***OKIES in the BYC III ***

[HeyBigRhondaq]

...

Yes you can. There are specific ways to breed within a single group of chickens, called line breeding. half sibling matings are OK until about 4 generations depending on who you talk to. Got some pictures today, I'm trying to get in the habit of watermarking my photos before I share them. Already had someone steal one of my Cream Legbar photos to sell his chicks on RareBreedAuction once. Only had time to photoshop and watermark the Cream Legbars tonight- took me over an hour! Here are some of my favorites. [/quote/] That's what I thought...researching the specifics, lol. I don't have much of a reason to watermark, but I hope to in the future. I use a simple "TextOnPhoto" app from my phone and ipad. The iPad's camera isn't half-bad, so it works for me. I always forget to take my good camera down to the coops!

 

[Kassaundra]

In my limited experience, I am seeing that my chickens will eat what they should, and generally leave alone, that which they shouldn't eat. But, we all know that birds aren't the brightest creatures around, and I do occasionally see them pecking at pieces of plastic, a pen laying around, many things they can't, or shouldn't ingest.
What about mushrooms? Specifically, poisonous ones?i found a huge white mushroom, in the yard, yesterday, in an area where the birds like to roam. It looks like the biggest white mushroom, (like the store bought kind) I've ever seen. But, I think it's a toadstool, poisonous mushroom. I plucked it, so that it's not right on the ground, for the birds to peck, but, I have 15+ acres here. Lots of tall grass, and woods. If there's one, there are more that I'm just not seeing. Should I be concerned? Or, will they just avoid the poisonous ones?

Here is my thinking on the matter for what it is worth, chickens have been pecking around on this Earth somewhere between 7 thousand and 70 million years, depending on which belief you subscribe to, roughly the same amount of time give or take a thousand to a couple of million years as said mushrooms and other assorted plants. And they are still here pecking around so somewhere along the way they have figured out what to eat and what not to eat or they'd all be dead by now. If my chickens are so chicken "street dumb" they don't know not to eat a poisonous plant and are relying on me to walk 15 acres to "chicken proof" it for them, well, lets say Darwin is going to win out.

 

[Kassaundra]

I just love mama hens )
The Cochin boy and his girls are doing wonderful. It's feels so nice to have a big Blue Cochin again. When he gets his bigger yard i think I may put some BBS Ameraucana girls in with them also.

This is the breeder holding the mama of my 2 12 wk old French Lop boys, they get 12-13 lbs. one of mine is the same color as his mama and the other is her color plus white. I'm SO in love with these 2 boys. They live in an x-pen in the living room and get out of it to play for many hours each day. I'd have never believed rabbits were so sweet! This is a real calm docile breed, like Great Pyrenees of the rabbit world.
@Kassaundra I only tease you about getting me into rabbits. If not for you I wouldn't have ever gotten these 2 boys. And what a shame that would've been.

My oh my that is a big boy. My rabbits look tiny compared to him.

 

[NanaKat]

 
Yesterday I worked all day in the barn, cleaning the brooder room.  I removed the baker's rack for Roger to use for his power tools.  Moved the 6 cage unit, sanitized all the cages and fed close to 25 baby mice to the girls.  We sure have had a prolific mice infestation! 
Im going to leave the concrete floor clear of chickens but devise two more floor pens in that room to accommodate the biddie Bantams and the large fowl with young chicks until they are ready to free-range.

Someone asked when do you incorporate juvenile birds into the flock...if they are hen raised, I let the hen do it when she is ready...usually about 2 weeks of age.    If they were hatched and raised in the brooder boxes, I wait until they are about 6 weeks of age and put them on the floor with a separate feeder, waterer and roost in an enclosure that they can leave and return themselves.  This could be a big dog crate with 2x4 openings or a bit larger.  Just big enough for the chicks and not the hens.  The chicks will explore the hen house when the big birds leave to freerange.  The hens returning to the nest boxes to lay usually will not pay much attention the the chicks. 

Now a neat story...while I was cleaning yesterday, I noticed a Blue laced Red Wyandotte that had been broody for her 21 days sitting on a golf ball calling chicks to her side.  Four or five 4 week olds whose mother was outside, responded and snuggled under the BLRW's wings and started trilling.    She kept calling and other little ones moved to her.  By the time I finished in the brooder room, she had accumulated 8 chicks.  Guess, she felt these were hers since she sat a full hatch period because when the real Moms came in, she defended her clutch against them.  Each of the other hens has about 10 little ones so having another mom isn't going to be a problem,.  This morning she had them outside hunting  behind the barn.   Not bad for a hatchery bird.

NanaKat, when you have a hen raise chicks, you still have to provide food for them too, don't you?  How do you keep the other birds from eating it?  Also, should broody hens eat something different than layer ration?

Yes, the chicks get a medicated chick starter to help build immunity to coccidiosis. The first week or two, the hen and chicks are confined to a brooder cage or pen. The chicks learn to eat the food. When on the floor, with the hen to begin free ranging, she will bring her chicks back to the same area to roost. I provide a feed and water station for them that they can enter but not the big birds. I also provide a feed mix for all the other birds that the chicks also eat with mom's encouragement.

Same with juvenile birds. Once a young bird is free ranging, they may visit the chick feeder at the juvenile station, but do well on the feed mix that has grains included.

A broody hen gets off her nest to eat and drink once or twice a day. She will eat her regular feed. As long as it has at minimum a 16% protein! she should need nothing else. I offer her tidbits like fruit, tomatoes, leftovers when in the brood cage. Some girls will eat it right away; some refuse by giving me that "broody stare". None have ever refused a nice piece of watermelon rind or cucumber.

 

[SharkmanDan]

Here is my thinking on the matter for what it is worth, chickens have been pecking around on this Earth somewhere between 7 thousand and 70 million years, depending on which belief you subscribe to, roughly the same amount of time give or take a thousand to a couple of million years as said mushrooms and other assorted plants.  And they are still here pecking around so somewhere along the way they have figured out what to eat and what not to eat or they'd all be dead by now.  If my chickens are so chicken "street dumb" they don't know not to eat a poisonous plant and are relying on me to walk 15 acres to "chicken proof" it for them, well, lets say Darwin is going to win out.

That's pretty much what I was thinking. But, when I showed that big mushroom to my wife, she kind of "freaked out", and began consternating over the birds free ranging. She's overly protective, and worries about everything, then puts the stress on me, until I can gather facts, to the contrary.

FWIW, here's a photo of the mushroom, next to a bottle cap, laying on the roof of my wife's car, for size reference.

 

[Tony O]

Quote:
Probably to far for just 1 baby chick.

I'm east of Jay, almost in Arkansas.

 

[i-love-my-honey]

Probably to far for just 1 baby chick.

I'm east of Jay, almost in Arkansas.

Unfortunately, yes. :0( Thank you, though!!!

 

[i-love-my-honey]

Yes, the chicks get a medicated chick starter to help build immunity to coccidiosis. The first week or two, the hen and chicks are confined to a brooder cage or pen. The chicks learn to eat the food. When on the floor, with the hen to begin free ranging, she will bring her chicks back to the same area to roost. I provide a feed and water station for them that they can enter but not the big birds. I also provide a feed mix for all the other birds that the chicks also eat with mom's encouragement.

Same with juvenile birds. Once a young bird is free ranging, they may visit the chick feeder at the juvenile station, but do well on the feed mix that has grains included.

A broody hen gets off her nest to eat and drink once or twice a day. She will eat her regular feed. As long as it has at minimum a 16% protein! she should need nothing else. I offer her tidbits like fruit, tomatoes, leftovers when in the brood cage. Some girls will eat it right away; some refuse by giving me that "broody stare". None have ever refused a nice piece of watermelon rind or cucumber.

That helps, I read something about too much calcium and was concerned. I have a portable 4'x4' coop over a 4'x10' run. Could I put a dog crate on the ground in the run or would it be best inside the coop?

 

[NanaKat]

Yes, the chicks get a medicated chick starter to help build immunity to coccidiosis. The first week or two, the hen and chicks are confined to a brooder cage or pen. The chicks learn to eat the food. When on the floor, with the hen to begin free ranging, she will bring her chicks back to the same area to roost. I provide a feed and water station for them that they can enter but not the big birds. I also provide a feed mix for all the other birds that the chicks also eat with mom's encouragement.


Same with juvenile birds. Once a young bird is free ranging, they may visit the chick feeder at the juvenile station, but do well on the feed mix that has grains included.


A broody hen gets off her nest to eat and drink once or twice a day. She will eat her regular feed. As long as it has at minimum a 16% protein! she should need nothing else. I offer her tidbits like fruit, tomatoes, leftovers when in the brood cage. Some girls will eat it right away; some refuse by giving me that "broody stare". None have ever refused a nice piece of watermelon rind or cucumber.

That helps, I read something about too much calcium and was concerned.  I have a portable 4'x4' coop over a 4'x10' run. Could I put a dog crate on the ground in the run or would it be best inside the coop?

A photo would help...Is this where you will put their food and water?
Do you anticipate the chicks staying in there?
Will you be able to weatherproof the dog crate to protect the feed from rain?
If not, might be better inside the coop.

 

[i-love-my-honey]

A photo would help...Is this where you will put their food and water?
Do you anticipate the chicks staying in there?
Will you be able to weatherproof the dog crate to protect the feed from rain?
If not, might be better inside the coop.

This picture was taken this spring. I now have a 2.5 gallon waterer in one corner and the box in the opposite corner is not there. I could put a box or a small crate in that corner for the chicks and the Silkie foster mom. The floor (has been taken out for summer (to avoid too much heat buildup).This is the outside run. I could put the crate in the open corner (yes, I could weatherproof it.)

I would put the chicks' water in the crate. My biggest concern is the chicks trying to go down the ramp and not getting back up. Would the Silkie lead them there?