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

[FuzzyButtsFarm]

Bee you are sooooo bad.

You just described my x husband to a tee.

 

[Beekissed]

Quote:
1. https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/70/deep-litter-method

2. Yes, these can be used as well.

3. I keep a lid on it to keep out debris.

4. I never keep food outside because my dog would eat it...not to mention all the birds in the area. I keep water inside as well unless I'm raising meaties, at which time I keep it both inside and out. In the winter it's always inside.

5. My broody and chicks join my big flock at 2 wks...sometimes I've changed to all flock for a little while for the chick's sake but finally just stopped doing that and left everyone on layer rations. It worked out just fine and didn't compromise the chick's health because they were getting their primary feed from forage at that point and only eating the layer ration as a supplemental feed.

In the winter I still give layer ration but will mix in some whole grains to cut the cost of feeding chickens on a slow down.

6. Yes...their food/water is always in the coop. I don't use runs so they pretty much come back in the coop when they want some feed...but mostly they are foraging for their feed out on pasture. I only feed once a day, each evening.

Chickens are normally on the roosts all night and cannot see to eat or drink unless you are keeping a light on all night...which I do not recommend. No need to remove their feed or water at night. They usually leave the roosts before we get up in the morning, so access to fresh water and whatever feed may be left in the feeder sets them up for heading out to forage for the day.

 

[Erin~TheChickenLover]

Question: How do you guys add new pullets and cockerels into the flock? I have 6, 2 1/2 month old chicks that I'm trying to integrate into my bantam flock. The rooster that is already there is just not having it at all and tries to kill both the pullets and cockerels. Those chicks have got to go into the coop this winter. I'm at a point where I'm debating culling the rooster, but I would really prefer not to as I want to use him as a breeder.

 

[Beekissed]

You could try keeping them in sight of the other chickens but with a barrier in between to keep them from physical contact for week, then put the rooster in that area and switch the new birds to the flock. This keeps the rooster away from them until they have properly integrated into the flock. After a week on time out in the "sight but not touch" pen, the rooster can then be re-integrated into the new flock matrix.

If that doesn't work, I'd kill him.

I free range, so I don't have to use this method...I just throw them out in the range area and by the time they all go to the coop that night, they've all become a united flock.

 

[Mrs. K]

I have always just had hatchery birds, and been happy enough with them, getting eggs. Not real good for meat, even if you do get the dp breeds. Lately I have had a hankering to try a little breeding and going with a higher quality chickens. I figure, I have had chickens for several years, got the worst of experience under my belt, am a science teacher and a rancher's wife, so I should be able to work on the next several years, a fancy flock.

Delaware Chicken seem to be striking a cord with me, good meat bird, with good laying characteristics. And an American breed. Anyway, any pro's and con's that they don't tell you when you are thinking of new chickens and reading up on how wonderful they all are?

MrsK

 

[Erin~TheChickenLover]

You could try keeping them in sight of the other chickens but with a barrier in between to keep them from physical contact for week, then put the rooster in that area and switch the new birds to the flock. This keeps the rooster away from them until they have properly integrated into the flock. After a week on time out in the "sight but not touch" pen, the rooster can then be re-integrated into the new flock matrix.

If that doesn't work, I'd kill him.

I free range, so I don't have to use this method...I just throw them out in the range area and by the time they all go to the coop that night, they've all become a united flock.

Thanks for the info. I'll try the "sight but not touch" pen method and see how that goes. One of the times I tried putting the chicks in with the the flock, they were free ranging in the yard. The rooster attacked one of the pullets and by the time I was able to pull them apart, I was afraid he had done some serious damage. Thankfully she's fine.

 

[kathyinmo]

I have always just had hatchery birds, and been happy enough with them, getting eggs. Not real good for meat, even if you do get the dp breeds. Lately I have had a hankering to try a little breeding and going with a higher quality chickens. I figure, I have had chickens for several years, got the worst of experience under my belt, am a science teacher and a rancher's wife, so I should be able to work on the next several years, a fancy flock.

Delaware Chicken seem to be striking a cord with me, good meat bird, with good laying characteristics. And an American breed. Anyway, any pro's and con's that they don't tell you when you are thinking of new chickens and reading up on how wonderful they all are?

MrsK

Delawares are a great choice. Delawares are great dual purpose birds (meat and eggs). They were originally created in the 1940s, specifically founded for the meat industry and was the choice of broiler birds until the Cornish Rock crosses took over the meat market (think Colonel Saunders here).

Be aware though - you will find a big difference in hatchery stock and breeder stock.

 

[kathyinmo]

Question: How do you guys add new pullets and cockerels into the flock? I have 6, 2 1/2 month old chicks that I'm trying to integrate into my bantam flock. The rooster that is already there is just not having it at all and tries to kill both the pullets and cockerels. Those chicks have got to go into the coop this winter. I'm at a point where I'm debating culling the rooster, but I would really prefer not to as I want to use him as a breeder.

These are 10 week old chicks? I am not an old timer, but I do have experience on this topic. I have raised thousands of chicks here - and integrated. It is best not to integrate until they are approximately the same size. Yes, the older birds will kill the chicks. I also free range my birds, and they have acres to range on. However, I will not range my chicks with adults until they are bigger.

 

[Beekissed]

I must have had really nice chickens all these many years....never had a chick killed by any bird in my flock during or after integration with my laying flock. If you had to wait until all the birds were the same size you'd have to have a good plenty of pens/runs/coops to keep all the different sized chickens apart from one another. Don't know that I've ever heard of such a thing....

 

[fowlman01]

I must have had really nice chickens all these many years....never had a chick killed by any bird in my flock during or after integration with my laying flock. If you had to wait until all the birds were the same size you'd have to have a good plenty of pens/runs/coops to keep all the different sized chickens apart from one another. Don't know that I've ever heard of such a thing....

I have had hens in the flock kill young birds.

Walt