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

[HappyHenMama]

I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for this delightful thread. I have enjoyed it immensely, and have learned a LOT!

I learned week before last that my cancer is back (brain tumor, oddly enough described as a "hen egg"), so I have spent the last 10 days rehoming everything, and am checking into Hospice care this afternoon. I have had "Operation Rescue Me" in place for a long time, just in case, so everything had places to go before hand. It was pretty easy. My layer flock (and the neighbor's flock of 24 as well) went to a family with 8 children to feed, so I feel real good about that. My Doms went to Texarcana, so they will be cared for and cherished there as well...the end of a looooong era.

Have resigned my posts at the library and all the volunteer places, and my teaching positions at "Empowered!" and said my goodbye's there. But I wanted to say again, that this thread, and participating herein, has brought me so much joy and amusement. Thank you so much!

I am going to try to get a laptop to keep up with you guys as long as I can, but just in case I can't, wanted to post this. Thank you all again.

Therapydoglady, you will be sorely missed...Good luck and May God Bless You as you have blessed so many of his creatures on this planet.

HappyHenMama (aka) Kimberly

 

[HallFamilyFarm]

Sorry for the "newbie" questions, but I didn't pay a lot of attention when we had chickens on the farm....I just fed and watered them, gathered the eggs and cleaned the coop now and then. Now that I'm a little older with grown children I am trying to "set" us up for retirement (be more self sufficiant). My first thought was to get and raise some chickens, hopefully by the time DH and I retire we will have a good, healthy flock going. SO glad I found this thread. So, the newbie questioins....

1.) My chicks are now 6 weeks old, can I start feeding them calf manna now or do I need to wait until they get older?

2.) When is is NOT safe to eat a chicken you've had to cull? As in I don't intend on doing any foot surgery, and really don't want any tender foots in my flock, so if they get that "bumblefoot" thing, can you still eat them? Also, I don't intend on giving anybody warm baths to help them lay eggs, if she can't lay an egg on her own, I don't want to keep her genes in the pool, is it okay to eat a hen you've culled due to being egg bound??

Guess that's it for now, Thanks in advance for any response. As I said, I didn't pay much attention growing up, whenever mama pointed at a hen and told me to catch her for Sunday dinner, I just figured we needed the meat.....now I'm thinking she might have been selecting weak or sick birds.......

Julie
from Roxboro, NC

I would suggest finding a mentor near you. (Yep, even us older folks need mentors). Though you will learn a lot on this thread, you may also consider joining your state thread at https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/91762/north-carolina

Also check out the breed thread for your breed at https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/269287/notable-reference-breed-thread-discussions

The only stupid question a newbie can have is the one they fail to ask.

Also consider using the search function on BYC. Your question may have already been asked and answered. BYC now has 147,710 members. Someone will be able to answer all of your questions!

 

[junkinstuff]

Ok all you old timers. How long must chicks have shallow dishes or marbles in their water to keep them from drowning. I have always done it for six weeks. And old timer today laughed at me and said they lose that want a wet place to sleep after 48 hours. What say you masters of chicks?

 

[Beekissed]

I've never used marbles nor have I ever dipped a chick's beak to "teach" it to drink. Regular chick style waterers are fine for all chicks and I've never had one drown in one or even get more than their feet wet in one.


ETA: My chicks are usually done in the brooder by age of 2 wks and using the big girl waterers by then...no chick drownings by using this method. Had a stupid roo that couldn't use nipple waterers this year and would get up on the side of the dog's bucket for water...and led three 4 wk old CX to their death by playing monkey see, monkey do...but never had that ever happen before. I contribute this to chicks with no mama and a rooster setting a bad example.

In a normal setting, with a normal flock matrix, chicks usually follow the example of older birds and drink water quite safely from the usual receptacles provided for chicken use.

 

[just me]

Thanks for all the replies. I really appreciate it.

 

[stonykill]

I've never used marbles nor have I ever dipped a chick's beak to "teach" it to drink. Regular chick style waterers are fine for all chicks and I've never had one drown in one or even get more than their feet wet in one.


ETA: My chicks are usually done in the brooder by age of 2 wks and using the big girl waterers by then...no chick drownings by using this method. Had a stupid roo that couldn't use nipple waterers this year and would get up on the side of the dog's bucket for water...and led three 4 wk old CX to their death by playing monkey see, monkey do...but never had that ever happen before. I contribute this to chicks with no mama and a rooster setting a bad example.

In a normal setting, with a normal flock matrix, chicks usually follow the example of older birds and drink water quite safely from the usual receptacles provided for chicken use.

same here

 

[therapydoglady]

Brie here. babymakes6 suggested that I post some of my mother-in-laws's poetry on Random Ramblings. I did post 6, so if anybody is interested, they're there.

Finally made it through reading this entire thread! I've enjoyed it very much. It's like a mental drug. Very addictive!

 

[Wishing4Wings]

Brie here. babymakes6 suggested that I post some of my mother-in-laws's poetry on Random Ramblings. I did post 6, so if anybody is interested, they're there.

Finally made it through reading this entire thread! I've enjoyed it very much. It's like a mental drug. Very addictive!

Thank you, Brie. "The Bench" was really great and "When I Was a Kid" brought back many happy memories.

 

[thedragonlady]

Sorry for the "newbie" questions, but I didn't pay a lot of attention when we had chickens on the farm....I just fed and watered them, gathered the eggs and cleaned the coop now and then. Now that I'm a little older with grown children I am trying to "set" us up for retirement (be more self sufficiant). My first thought was to get and raise some chickens, hopefully by the time DH and I retire we will have a good, healthy flock going. SO glad I found this thread. So, the newbie questioins....

1.) My chicks are now 6 weeks old, can I start feeding them calf manna now or do I need to wait until they get older?

2.) When is is NOT safe to eat a chicken you've had to cull? As in I don't intend on doing any foot surgery, and really don't want any tender foots in my flock, so if they get that "bumblefoot" thing, can you still eat them? Also, I don't intend on giving anybody warm baths to help them lay eggs, if she can't lay an egg on her own, I don't want to keep her genes in the pool, is it okay to eat a hen you've culled due to being egg bound??

Guess that's it for now, Thanks in advance for any response. As I said, I didn't pay much attention growing up, whenever mama pointed at a hen and told me to catch her for Sunday dinner, I just figured we needed the meat.....now I'm thinking she might have been selecting weak or sick birds.......

Julie
from Roxboro, NC

Julie,
If you want to feed Calf Manna at 6 weeks, you'll have to squash it up a bit for the babies. CM is great stuff!

 

[Leahs Mom]

Brie here. babymakes6 suggested that I post some of my mother-in-laws's poetry on Random Ramblings. I did post 6, so if anybody is interested, they're there.

Finally made it through reading this entire thread! I've enjoyed it very much. It's like a mental drug. Very addictive!

Help me here...I just searched "random ramblings" and found a whole bunch of things that weren't what I was looking for. Can you post a link?

Thanks!