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

[Achickenwrangler#1]

well y'all, I had a little egg eater, or so I thought, I culled her to a pen, by herself, where she proceed to bask in what must have been a five star resort, she laid a nest with five perfect clean eggs, not a scratch on them....turns out a snake was breaking the eggs and she was just cleaning up after....I should have paid attention, I just thought she was going squirrley on me jumping around the roosts, sqwaking, inside of playing outside with the other kids. I'm glad I didn't do something irreversable...the rolling egg thing sounds expensive to me...have to weigh that y'all

 

[WalkingWolf1]

Serious? or is this an inside joke?

this will give you ideas for roll out nest boxes

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/407917/roll-out-nest-boxes-my-dh-made-me-pic-heavy

 

[al6517]

well y'all, I had a little egg eater, or so I thought, I culled her to a pen, by herself, where she proceed to bask in what must have been a five star resort, she laid a nest with five perfect clean eggs, not a scratch on them....turns out a snake was breaking the eggs and she was just cleaning up after....I should have paid attention, I just thought she was going squirrley on me jumping around the roosts, sqwaking, inside of playing outside with the other kids. I'm glad I didn't do something irreversable...the rolling egg thing sounds expensive to me...have to weigh that y'all

You CAN"T cull a bird TO A PEN, but you can cull a bird to the soup pot or freezer. it just avoids allot of confusion, which is very rampant on this forum. if it catches on here folks will say I culled her to Craigslist.

For the record !!
Cull is to Kill or Process for the table. Other animal breeders such as cattle or swine may cull but that means unsuitable for breeding. In the chicken world it means Kill it. I think it's important we be clear here on this to avoid the huggers from saying they culled her to the living room couch LOL.

 

[al6517]

As far as cloth coverings over the nest boxes, Walt is correct........ folks have been using them for many decades and wasn't invented by BYCer's..........but by common sense folks who actually knew their birds..... but mainly because the hens feel calmer laying in the there undisturbed by other birds. coverings don't keep them from being egg eaters, or to provide ("PRIVACY")

 

[Achickenwrangler#1]

I never said that a curtain would prevent egg eating, it wouldn 't keep another hen out either...it's a curtain. And al, culling is not synonomous with killing, culling means to remove from the flock...put your glasses on, and read Websters.

 

[MOChickenShoes]

Ok, as a longtime reader, NOT an OT, I have a question for ya that is driven strictly out of curiosity.

I have noticed that when my pullets are dust bathing in the evening, they lose a lot of the 'downy' fluffy short feathers. There seems to be a competition amongst them as to who gets to eat the most of these feathers. They gobble up every one they find and fight each other over them. They don't seem to care about any of the larger fully formed feathers laying around

Is there a reason for this (nutrition wise, health wise), or is it just cuz they will put any darn thing they find in their mouths, and the fact that these blow around freely is attractive.

kicking this one back out for an answer before it gets buried, as i too have wondered the same thing. i'm very much a newbie with chickens, but i've been assuming it's the "they'll put any darn thing they find in their mouths" as you stated, but there's a part of me that's like "am i not providing enough protein or something?!?!" lol. thoughts anyone?

 

[Achickenwrangler#1]

Walkingwolf- that is a really nice plan, I think it could also be made so the eggs could be collected outside the coop, (enclosed) most of the ones I've seen were metal,and way too big for me...that would work well

 

[cherylcohen]

I guess it could be both, but I am serious. That is one of the reasons they covered the nest boxes in the old days.

Walt

Ok so I'll try this, I also like this concept on this video - But the curtain idea...they aren't solid are they, or more like flaps I imagine

 

[HappyHenMama]

FWIW I don't want to be a CBOF and I may not have the correct terminology down (flaps vs curtains), I came to the OT sincerely to learn. Thank you all for your most interesting comments.

First off Welcome to the Old Timers thread! I just wanted to say that we are happy you are here and you will indeed learn alot about poultry husbandry here, but if you haven't read from the beginning be aware that Beekissed who is the OT that started this thread put out a Warning at the beginning of it stating..."THREAD WARNING: The old-timers are just that, nothing more and nothing less. Their speech may be to the point, sassy, and no-nonsense~this does not mean they meant to offend you or each other. This is just how old farmers talk.

If you are very sensitive and offend easily, it may be time to turn your car around and head back to where the couches are soft and the music is soft and dreamy....this is where the rubber meets the road and only the strong survive."

So please, don't be offended if someone has fun here. I have learned so much on this thread and am grateful it's here. Think of the people here like your Great Aunt or Great Uncle. They like to have fun. Subscribe to it and you will get the jist of how it rolls. BYC is a big family so welcome to the family.

I am not an OT, so I am not speaking as such I'm just a newbie like you that has become a part of this thread asking questions just like you. I'm glad your here!

 

[fowlman01]

Ok so I'll try this, I also like this concept on this video - But the curtain idea...they aren't solid are they, or more like flaps I imagine

This is what I was told by my uncle as a wee child on his Leghorn fryer ranch. Everyone out in the country here in CA raised chickens for food and profit in the 40's. I have never tried it, but if I had my choice of first draping a couple feed sacks over the nest boxes or building this thing I think I would try the curtains first. You will know in a day or so if it works. I have never tried it so let us know how it works......or not. If I have tried something and it works here I always qualify my statement that it works with my flock here with my style of management., because I found long ago that there can be huge differences in flocks just by geography alone.

Walt