circle they made. I was wondering if all the hen crop circles I saw in the coop & run was maybe from them getting ready to lay.....now I dont know what I am going to do with it lol Might just blow it out since its my first egg ever

congrats!!

Still waiting for mine!! My RIR's are 5 months old (approx. 24 weeks old). I told my children that we might get some for Christmas, or Valentine's Day....

 

[mrsamplias]

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[mrsamplias]

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[Beekissed]

Excellent info (as usual!) Thank you so much! I know I've got a good group of birds. May not be all I expected (have 2 bantam EE's ... not exactly what momma ordered) but I do appreciate them all... even the cock. I suppose.

As long as I have your attention for the moment Bee.. I remember back a ways ago you mentioning the type of bird you'd highly recommend for families.. meaning it was a peaceful, good chicken around children who were good producers, and I do believe they were cold hardy to boot. Was it the Black Australorp? (sp?) I can't remember, but I thought it was Black something or other. Ring a bell?

Black Aussies...tend to be docile and sweet without being a slave to the feeder. I've had very few that weren't excellent, quirky and just nice birds~and lay like a fool well up into the senior years, healthy and feed thrifty.

Oh yes, and another question I have about FF. Where do you store it/brew it when it's cold out??? Being in Wisconsin and knowing how too cold it gets here, would out in the barn work? I have yet to start this, but printed out all the info and am planning on getting this going. I've informed the husband I might have to have our brew in the house until the weather permits (that went over well, but checking here first to see if it would ferment and do it's job just out in the barn. My gut reaction thinks this is not possible as it needs a warm temp to get the ferment going. Thoughts?

Mine is in my bedroom.

Coolest room in my house(shut up, Al!

) but not too cold to keep things brewing...bout 60* in there. No, it's not messy nor does it smell. When you are just starting it out, it will ferment quicker if kept in a room temp place but it can still cook well thereafter in temps down to 45*....I've found it doesn't do as well below that.

Skip on over to the FF thread to the folks there...they are coming up with outside options of all kinds if you don't want to keep it indoors.

 

[Fred's Hens]

Question for you OT's if you'd please .... How often do you make a thorough check of your chickens? I see you all talking about mites etc... rarely do I ever picked up my chickens (and never have I held them upside down... even out of curiosity! and honestly, ever since the rooster declared himself as such, the closest I get to him is when my foot makes contact with his head. So... I am pretty much letting the chickens do their thing. They look fine. They look ... chicken happy. Their feathers are nice etc.. What is your recommendation? I work and don't get out by them nearly as often as I like, but just seeing if this is something I should consider giving more time of to care for my chickens properly.

I look at the birds everyday. After awhile, it is hard to explain, but your eye sees stuff immediately. Whoa, that girl over there is limping, what's up with that? or you see a feather or two missing. Your eye takes it in, their gate, their comb color, leg coloration, vent fluff, etc. If you need a closer examination, you look it over really good.

I threaten that I'm gonna post a picture of two hens side by side and ask the question, "So, what's wrong in this picture?"

This OT class has gone on too long with a pop quiz.

 

[Fred's Hens]

Jules, I thought I'd take a pic or two of the young red cockerel I'm using this winter. His brother has nicer type, and I"ll switch to him for spring.





He just got off one the pullets, doing his deed, just before I snapped this, so he's a bit disheveled, but anyhow.

 

[Beekissed]

Jules, I thought I'd take a pic or two of the young red cockerel I'm using this winter. His brother has nicer type, and I"ll switch to him for spring.




He just got off one the pullets, doing his deed, just before I snapped this, so he's a bit disheveled, but anyhow.

He is glossy, cock perfection, IMO. That is one nice bird, Fred! I love that rich color and his stance and just about everything he's got going on.


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Please would you do that? My awful birds are not anything for comparison and these kids are hungry for some knowledge as to what constitutes a bad bird vs. a good one and even an average one. If you need anything for a bad example, let me know...have plenty of pics of this ratty old flock.

 

[Beekissed]

Jules, I thought I'd take a pic or two of the young red cockerel I'm using this winter. His brother has nicer type, and I"ll switch to him for spring.





He just got off one the pullets, doing his deed, just before I snapped this, so he's a bit disheveled, but anyhow.

Question...how are you getting pics side by side like that? Every time I try to do this for comparison pics I am not successful...I've tried smaller pics, I've tried moving the pics once uploaded, I've tried to upload with the cursor position and cannot get it past the first pic in the page field to the middle of the page.