Farming and Homesteading Heritage Poultry

[Fentress]

I only handle mine off the roost too. I've yet to see one of mine duck and freeze when a hawk goes overhead...they are too busy running for cover where they will then freeze. I've never seen one freeze out in the open.

Some of mine run when the alarm goes off, but some stop and look up. I actually think the older ones know that they should find the hawk before deciding which way to run. I don't think they even have to run from a Red Tail, just step to the side, like a charging bull that can't change directions. The smaller Coopers Hawk is a whole 'nother story!

I am interested in how people handle their birds, off the roost is the only way I can get my hands on them. I am not going to keep small groups or individual cocks in a pen, except for breeding or maybe a grow out pen. That means the cock has to come back to the flock after being in the breeding or grow out pen. I have never reintroduced a cock to a flock. I see conflict issues here.

During breeding season, I could hold back the best cock, send others to the breeding pen, and then not let them come back (cull) to the flock. Send the cock I held back to the pen next year and hold back the best cockerel from the pervious year. I know that is not how you should do it, but it might be the best I can do. In terms of a grow out pen, obviously the chosen one/few must come back to the flock. The longer you keep them out of the flock and the older they get the more issues you probably have with reintroduction. However, the longer you keep the cockerels, the better you can evaluate and choose a breeder. I knew this would not be easy.

 

[bluebirdnanny]

I have never seen a chicken that was not instinctively wary of things overhead. No training necessary, regardless of how they were raised.

Since night time predators are more likely to be effective in killing I trained mine to go back to coop and lock them up at night.

During the daytime they free range without restrictions except for my body and my walking staff (used like a herding stick) to 'train' them away from the road so they won't get hit by car or stray too far get into the sharecroppers plot across the street. (Don't want mine getting used to eating in soybean or corn fields).

My term training was referring to me acting as a herder I guess you'd say to teach the unacceptable to cross barrier set for them. I yell 'back, back' and move quick (as I can) to get between them and the "no no" areas if need be stretching out my walking staff to nudge them away or herd them back.
Then all I have to do is watch from the door if I go in to eat and yell "back back Baaack". They turn back every time so far.

I have noticed chickens inside fenced areas or with overhead wire aren't as fast to act on their natural instincts for protection. Then if they ARE out true free ranging (no restrictions) they are more lax and more will get caught.

As you can tell I am an old fashioned husbandry care person. But then my environment lends to this type of management. If I could afford to and physically, medically handle a larger farm endeavor I would. But I am NOT they type to use chemicals to improve the production of such. I have used no chemicals at all on this property since I moved back here. Now the interim between my high school years/my family owned and my return it was "the cabin" for my married life period. The husband then did to my objections use round up or other strong killers on burdock etc.

Funny but I have less of those pesky intruders than we did back then. We had more and more when he was sneaking around with the squirt bottle. LOL my methods work better... though it takes time, attention and persistence.

Just like proper breeding and poultry management.... you have to spend time with them, observe them, and learn what their requirements are to live at their best naturally. Not many have the patience now days to do this type of management. This I want it, I want it now attitude and way of life is why there are so many neurological problems etc with our children and changes for the worst in our environment today. (I CAN say this as I experienced first hand the permanent physical health effects from exposures. The worst in my book was a husband who KNEW chemicals caused a respiratory problem for me and would pour or spray them on the pillow beside me before I woke.)

I live alone now with my chickens, cats, fish tanks and my wildlife on the property now. Past has had lasting effects on my body but I pay attention and manage to keep any further deterioration at the minimum. I find ways to get around the "normal" way of doing things to get something done. I drag instead of lift. I get laughed at by friends for crawling or dragging my body to do work in garden when I have to as I can't squat very well. But hey I DO IT. Might take me longer than a strong bodied person but I refuse to give up. This is ONE of the reasons I have my chickens to begin with. I may not be able to hold an income generating job but I eat and feel a purpose in life from activities of my own hands. I see NO purpose in sitting somewhere watching TV, waiting for someone to bring me what I need to stay alive, or even BEING in a place where I can not plant food and have to beg Government for money so I can pay someone to buy food from the store which is laden with stuff I shouldn't be eating anyway.

I think I may be living in the wrong time and Era ..... oh to be where the picture is: you supplied me with some grain or alfalfa, or your cow manure/bedding and when I cull I supply you with the meat or some eggs or some other things swapped out of the garden. Knowing that if I ask for help others will know it is because I truthfully need a little to get me over a hump. Am I nuts to prefer to get help with heating costs than to get too much in food help and nothing else?

Ok ENOUGH of that, off my soap box now. Wishing to all a productive day in whatever way you call productive!

 

[finnfur]

Since night time predators are more likely to be effective in killing I trained mine to go back to coop and lock them up at night.

During the daytime they free range without restrictions except for my body and my walking staff (used like a herding stick) to 'train' them away from the road so they won't get hit by car or stray too far get into the sharecroppers plot across the street. (Don't want mine getting used to eating in soybean or corn fields).

My term training was referring to me acting as a herder I guess you'd say to teach the unacceptable to cross barrier set for them. I yell 'back, back' and move quick (as I can) to get between them and the "no no" areas if need be stretching out my walking staff to nudge them away or herd them back.
Then all I have to do is watch from the door if I go in to eat and yell "back back Baaack". They turn back every time so far.

I have noticed chickens inside fenced areas or with overhead wire aren't as fast to act on their natural instincts for protection. Then if they ARE out true free ranging (no restrictions) they are more lax and more will get caught.

As you can tell I am an old fashioned husbandry care person. But then my environment lends to this type of management. If I could afford to and physically, medically handle a larger farm endeavor I would. But I am NOT they type to use chemicals to improve the production of such. I have used no chemicals at all on this property since I moved back here. Now the interim between my high school years/my family owned and my return it was "the cabin" for my married life period. The husband then did to my objections use round up or other strong killers on burdock etc.

Funny but I have less of those pesky intruders than we did back then. We had more and more when he was sneaking around with the squirt bottle. LOL my methods work better... though it takes time, attention and persistence.

Just like proper breeding and poultry management.... you have to spend time with them, observe them, and learn what their requirements are to live at their best naturally. Not many have the patience now days to do this type of management. This I want it, I want it now attitude and way of life is why there are so many neurological problems etc with our children and changes for the worst in our environment today. (I CAN say this as I experienced first hand the permanent physical health effects from exposures. The worst in my book was a husband who KNEW chemicals caused a respiratory problem for me and would pour or spray them on the pillow beside me before I woke.)

I live alone now with my chickens, cats, fish tanks and my wildlife on the property now. Past has had lasting effects on my body but I pay attention and manage to keep any further deterioration at the minimum. I find ways to get around the "normal" way of doing things to get something done. I drag instead of lift. I get laughed at by friends for crawling or dragging my body to do work in garden when I have to as I can't squat very well. But hey I DO IT. Might take me longer than a strong bodied person but I refuse to give up. This is ONE of the reasons I have my chickens to begin with. I may not be able to hold an income generating job but I eat and feel a purpose in life from activities of my own hands. I see NO purpose in sitting somewhere watching TV, waiting for someone to bring me what I need to stay alive, or even BEING in a place where I can not plant food and have to beg Government for money so I can pay someone to buy food from the store which is laden with stuff I shouldn't be eating anyway.

I think I may be living in the wrong time and Era ..... oh to be where the picture is: you supplied me with some grain or alfalfa, or your cow manure/bedding and when I cull I supply you with the meat or some eggs or some other things swapped out of the garden. Knowing that if I ask for help others will know it is because I truthfully need a little to get me over a hump. Am I nuts to prefer to get help with heating costs than to get too much in food help and nothing else?

Ok ENOUGH of that, off my soap box now. Wishing to all a productive day in whatever way you call productive!

I applaud your attitude towards life - thanks for posting

 

[Lacy Blues]

Wow, bluebirdnanny, I applaud you. You seem to be a very hard worker and determined to live your own life without regard to your limitations and I admire you for that. I try to be the same way, but some days... I'm not quite that driven. I'm glad you are living "alone" now... with help like that, who needs enemies, eh? Unbelievable!

I wish you the best and were you closer, I would help where I could.

 

[gjensen]

I have a health concern myself. I like the birds, and they will be one of the last things that I give up. I get a lot of enjoyment out of them.

I am also trying to learn to operate with my limitations. I figure if I am going to go down, I will go down doing the best that I can. I am having to rethink and relearn everything. I was heading in a different direction than I am now. I do have things that I look forward to and have hope in. These things put my limitations in perspective.

I have no complaints. I have been and still am blessed with more than I deserve.

I appreciate your post. I have a tendency to get a picture of "correctness" in my head, and forget that there is a variety of people keeping poultry for a variety of reasons. Often we will not agree, but one thing that we all have in common is that we enjoy our birds.

 

[bluebirdnanny]

Well I went out to see if any ice could be chopped away on limestone driveway and the path to the coop. My poultry came out and spent time with me and I got a third egg which means one of the heritage is laying and I didn't see which! So I decided I needed to get busy on something inside the coop to separate the rocks and the heritage chicks as we plan on hatching all the heritage until I get the size flock I want AND some breeders to work with.

Well it was warm 'enough' and I needed to finish a spot on the south wall. So after chopping back some ice there I finished the lower part of the wall under the window. Then I decided to install that window correctly so I took it off the inside where I had done a quick tack and lifted it and put it on the outside correctly and cut and put a new piece of osb under it. Enough heavy work so I moved the old dresser frame over there under the window (bottom for nesting) Think I will put the drawers back in the top part for tools I use out there. Then got ambitious and took the screened front part off the little coop to move it over against the other wall.

Ah that took gap that was at the top and bottom of the window where snow was blowing in and rain hitting window just fell inside coop. Not now it won't!!!! All the nesting boxes now are on the south wall of the coop and I can easily get to the one hanging on the side of the mini coop back! So unless they lay on the side of coop I am working on for a mating pen tomorrow gathering should be easier. And it opened up the center of the coop. Ah but it was getting dark and the poultry had put themselves to bed on roost behind the peak of the little coop back. They are using its hanging nest box lid to jump up to roosting studs!

Since I have no lighting or heat in there I had to stop playing with the rearranging once I got the roof back on the screened frame part. Of course the screen is only a three sided so next step will be to make a back wall to it either of hardware wiring or osb with a pop hole.

For now it is time for the heating pad and breathing treatment. Tomorrow afternoon the body and weather will tell if I can begin again.

 

[ChickieMomma2Be]

I've found a breeder for Buff Orpington's about an hour away from where I'm moving. He's sent a few pics and they are beautiful, but I am a bit concerned as he stated that they have a hatch rate of about 70%. What is it that I could do to increase the vigor as far as the hatch rate goes, other than introducing another strain, of course. I apologize if this has already been answered, but I'm still reading through the pages of posts on this thread. Was wanting to see if I could go ahead and see if I could get an answer on this, as after we move, I will not have internet access for a while. I know I will probably have access by the time I'm ready to start hatching, as I plan to wait till they are atleast 2 before I let my girls set. I guess I've been kinda feeling the crunch as we will be moving in about a week.

 

[BGMatt]

I've found a breeder for Buff Orpington's about an hour away from where I'm moving. He's sent a few pics and they are beautiful, but I am a bit concerned as he stated that they have a hatch rate of about 70%. What is it that I could do to increase the vigor as far as the hatch rate goes, other than introducing another strain, of course. I apologize if this has already been answered, but I'm still reading through the pages of posts on this thread. Was wanting to see if I could go ahead and see if I could get an answer on this, as after we move, I will not have internet access for a while. I know I will probably have access by the time I'm ready to start hatching, as I plan to wait till they are atleast 2 before I let my girls set. I guess I've been kinda feeling the crunch as we will be moving in about a week.

70% hatch rate (of fertile eggs) or 70% fertility? Both could be improved by management. Hatch rate can be affected by temp and humidity and even sanitation of incubators. Fertility can be aided by plucking around the vent. Orpingtons tens to be exceedingly fluffy. Either way I don't think that number is anything to be alarmed about without more info.

 

[Arielle]

Hey Bluebird!! My woods coop is not finished yet, looking forward to spring when the ground thaws to get the last 2 posts in. I did move the Ameraucanas in and the girls looooove having leaves to scratch in. ( My last bag until the snows melt).

 

[bluebirdnanny]

Rearranged the two half sections of the little coop today. Now I just have to square off the back of the cage part and get some hardware cloth on the back end of it.

I put up some new braces higher for some roosts that will clear the peak of the little coop roofing. That way I could push them back some.... leaving room for the width of the transfer shovel behind.
While I was at it too I removed the most of the Poop towers that were back there between some studs and behind something I had screwed to the back wall.... Now I can get to it all and there are no pockets for them to drop their poop into! Neighbor that was giving me wood stove coals/ashes wants some chicken poop in spring.... She will get some that doesn't have too much alfalfa or pine shavings in it. Hehe.... I will still have the mixed stuff for my use.

So now the one behind the peaks of the two half is still at the lower height where they could fly up to or climb on the nest box lid to get up then move forward to roof peaks or up on to the high roost. They were exploring when I finally quit and began consolidating pieces of osb, 2x4, 2x6 etc.

The two rocks didn't lay today since I was fussing about in that area but I did get a heritage Kittle RIR egg. So now I know which is laying. But she took sooooo long in there. Maybe from my disturbances in there. At any rate I have one I know for sure is a Heritage egg to reserve for hatching collected immediately following lay. Now if I could just catch when the Nelson pullet begins to lay and snag some of hers. The others I gathered on days I got three I don't know which is which.

I sifted the coals out of the ashes when I moved to the front of coop hoping to catch which girls laid next by watching and making that end quiet for a while. The just played on the different levels and in and out of the split sections of the old coop like kids on monkey bars and tunnels! They just chased each other around the opened up center of the coop, all the way around and through the sections! Then settled down ON the original roost behind the peak of little coop. White rocks at corner end then the RIR and finally the Cockerel on the open end. So he has all the girls between him and the corner.... Good protector lol I'd have to go through him or climb over the nest box to get to the corner.

Ok Church in morning so time for bed with heat pad for me. I'm sure they will lay early tomorrow and want to get up in time to get any before they can get too cold/freeze.