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

[Mommy 2 Wee Ones]

Hallerlake - I read that about clover, and some people use it instead of growing grass. Where do you get your seed from?

 

[hallerlake]

Quote:
I got mine from a local nursery that sells cover crop seeds.

 

[123ChickieLou]

Question! And looking for good practical advice.

I've been keeping my young birds in the house at night in their little plastic bin/gas chamber and letting them out in an enclosed pen in daytime. My one almost grown BO pullet gets pretty much the same treatment except that she has the run of the yard in daytime.

Long story short- I didn't have a secure place to keep them outside at night and lost 5 of 6 birds in two nights. I've only replaced two so far and now have a secure place to house 3-4 large hens at night.

Temperatures have been dropping, and although I know they don't need artificial heat to survive, am I doing the wrong thing by keeping them out all night with 32F lows? I know that's not real cold to some of you but its the change from indoor, albiet chilly indoor temps to down right cold outdoor temps full-time.

Consider that they've been out during the day and the highs have been around 40 or so the last couple of days with little humidity.

Please feel free to heckle me for having a grown chicken in the house in the first place. And I won't even tell you about the diaper I have for her, lol! She is a pet that I'm hoping to get a few eggs from but I'm working on growing a small flock of utility birds so I do need sound and practical advice. Preferably from some experienced people.

 

[Sunne73]

Oh thank goodness for this thread. I have only made it through the first couple pages so far, but first thing in the morning the 3wk olds are going out to the pavillion.

 

[chickencrazymamahen]

Whew!! Finally finished alllll the pages...what a wonderful thread!! Thanks to all who are posting.....but.....this old lady has to get to bed...will check back in tomorrow night. I am learning a lot and appreciate your honesty in this.

I know Fred has signed off, but would really be interested in the walnut worming information if anyone knows how he does this!! Thanks and have a good evening!!!

 

[al6517]

Quote:
With as old as they are they need to be outside now and right now, they are fully feathered. Now the big problem lies with the fact that now that it is winter by keeping them inside so long, to such an advanced age you have severly handicapped them and their ability to survive like real birds and probably have not acclimated very well. I understand your not having proper housing, but it is important to try as best you can to be totaly prepared for their arrival and care.

Anyway now that you do have accomidations for them, put them out and leave them out and don't bring them regardless if you as a human feel a chill, just leave them outside. They will be fine they will adjust if you just let them, once again as stated many times in this thread.......................... LET THEM BE CHICKENS !!!!!! THAT IS WHAT THEY ARE !!!!!!

I do hope you get the hang of this chicken thing and let us know how it goes and ask anything you like............ except cute baby name recommendations

Good luck to you and your new flock.

 

[123ChickieLou]

Quote:
With as old as they are they need to be outside now and right now, they are fully feathered. Now the big problem lies with the fact that now that it is winter by keeping them inside so long, to such an advanced age you have severly handicapped them and their ability to survive like real birds and probably have not acclimated very well. I understand your not having proper housing and what was that due to, getting birds before you were prepared and ready for them ??.

Anyway now that you do have accomidations for them, put them out and leave them out and don't bring them regardless if you as a human feel a chill, just leave them outside. They will be fine they will adjust if you just let them, once again as stated many times in this thread.......................... LET THEM BE CHICKENS !!!!!! THAT IS WHAT THEY ARE !!!!!!

I do hope you get the hang of this chicken thing and let us know how it goes and ask anything you like............ except cute baby name recommendations

Good luck to you and your new flock.

That's what I was afraid of, that I'd messed up their ability to deal. They're out now and they're stayin' OUT!! Sounds mean, but if the younger 4-5 weekers don't make it tonight, I'll just have an excuse to get more babies

and name them things like Pot-Pie, Sweet-and-Sour, Noodles, Gumbo, etc....

HA! You are dead on with the housing situation. I severely oversimplified an ever-more-complicated thing and, well, here we are.

Thanks so much for the straight talk.

 

[al6517]

It's all good the important thing is your on the right track now, you will have to watch them for a few day's to be on the safe side, keep plenty of deep bedding whatever it may be so they can huddle together for warmth and figure out how to stay comfortable together. Sometimes is a little tough to hear that too much caution can be harmfull, but there is just so much misinformation going around and with the huge pet chicken movement that has taken many people by storm, your certainly not alone, straight talk is discouraged due to social parameters and having to walk on egg shells with every word, so it is very hard to hear what needs to said. I am glad you understand........... it does make a difference and I am glad some of us can help a little.

 

[123ChickieLou]

Al, you're right about all the misinformation. It is so hard to tell if the advice is coming from common sense or from something someone read and says it just has to be exactly 95F for the chicks to survive.

On another note but with a similar theme- parenting can be the same way. Some first timers get a book and do everything it and their pediatrician say to do and complain that the baby won't sleep, won't eat or worry that its cholesterol might be off a teensy bit. Then there's the one's that just do what their head says to do and rarely have a problem that requires a Dr. visit.

I LOVE this thread! And really do appreciate the OT's advice.

 

[ajlynco]

When it comes time to raise my own chooks and let the hens hatch thier own eggs, do they lay a batch of eggs and then stop laying and just sit on the ones she's already laid? does she keep laying at the same rate even tho she's trying to hatch the clutch she's sitting on? How's the process gonna unfold?