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

[HiddenChicken]

I'm determined to read this whole thread... ...but I'm only to post #299 (outta 7600+!)

I just wanted to skip to the end...let you OT's know there's newbies out there, coming down the path of enlightenment! hahaha

Eventually, I will make it back here, to the end, again...& boy, will I have some OT wisdom on board by then! In the meantime, I already feel better about how I'm taking care of my chickens & I worry faaaaar less (not much at all!) now about things like whether to heat the coop or not, frostbitten combs, etc. *deep breath* So, thanks OT's for the peace of mind & all the other nuggets of wisdom here!

See you again soon....ok, soon-ish. :/

 

[Beekissed]

By the time you get to the end, it will have another 50 pages....it's hard to keep up around here.

 

[normanack]

I'm not getting the info I need in the other threads, I hope you can help me. What bedding is best for my unicorns, gossamer or corn silk? Also, I free-range my rainbows, but I can't get them to come back to the coop at night. It takes me hours each evening to round them up and herd them in, How do you train them to come home? Maybe I'm not feeding them right?

You don't have to say anything, and you don't have to do anything. Not a thing. Oh, maybe just whistle. You know how to whistle, don't you, Steve? You just put your lips together and... blow.

(To Have and Have Not)

 

[Back2MyRoots]

They are reverting to a "wild" color and are some kind of hybrid. I can't identify any particular breed when I look at them and the gypsy (dark) face is odd for the way their body form appears. They look very healthy and I would suspect that they will be great free range birds. Usually I can see a dominant breed characteristic, but I don't see anything that stands out.

Walt

Thanks much. So you think I shouldn't worry about weight? My other hens are just so.... round! lol, perhaps they are too pudgy? And yes, they free-range well. The dark headed one is a spider slayer! She stalks wolf spiders every morning as soon as I swing the run door open. It's freakish and amazing to see her find them where I could see nothing. And the spider legs all hanging out of her beak....... *shiver* I'm in freaked out awe!

 

[fowlman01]

Thanks much. So you think I shouldn't worry about weight? My other hens are just so.... round! lol, perhaps they are too pudgy? And yes, they free-range well. The dark headed one is a spider slayer! She stalks wolf spiders every morning as soon as I swing the run door open. It's freakish and amazing to see her find them where I could see nothing. And the spider legs all hanging out of her beak....... *shiver* I'm in freaked out awe!

Different breeds of chickens have different body forms. Unless they are really young, they are not going to change much. They are a slim active kind of chicken. As an example: Leghorn vs Orpington....huge difference in bodies. The Leghorns are slim egg machines and the Orps are a meat and egg breed.

Walt

 

[Gargoyle]

You don't have to say anything, and you don't have to do anything. Not a thing. Oh, maybe just whistle. You know how to whistle, don't you, Steve? You just put your lips together and... blow.

(To Have and Have Not)

A classic, one of my all time favorite movie lines.
The look on Bogies face... it was their first film together, and with that line you could see she really had him intrigued.

 

[Mountain Momma]

Gargoyle, are you laughing in my direction????? I know you wouldn't laugh at me! I have had chickens for about a month now, and I'm trying sooooo hard not to screw up! You're just going to have to allow me to be nervous over them for awhile until I can embrace "all that is chicken" and get relaxed with it! I am trying hard to "let them be chickens" but I haven't attained the mindset, yet, that they are just chickens. I am sure it will come.

Brie

I just send princesses out to get them. Works every time! lol

 

[Gargoyle]

Maybe I've used up my quota on emoticons. They are no longer an option when I post. hmmm

Turns out some others had that problem today too. See this thread:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/713532/where-did-the-smileys-go

Might have had to do with a BYC server update, but it seems clearing your browser cache fixes the problem.

 

[al6517]

Quote:


Yes but it is used mainly to boost blood vitamin levels and is safe for almost all good farm livestock. without a healthy blood transfer system everything else is futile or just takes forever. It's great for bringing back unthrifty birds and just a great overall supplement when called for.

NanaKat : Glad you liked it and glad it works for you. LOL and it ain't a mile long hehehehee, I do my custom feed mixing like my gramma taught me to cook, a little a this and a little a that LOL.

 

[caj1985]

Yes but it is used mainly to boost blood vitamin levels and is safe for almost all good farm livestock. without a healthy blood transfer system everything else is futile or just takes forever. It's great for bringing back unthrifty birds and just a great overall supplement when called for.

NanaKat : Glad you liked it and glad it works for you. LOL and it ain't a mile long hehehehee, I do my custom feed mixing like my gramma taught me to cook, a little a this and a little a that LOL.

Thanks, Al. Just put a little dab into either feed or water?