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

[Fred's Hens]

Quote:
Hey Rev, It is easier, so much easier, to have a coop or barn that you can subdivide with some netting, allowing the old gals to see the new ones through the netting for a few weeks. Turn them loose together, outside, and yes, there will be the usual chicken politics, but things settle down. I don't like to throw 12 week olds in with older biddies. They are out gunned and out matched. Wait to integrate until the younger ones can hold their own ground a bit. It also helps if you integrate the very day you cull a few of the old leaders out of the old flock. The pecking order is dis-rupted and a new order has to be established anyhow. That throws every's equilibrium off a bit, which is a good thing.

But, chickens have to work stuff out themselves, and unless there just is a juvenile dork who everyone loves to pick on, the matter gets settled out in few days.

 

[Beekissed]

I agree! I never realized just how many times I'd use my adjacent pen until I used it for just such a purpose, for housing broodies and then their families, brooding chicks, holding birds who will be leaving the place alive and are awaiting pick-up, etc.

If you don't have a pen like this already, now is the right time to get one...it's like having a third hand when you're building fence.

 

[Beekissed]

Darkmatter! I loved the pics!

I free range and never shut my coops...but I also free range two big dogs at all times. The only birds lost to preds were a couple of chicks to a black snake(I got him!) and a stubborn BR who insisted on roosting by herself in the barn on top of the hay and got picked off by an owl.

I couldn't keep my chickens at all without the dogs...they suit my carefree style of husbandry and they even deter hawks.

And, yes...a gun should always be handy!

 

[deerman]

culling start on hatch date.........none of this helping a chick out of the egg, if to weak to free itself ,it could be the genes and be past to its offsprings. Closed flock when you can. Cull; most sick birds, some that are cure of disease become carrier and past it to other their whole life.

Also NOBODY GOES in my pens. they can see from the outside.

Layers cull by 2 yr old, why feed a hen laying a egg every other day, take same amount to feed a young hen that lays almost a egg a day.


Like pop said cull manfighters...i also like the gamefowl.

 

[aoxa]

Quote:
Oh come on now... the natural history of chickens has one good point....

my Husband laughed so hard at the lady that kept that poor silky roo as a pet. She even swam with him in the pool with daily blow drying and car rides.
It was awesome! To hear him laugh that is...

I know right! We were hysterically laughing over here. We wanted to stop watching it, but it was so darn funny! We wanted a serious documentary on the actual HISTORY of chickens. Not stories about CPR and pet silkie roosters who rode shotgun with a booster seat!

 

[riane'smimi]

Alright I fed my layers loads of red pepper with their scraps today they are coming out of molt and hoping this helps pick them up to start laying again. Question though .How often do I feed it?Also how often do I feed the buttermilk?



I guess I have to go to youtube and watch that movie LOL

 

[southerndesert]

Quote:
We have a brooder house with a small outside area where pullets grow and get to know the established flocks while they (older birds) free range, after that it is simple as putting them into the new flock. We also use the same method on rare occasion we get some adult birds takes a few days and they are let lose into the flock to free range with them.

 

[Terri O]

Quote:
Just had to quote this cause THIS is how I think! Terri O

 

[Beekissed]

So...let's talk about biosecurity...man, I hate that word!

What are the OTs feelings on disease transmission from outside sources, how do you prevent it, what is your first line of defense?

 

[mississippifarmboy]

Fred's Hens :

If you don't or can't have a varmint rifle by the back door? You're probably not a farmer.

Agreed 100%​