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

[bruceh]

So...I guess we will continue this old thread? If so, we need to really get back to the basics and, when not an OT, please mention the years of experience you may have before giving out advice on the OT thread. If we don't do that, we are just another thread where newbies are trying to help newbies. If an OT is not available, go ahead and try to help but please let the person know your level of experience so there won't be confusion.

I thank everyone who loves the thread and have gotten good from it. I'm not too jaded to continue on but I think I've gotten a little soft and need to get back to reminding folks just what kind of thread we got going on here....this is not the thread to ask questions about chicken's feelings or if they are in mourning for another chicken. There are other threads for that. This is a utilitarian thread for folks with serious questions that apply to flock management. We like helping people and don't mind that folks are on a learning curve...we are ALL on a learning curve here...but try to remember what section of the forum you are in and try to keep the questions to flock management questions.

We love humor here and don't mind it at all....we really enjoy laughing at ourselves and others but it is not in any way meant to be mean. It's just folks being folks, so if we poke a little fun at you, don't take it to heart. We like folks to poke fun at us too to keep it all equal.

i am on the side lines watching for a while. i got more issues than answers right now. omg bee don't stop the ff feed. take it from don't stop. check out my expirence on ff for meat bird.thread. nothing like a good old slip and fall in chicken poo to realize you may have made a big mistake.

 

[thatlaidyb]

I have a question that has more than likely already been covered several times... Right now I'm in the process of researching what will be needed once I get chickens in the spring. I haven't really been around chickens before and both my grandmother and great grandmother who had them have passed so I can't ask them. Right now my family goes through a lot of eggs (between 5 and 7 dozen in a two week span) and we also eat a lot of chicken. I have been looking and I think that I have overloaded myself with too much information.. So, what would be a good dual purpose bird? Or is there really no such thing?

 

[Beekissed]

I saw.

I'm not willing to stop the FF after seeing the quick recovery of this old flock of mine while feeding this. I'm also very curious about these supersized yolks and if they will make a difference in the chicks~if any~that are brooded in the spring. I can't imagine that it wouldn't make a huge difference to the chick's nutrition at hatching and beyond.

 

[NikkiMiChickie]

I posted a question a week or so ago about my broody hen & how to raise her chicks, and was asked by someone to keep you posted on my "science experiment" of allowing the broody to raise her chicks in the coop with my other birds rather than setting up a broody pen.

First chick hatched Thursday morning. Yay! My first ever hatch A little black fuzzball made me one proud chicken owner Thursday morning! All was well with mom, her 8 remaining eggs, and new chick on Saturday morning when I left for Quarterhorse Congress, leaving my husband in charge of my critters. I returned tonight to find one fuzzy black chick and mama, sitting on 7 eggs and one broken shell. Upon closer inspection, I found that there was a dead (murdered?) fuzzy black chick in the corner of the coop floor, beside the nesting boxes. The surviving chick is in fact the newest hatchling, and Thursday's baby is now dead. I decided it was time to make a broody pen, so moved mama, her eggs and the chick to a galvanized trough and got them all set up before inspecting the dead chick. I don't think it was murdered... No missing fuzz, no broken skin, nothing. So my newest theory is that maybe he fell out of the nest box, or followed mom out to eat, but couldn't get back in and died of cold? either way, this shouldn't happen again since I've separated her. Lesson learned.

Neat discovery while moving the nest: one little Banty egg got buried in the straw and shoved out from under the broody. When I moved the eggs, they were all warm from being sat on, while this one was cold and shoved almost to the front of the nest box. I decided to "dissect" it to see what was going on in there. A tiny little black chick, fully fuzzed, was inside. I really don't know much about the developmental stages of a chicken, but this little guy had all of his toes and toenails. It was really neat to see the yolk (which was quite large compared to the tiny chick) covered in blood vessels and the umbilical cord-type thing that attached to the chick. I was a bit upset that my broody "lost" this little guy, but it was a learning experience for me nonetheless.

Other interesting discovery tonight: my surviving chick has 5 toes, so his daddy must be my little black silkie roo, CeeLo. I had wondered if a silkie cross would pass that gene along. I know OTs are anti-fuzzy butts, but he's my only silkie andi sure do like to look at him Another part of this science experiment is that of my 10 chickens, I only have 2 that are the same breed. So I'm creating some little mutt chickens, which I'm ok with for my backyard flock. The roosters will taste just as good in the spring, regardless of what breed they are

2 questions, if anyone s still reading the novel I just wrote! 1) murdered chick or death by freezing? 2) did I do the right thing by moving the nest to a safe place? Hen is happily sitting on her eggs and keeping her chick warm... Will I have to reintegrate her into my flock or will they remember her? Sorry, that was 3

Thanks!
Nikki

 

[bruceh]

I saw.

I'm not willing to stop the FF after seeing the quick recovery of this old flock of mine while feeding this. I'm also very curious about these supersized yolks and if they will make a difference in the chicks~if any~that are brooded in the spring. I can't imagine that it wouldn't make a huge difference to the chick's nutrition at hatching and beyond.

i can tell you any benefit has been destroyed. it it going to take at least 10 days to get these birds on track again. dang it . i am so mad at myself and my management. i will get it back on track.

 

[Pullet Surprise]

i can tell you any benefit has been destroyed. it it going to take at least 10 days to get these birds on track again. dang it . i am so mad at myself and my management. i will get it back on track.

Yes, Bruce, but now we know....I had been wondering about stopping for winter myself. So you solved that for me, I moved the bucket into the mudroom it works, we're not anywhere near that cold yet, just planning ahead.

 

[Beekissed]

Quote:
Congrats on your broody hatch!

1. You'll never know.
2. Yes, I believe so.
3. You will probably have to reintegrate. Do you have a large dog crate or such that will just sit right inside your coop? You could keep her and chicks in that for a week or so until the flock get used to it all when it's time to reintegrate.

My broody pen was adjacent to the coop and there was a wire covered window between the two, so my integration wasn't a big deal each time. I'd just let the new family out to free range, monitor the interaction and it was always alright.

 

[Beekissed]

i can tell you any benefit has been destroyed. it it going to take at least 10 days to get these birds on track again. dang it . i am so mad at myself and my management. i will get it back on track.

Somehow, I doubt that, Bruce. The probios in the FF will have really cultured those bird's bowels, regardless of switching to dry feed and I'm thinking that the switch in the diet was more the cause of the messy stools than the loss of any health benefits. And, of course, the increased thirst could have been a response to not having the moist feeds and the slight dehydration following the looser stools. I think it will correct itself rather quickly once you resume their normal feed.

 

[Celie]

I for one miss this thread if its discontinued. I have read it from the beginning & have a LOT of printed pages of OT answers to questions.

I admit I am sure I am one of the newbies who might of asked the same question multiple times......Im blonde & forgetful lol

But I know that because of this thread I am a better town slicker chicken raiser & my hens are better for it as well.

So thank you to Bee, walt, missippi, bruce & all the other OTs your wisdom is greatly appreciated

X2

 

[bruceh]

Somehow, I doubt that, Bruce. The probios in the FF will have really cultured those bird's bowels, regardless of switching to dry feed and I'm thinking that the switch in the diet was more the cause of the messy stools than the loss of any health benefits. And, of course, the increased thirst could have been a response to not having the moist feeds and the slight dehydration following the looser stools. I think it will correct itself rather quickly once you resume their normal feed.

you are right bee. i know this. i just get angry at myself. we all have expirenced food changes and what goes with it. now as if i did not have enough to do i got to go rake and shovel chicken poo.