Ideas and Routines to Make any Flock Happy.

[U_Stormcrow]

Well, I was taking flowering tops off my basil last night and just tossed them into the chicken run since I didn't have enough to make setting up the drier worth it and didn't have an immediate use for fresh basil.

They don't really like it.

Fresh weeds are their green of choice.

Similar - made a batch of pesto after topping the flowers/seeds from a bunch of basil. Neither the goats nor the chickens expressed much interest. Ended up tossing on my chicken tower (an idea I can't claim credit for - @Phaedra Geiermann was my inspiration), though mine is more squat and larger in diameter. [mistakenely beleived it to be 4' tall by 4' dia, but its closers to 3' x 3' dia]. Queue jokes about men and measurements - in my defense, it seemed bigger when i was shovelling dirt into it.

My birds to eat the tops of scallions and garlic - but it may be that they are eating the bugs at the tops of the onions, scallions, garlic and other alliums, and only getting the green plant material by mistake.

The flock benefits from acres of free range pasture, and a large run, but I do periodically take logs, limbs, etc from my work underbrushing and move them into the run, stacking them so they have perches, hideouts, etc - and the run is large enough that they've not destroyed all of the varied foliage, for more entertainment value.

 

[_Moon_]

Similar - made a batch of pesto after topping the flowers/seeds from a bunch of basil. Neither the goats nor the chickens expressed much interest. Ended up tossing on my chicken tower (an idea I can't claim credit for - @Phaedra Geiermann was my inspiration), though mine is more squat and larger in diameter. [mistakenely beleived it to be 4' tall by 4' dia, but its closers to 3' x 3' dia]. Queue jokes about men and measurements - in my defense, it seemed bigger when i was shovelling dirt into it.

My birds to eat the tops of scallions and garlic - but it may be that they are eating the bugs at the tops of the onions, scallions, garlic and other alliums, and only getting the green plant material by mistake.

The flock benefits from acres of free range pasture, and a large run, but I do periodically take logs, limbs, etc from my work underbrushing and move them into the run, stacking them so they have perches, hideouts, etc - and the run is large enough that they've not destroyed all of the varied foliage, for more entertainment value.

That is genus! I love how you put the logs and stuff in there. It sounds natural.

 

[_Moon_]

Check this out, https://www.planetpoultry.com.au/16-natural-remedies

 

[SilkySilkie]

my silkie also doesnt know how to dust bathe and tries to copy the hens and its hilarious

 

[Sally PB]

I do "snack time" in the afternoon. It's usually their food wetted into a mash. Since I've integrated the pullets with the hens and rooster, I've scattered it by the spoonful in lots of places in the run. Then the pullets can get some without getting too close to the hens (especially the bottom hen who will chase them off).

While they're doing that, I go clean the coop. I scoop the poop off the poop board, scoop any other plops I see in the pine shavings.

I'll be cleaning up the garden soon, and they'll be getting some piles of weeds. When the leaves come down, they'll get several piles of nice dry, fluffy leaves. (They loved those last year!) When the grass is mowed, I usually rake up some grass trimmings for them.

We'll be getting some large trees taken down in December. I'll have a huge pile of wood chips. If some of that dries out enough (to allay the possible mold), I'll be putting a good layer of those in the run.

 

[_Moon_]

I do "snack time" in the afternoon. It's usually their food wetted into a mash. Since I've integrated the pullets with the hens and rooster, I've scattered it by the spoonful in lots of places in the run. Then the pullets can get some without getting too close to the hens (especially the bottom hen who will chase them off).

While they're doing that, I go clean the coop. I scoop the poop off the poop board, scoop any other plops I see in the pine shavings.

I'll be cleaning up the garden soon, and they'll be getting some piles of weeds. When the leaves come down, they'll get several piles of nice dry, fluffy leaves. (They loved those last year!) When the grass is mowed, I usually rake up some grass trimmings for them.

We'll be getting some large trees taken down in December. I'll have a huge pile of wood chips. If some of that dries out enough (to allay the possible mold), I'll be putting a good layer of those in the run.

I like how you move the snacks for the pullets and cockerels. It really shows a great example of a pecking order.

Sorry I'm a big animal behavior nerd. lol.

 

[3KillerBs]

I do "snack time" in the afternoon. It's usually their food wetted into a mash. Since I've integrated the pullets with the hens and rooster, I've scattered it by the spoonful in lots of places in the run. Then the pullets can get some without getting too close to the hens (especially the bottom hen who will chase them off).

I also put out treats in separated piles so that dominant and subordinate birds both get a share.

 

[SilkySilkie]

yeah thats what i do too for the pullets since they too are in the main flock

 

[Sally PB]

I also put out treats in separated piles so that dominant and subordinate birds both get a share.

I've been doing that with dry food at daybreak too. Everyone has stuff to scratch around and find, and everyone gets to eat first thing.

 

[_Moon_]

I started a new project! I call it, The Flock Project.

I started out with a trio of black silkies (1 roo, 3 hens). First i was kinda mesmerized by how they have all these little roles, lead hen (usually older with more experience), and then the younger ones who were just buddies and never really fought at all. The rooster was just awesome, so sweet to his hens and other roosters. But that got me thinking, why?

So i allowed all three of the hens to have chicks, cool thing about that was they ALL helped. like all three on the same nest. But that left the rooster all alone in the same pen. Some people say you cant do that because he will get jealous, but he never did. In fact he did the complete opposite, which changed the way i view chickens entirely. Every day while the hens were broody, he would lay with them. When they got up to eat and drink he would show them where the food was EVERY day. At night he would sleep with them. But when they hatched is when it blew me away. All three hens hatched all thirty eggs. I thought i would have to move them because everyone says you have to. But I never did. When those chicks started walking around with the moms he would show them the food and water. When they were cold not only would they snuggle their mom, but they mostly snuggled him. I would go in the coop and see all thirty chicks under him. I would see thirty different pairs of legs sticking out from underneath him lol. When they got older he would let them ride around on his back. It was funny. Then i wondered if this was genetic. Not only that but is the aggressive rooster genetic.
So now i am on a mission to find out. so far i have two working flocks and i am hoping i can help other breeders have working flocks too.