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

[Beekissed]

We use a .22 rifle for our critter gitter and a 16 gauge with slug and/or shot for closer work. Simple, little to no kickage, easy and light weight enough for a woman to use while still giving good accuracy if you get the right gun. They are easy to find, cheap to buy, the ammo is easy to find and also in a good price range.

 

[smyers32]

We use a .22 rifle for our critter gitter and a 16 gauge with slug and/or shot for closer work. Simple, little to no kickage, easy and light weight enough for a woman to use while still giving good accuracy if you get the right gun. They are easy to find, cheap to buy, the ammo is easy to find and also in a good price range.

X2. Love my .22 rifle.

 

[thedragonlady]

We use a .22 rifle for our critter gitter and a 16 gauge with slug and/or shot for closer work. Simple, little to no kickage, easy and light weight enough for a woman to use while still giving good accuracy if you get the right gun. They are easy to find, cheap to buy, the ammo is easy to find and also in a good price range.

Bee, Since you are not a badge carrying member of a PD , I suppose you are using hollow points?

 

[qball53]

What breed of LGD dog are you talking about? I've seen Kuvaz , Komondor , GP, and many other breeds of LGD that needed training as to WHAT to fix their prey drive on as pups.Border Collies are born with prey drive. That's why they herd sheep. LGDs wouldn't guard without it. Intruders are their PREY. Those pups WOULD mouth and chase.They take less correction than other breeds most times, but the idea that LGDs come trained is misleading.

I will tell you my Anatolian trained herself. She became of age and decided she would sleep with the chickens and guard them. I know they won't all do that, I am not a simpleton. I won't waste my time about training. There are plenty of folks willing to tell everyone how to train their dog. No the Anatolians, (mine) do not have prey drive or at least it is so low as to not be noticable. When they chase off intruders it is a guarding instinct not a prey drive instinct. Amber will very aggressively guard our chickens from a full grown Longhorn bull but she will not chase it to eat it.

Not all breeds are created equal nor dogs within the breeds. Quite frankly if you think all people are created equal you are just silly.

 

[RiddleMe]

I like it when Bee get's all riled up over a subject, I can even imagine smoke coming out of her ears LOL.
I agree though about not worrying your head off over getting sick from home canning, if done properly you needant worry. We can here at home by the cases and often and have never even once came close to throwing out a batch and that's been years and years. The scare tactics started when the current 40-50 yr old mom's who have children but refused to make time to teach them the way around the kitchen and real food, not the stuff that just comes off the shelf at the corner market. So now we are left with the 20-30 yr old moms with a kitchen full of overly processed tasteless foods and still need to read the 2 paragraphs of directions on the back every time they make them LOL. They hold in very high regard the large box that sit's so convienantly on the counter on it own alter shrine they call they the microwave, generation X calls it the stove LOL. In a few years they won't even sell real ovens in stores, you'll have to buy them off the antiques section on e-bay LOL.

What is happening here is very sad, you call us OT's like were some kind of dinosaur but we don't have to search the internet just to make a simple dinner of real food, and we don't listen to the idiot people on TV that say everything in the world that doesn't come in a box is bad for you either. I almost stopped handing out recipe directions on forums and such when people ask because in the directions i give calls for some basic knowledge kitchen utensils and technics. and after they read the recipe they ask wellll can't I just put it in the microwave for like 30 seconds LOL NO NO NO NO. After all how do you explain what a whisk is to a 20 something yr old mom with a 3 yr old who's entire vocabulary consist of words like ...................... Whateveeerrrr, Like and like and like, dude,   LOL. you think I am kidding?? I'm not.

Anyway for those of you that want to try and can, go ahead you'll love it and have fun too, don't listen to the nay sayers, listen to somebody who actually knows where the kitchen is LOL.

Bee   You go girl !!!.

Catching up on a few days of lurking but just had to say I'm a 40 something mom and my son loves to bake. Admittedly cookies and cupcakes (from scratch) are his favorites, but he also makes a mean French toast. I do have to help with measurements and make sure we don't get too many shells in the batter but given that he's almost 3yo, that will come with time... Haven't started him on canning but my own canning skills are pretty rusty, I'll have to pay a visit to my brother for a refresher course. My mom did good.

 

[thedragonlady]

I will tell you my Anatolian trained herself. She became of age and decided she would sleep with the chickens and guard them. I know they won't all do that, I am not a simpleton. I won't waste my time about training. There are plenty of folks willing to tell everyone how to train their dog. No the Anatolians, (mine) do not have prey drive or at least it is so low as to not be noticable. When they chase off intruders it is a guarding instinct not a prey drive instinct. Amber will very aggressively guard our chickens from a full grown Longhorn bull but she will not chase it to eat it.

Not all breeds are created equal nor dogs within the breeds. Quite frankly if you think all people are created equal you are just silly.

I'm an AKC judge in lure coursing...strong prey drive dogs for a baggie! I've bred, handled, and shown all breeds for 45 years. You were just lucky to get a dog who knew her job. I'll bet she was taught by her mother, and was not a 7 week old pup when you got her.Where was she before "She became of age?"

Too many people assume = *** (of) U ( and) Me..that all LGDs will simply know what to do, and create LGD monsters.I know, as a board member of our county humane society. They can be dangerous to people and animals if un- trained in basic obedience. You must be able to STOP a dog, and call it off, no matter what breed you have. Otherwise you have a loaded gun about to go off.

Ask me how I know. I had Mastiffs, the biggest in the US at the time. They would guard, but when I said , "Ok", they were likely to end up in your lap, if invited. Snap my fingers, and you did NOT move. Picture the MGM lion here..They learned what "Not yours ! " meant by 8 weeks.

 

[RiddleMe]

I did actually have a chicken question . Back in chickens a few years, mixed mostly hatchery layer flock of 16 hens and pullets. I switched to a 19-20% all purpose poultry feed mid/late summer when I integrated everyone, easier than worrying about multiple types of feed. They also get oyster shell on the side, which they barely touch, all our kitchen scraps and all day free range (lots of greens to be found). Everyone is healthy, bright eyed, active, etc. But over the last month egg production has dropped to zero. Nothing in over a week. Actually thought something might be stealing eggs but I put a couple in the boxes and two days later they are still there. So is it just the shorter days or could it be too much protein? I just didn't expect the first year pullets stop laying completely.

edited to add - meant to say I did also rule out hidden nests, locked them in the run for a few days, and no egg eaters, roll out nest boxes.

 

[Fred's Hens]

It's very likely the light.

First, I do not buy into the whole 14-16 hours of light quoted as if brought down from Sinai on many threads. That's fine if you wish to push no account layers you're gonna process at the 2 year mark anyhow. Nothing wrong with that. But, if you want to split the difference between Au Natural, ie, doing nothing and the "light 'em up" approach, just add a couple hours of pre-dawn light. You'll likely be amazed. First year pullets don't often need much help, but if you add an hour or two of light, they'll lay very, very well.

Birds that are in moult, are going to take a break and I want them to take a break. After they've taken most of October thru December off, recharged, re-grown their new feathers then they too get the 2 hours of pre-dawn light, especially since I probably intend for these birds to begin laying eggs for February hatching.

 

[delisha]

I did actually have a chicken question

. Back in chickens a few years, mixed mostly hatchery layer flock of 16 hens and pullets. I switched to a 19-20% all purpose poultry feed mid/late summer when I integrated everyone, easier than worrying about multiple types of feed. They also get oyster shell on the side, which they barely touch, all our kitchen scraps and all day free range (lots of greens to be found). Everyone is healthy, bright eyed, active, etc. But over the last month egg production has dropped to zero. Nothing in over a week. Actually thought something might be stealing eggs but I put a couple in the boxes and two days later they are still there. So is it just the shorter days or could it be too much protein? I just didn't expect the first year pullets stop laying completely.

edited to add - meant to say I did also rule out hidden nests, locked them in the run for a few days, and no egg eaters, roll out nest boxes.

Just that time of year possibly. Might be the feed. It might be filled with GMO's Have you checked for lice, mites, critters? Some hens stop laying for good reasons..ill health..moult..broody..bad feed..change in weather..stress..predators..Sounds like you are looking for and eliminating each as a source.
Examine your birds closely..do they weigh less? More? Check the coop for small holes or mite infestation. Look for rodent/mink excrement.

Welcome to the group

 

[Beekissed]

Bee, Since you are not a badge carrying member of a PD , I suppose you are using hollow points?

Nah. Just plain ol' .22 longs. Using a single shot, open sight rifle that is over 80 years old...was my grandpa's, then my dad's and now it's in the hands of us women. Heaven help us all!

The 16 gauge is about 45 yrs old and has killed it's fair share of critters as well. I guess you can say that if we like a gun we hold on to it for just a bit and make it pay for its keep.

My boys are in for a visit and had a mind to do some target shooting with the old .22 (that thing is so very accurate!) and asked where we were keeping it nowadays.

I started out my reply with, "Well, we had a stray dog in the yard the other d...." and didn't even complete the word before the youngest boy said, "Back porch." and headed for the door.

My boys know me soooo well!