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

[Beekissed]

Times of stress will sure weed out the weaker members of a flock, won't they? Just think, though....the remaining flock members are strong enough to take that heat and still thrive, which is a good thing.

I've had a few full grown but still very young hens keel over on the roost during the winter and each one seemed to have cardiac problems(oh, those hatchery genetics that Al hates so much!). At first a person tends to think there is something wrong with the methods when the occasional chicken dies, but you really have to chalk it up to natural selection. Haven't had one die like that for years now, so the stronger genetics must have won out in the end.

 

[galefrances]

Dragonlady: In your post you mentioned growing kale through hardware cloth, I believe you said 1/2 in. I've never seen kale, let alone tried to grow it, so I was wondering if you had any problem with it coming up through the 1/2in. Seems the leaves are quite large, but maybe I'm looking at pictures of a different type. Any particular type of kale, or will any do? I have a 'salad bar' set up in my run, about 2 x 8 ft. I planned on planting 2 or 3 different greens for the winter. I'd like to try the kale.

 

[thedragonlady]

Dragonlady: In your post you mentioned growing kale through hardware cloth, I believe you said 1/2 in. I've never seen kale, let alone tried to grow it, so I was wondering if you had any problem with it coming up through the 1/2in. Seems the leaves are quite large, but maybe I'm looking at pictures of a different type. Any particular type of kale, or will any do? I have a 'salad bar' set up in my run, about 2 x 8 ft. I planned on planting 2 or 3 different greens for the winter. I'd like to try the kale.

The kale stems will grow right up through the hardware mesh.I also sow 7 top turnip, mustard, and rye in the pans. The birds will prune them, and sort of bonsai those greens, but they will get the benefit.. Your resulting greens will NOT resemble those perfect plants in the seed catalogs, but will nourish your birds!

 

[Leahs Mom]

I'd love to see a photo of your set-up with the wire and the kale and other items growing in them. Visuals help me a lot! Do you have a photo?

 

[thedragonlady]

I'd love to see a photo of your set-up with the wire and the kale and other items growing in them. Visuals help me a lot! Do you have a photo?

No photos . I now grow everything out in the orchard as the big English Buff Orps love to range there. I'm sowing next week after mowing the grass very short .Supposedly, it will be cooler then. These are cool season crops, so if this heat continues, I'll delay sowing a while. The pans are just shallow plastic sweater boxes really, with hardware mesh lids 2" above the soil.These are useful for cooped birds, not for those on free range.The biggies eat too much! My small flock can keep an acre mowed.

 

[galefrances]

The kale stems will grow right up through the hardware mesh.I also sow 7 top turnip, mustard, and rye in the pans. The birds will prune them, and sort of bonsai those greens, but they will get the benefit.. Your resulting greens will NOT resemble those perfect plants in the seed catalogs, but will nourish your birds!

Okay, thanks for the reply and the ideas for the greens.

 

[aussie pete]

hi- just went to a local chicken auction ,to replace 2 australorp hens i lost to a fox,as only had 1 left &rooster was giving her a hard time .got a shock, prices have jumped here in oz, 2 pullets (nice birds) went for $205 .there were about seven bidders guess I'll need to take more money lol

 

[Fred's Hens]

hi- just went to a local chicken auction ,to replace 2 australorp hens i lost to a fox,as only had 1 left &rooster was giving her a hard time .got a shock, prices have jumped here in oz, 2 pullets (nice birds) went for $205 .there were about seven bidders guess I'll need to take more money lol

Given that the Aussie Dollar and US and Canadian Dollars are all the same right now, that is rather stunning. $100 a pullet is pretty darn steep. Interesting.

 

[Leahs Mom]

No photos . I now grow everything out in the orchard as the big English Buff Orps love to range there. I'm sowing next week after mowing the grass very short .Supposedly, it will be cooler then. These are cool season crops, so if this heat continues, I'll delay sowing a while. The pans are just shallow plastic sweater boxes really, with hardware mesh lids 2" above the soil.These are useful for cooped birds, not for those on free range.The biggies eat too much! My small flock can keep an acre mowed.

Okay - thanks. That all makes sense. Your description of the pans helps me visualize the size.

 

[aussie pete]

Given that the Aussie Dollar and US and Canadian Dollars are all the same right now, that is rather stunning. $100 a pullet is pretty darn steep. Interesting.

yes fred i was surprised,u can buy isa browns what u would call feed store chickens i suppose for about $14 & cross bredsfor about $20-30 but pure breds of quality r getting expensive