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

[galanie]

First of all it won't hurt her to brood a clutch of eggs in hot weather as long as she has water available. I just had an 11 year old hen hatch 8 chicks. Your hen that died didn't die because she was broody, it's a natural process. She would have died anyway.
However, if you want to break your broody it's easy. Put her in a wire bottomed cage with nothing to sit on except the wire floor. She'll stop within a few days.

Absolutely. The best and easiest way to break a broody. If she doesn't break after being on wire off the ground with only open air under her for a week, then let her set. I have one I can't break no matter what I try so I just let her silly self sit there. But the rest will get un-broody in about 3 days in the cage. You can't let them out at all during that time or give them anything they can sit on and keep their underside warm.

 

[Achickenwrangler#1]

Try slipping some big chunks of ice in there.

 

[Achickenwrangler#1]

I let my broodies go through the heat we have had...I need the chicks ...they didn't even pant while on the nest...i think their metabolism must go into slow mo or something - hence-the trance state. Besides, they are easier to keep track of this way....since it's now discovered a panther lurking around here is after everyone's chickens.. got a few of my older birds and one really nice roo.

 

[normanack]

Roosters. How to handle them (in the larger sense, not as in how to hold them). I know this is old ground for you all, and I have been reading through this thread but somehow I'm all confuzzled on this issue.

My young flock of 21 chickens (getting big but not yet laying) has three cockerels. One is a silkie (don't kill me!) who crowed at about nine weeks and hasn't done so since. The second is a silkie (put that pitchfork away!) who crows (sort of) a few times every morning. Neither has mounted any hens or exhibited huge amounts of dominance. I'm not terribly concerned about them becoming problems as they're silkies, not really chickens. (Tell me if I'm wrong here.)

The third is a Light Sussex about 3 months old. He is dominant over his former broodmates but not the older birds. No sexual behavior or crowing yet. This is the bird I want taking care of the flock.

So how, exactly, do I treat him? I assume I basically leave him be and let him do what he does. I do want him to know people are dominant. Do I merely fend him off with a foot if he is aggressive to me? Or what?

Many thanks for any advice.

 

[Beekissed]

Roosters. How to handle them (in the larger sense, not as in how to hold them). I know this is old ground for you all, and I have been reading through this thread but somehow I'm all confuzzled on this issue.
My young flock of 21 chickens (getting big but not yet laying) has three cockerels. One is a silkie (don't kill me!) who crowed at about nine weeks and hasn't done so since. The second is a silkie (put that pitchfork away!) who crows (sort of) a few times every morning. Neither has mounted any hens or exhibited huge amounts of dominance. I'm not terribly concerned about them becoming problems as they're silkies, not really chickens. (Tell me if I'm wrong here.)
The third is a Light Sussex about 3 months old. He is dominant over his former broodmates but not the older birds. No sexual behavior or crowing yet. This is the bird I want taking care of the flock.
So how, exactly, do I treat him? I assume I basically leave him be and let him do what he does. I do want him to know people are dominant. Do I merely fend him off with a foot if he is aggressive to me? Or what?
Many thanks for any advice.

The roos you describe are much too young to be mounting hens or even crowing full time...just practice crows, maybe...maybe the 3 mo. old may be entering that territory but the 9 wk old have quite a ways to go.

Eventually you may have too many roos for the number of hens so you might want to monitor signs of overuse on hen's backs and on the back of the head.

I'd leave your LS alone and see how he develops. If you are confident, calm and assertive in your dealings with your chickens, most roosters won't be a problem. Occasionally a young roo will forget his place and do a little dance towards you in a threatening way~this is when I leave a BIG, over the top impression. The first time is the last time at my place and the correction might take around 5-10 min. depending on how much fun you're having with it.

I keep a light weight fiberglass rod for herding sheep/chickens if the need arises...it's flexible and doesn't cause any damage but it can put the sting on a roo's behind. I also have light, old dead limbs I keep in the coop for this~I call them roo sticks...better to have one and not need it then to need it and not have it. When the roo does his dance at me, I advance towards him until he is running away...then I lie in wait for him to come back in the coop to eat with the rest of the flock.

When he gets his head in the pop door I surprise him with a WHAM against the walls right beside him. If he persists in ducking into the coop, I'll chase him with the stick and either bop his bottom or lightly touch his back every time he stops, or even whack the floor beside him as he frantically runs and dodges to get out of the coop. In other words, I turn the tables until he gets the message....he doesn't ever want to ambush me again because this big rooster isn't content to just let him run away, it lies in wait and jumps him.

Not only is this fun to do and watch, it leaves an everlasting impression in that roo's mind. I've never had to repeat the performance for any particular roo and the total and utter surprise on the roo's face is priceless and good for many chuckles later. It's much more fun than trying to aim a kick at a fleet roo that may or may not connect and it also keeps your legs from getting in the way of his possible retaliation...though I've never had one that wanted to retaliate. They pretty much were content to walk a very wide berth around the crazy lady after those shenanigans!

Oh, the joys of keeping chickens! Every once in awhile it affords one some great amusement that is filled with cheaply won joy!

 

[fowlman01]

I guess it isn't just Old Timers that know things! Look what was just discovered about, of all things, boiling an egg.
Tested and approved by our own diaper dandy AL, it is a keeper.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/115799/crazy-easy-way-to-make-hard-boiled-eggs

There is 21 pages of how to boil an egg. It is awesome what one can learn here.

Walt

 

[bobbi-j]

as for day 25 under a hen. Years ago (before exhibition poultry) I had a hen go past her time with eggs. She was out in the big barn. I guess the eggs exploded, because, when she came off the nest she was missing a lot of feathers! Plus, she stunck! Its a wonder she did not die in the explosion. She was not very welcome in the coop for a few weeks.

If the eggs have not hatched by day 23 you have a problem. Chicken eggs take 21. Enviromental conditions vary. Any egg here that has been candled and verified to be occupied, stays till about day 24. Then it is tossed. Usually as far as I can throw it in the woods! Have never had an egg explode in my wife's kitchen trash... and never want one to!

I had to chuckle at the stinky hen... Poor thing! I am aware that incubation is 21 days for a chicken, but I also know that sometimes it can be a couple of days one way or the other. I just wanted to be sure that there was no chance of those eggs hatching. (Until BYC, I'd never heard of eggs exploding under a hen, and I'd never had the experience so that thought never crossed my mind) I also throw any questionable eggs into the trees. No way do I want them in or near my house! I believe in letting a broody do her job, and pretty much just make sure she has food and water. I don't bother them otherwise. Not saying you shouldn't candle - it's a good idea. I just don't do it. To each his own.

 

[deedee1]

OK.. . . I was just reading up on molting .. . .the article stated they you may want to feed CAT FOOD?? DIG UP WORMS OR GRUBS???? Do the chickens not dig up their own worms and grubbs while molting?

 

[Beekissed]

I've never fed cat food, just a quality layer mash. After molting/during the winter I might add some OS to the feed for the added calcium needed in feather regrowth if I find a few thin shelled eggs~but not, if I don't. Yes, they get their own protein if they free range but if the feed you are feeding has good percentages, they will recover from molt per usual.

You know what I notice about all the advice on this forum and in mags? Everyone wants immediate results on everything pertaining to chickens. Chickens have been molting since time began and I doubt they were fed an ounce of cat food as a supplement all those years.

Keeping chickens isn't usually about immediate results but a slow, seasonal rhythm that one needs to observe and follow, making adjustments as you go along. Developing a good, healthy flock takes time and anyone trying to rush it will get uneven results. How do you know what birds thrive on your feed/methods if you are constantly supplementing over every little change in their appearance? Finding the superior specimens is as simple as watching to see what birds thrive on good, solid nutrition and practices. You'll never know who won't if there is constant tweaking of the methods.

A good flock won't require too many additional supplements to their feed ration if you are feeding a good one. The birds that aren't thrifty, hardy or productive on good feed are the ones you will want to cull and you'll never know which ones they are unless you let nature show you. Supplementing protein may sound great and like you are helping your flock, but it really just makes you feel good about those who are not necessarily able to molt in a natural way...from then on you will have to supplement to keep those birds up to par.

Keeping chickens is much more enjoyable if you aren't constantly having to adjust or compensate throughout the seasons. Ultimately, one would want a flock that requires very little tweaking to perform well. That takes time, observation, active and stringent culling and....time.

I always shake my head at folks who have one chicken doing poorly so they immediately deworm the whole flock and get vitamin supplements in the water. Too much intervention, too soon and like using a sledge hammer to manage your flock. If done this way, one will never really know which birds are the good ones.

 

[normanack]

That is exactly the kind of advice I need, Beekissed. Thanks!!!

edited to ask: what is this roo dance of which you speak? Or will I know it when I see it?