Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[Johnn]

Grwat
Quote: Thanks

 

[Leahs Mom]

I rejuvenated the indoor dust box with a bit of new peat moss and a small amount of ash this morning. Just went out there and found mom teaching the kids how to dust! All the chickens LOVE the peat moss!

 

[Chickinn]

She is a beautiful hen! What is her breed?

Thank you! She is an Easter Egger as far as I know. I bought her from someone who had too many chickens and wanted to get rid of some

 

[Chickinn]

I rejuvenated the indoor dust box with a bit of new peat moss and a small amount of ash this morning. Just went out there and found mom teaching the kids how to dust! All the chickens LOVE the peat moss!

This is precious!!! I love it!

 

[farmerfogg]

Thank you! She is an Easter Egger as far as I know.  I bought her from someone who had too many chickens and wanted to get rid of some  

I am hoping to get an EE or two at some point. They look like sweet birds!

 

[farmer boy]

i have two ees had 3 but one died .. he has a son and an other ee she is almost 9 months old ... so if i breed them with each other i might get better .. my young ee roos dad had pure bred amerucana or something one of those and an other breed crossed and made him .. but they are really pretty

 

[cluckcluckluke]

You know you can make pretty cheap yogurt for your chickens? I do this all the time for myself. Heat milk (I do 1/2 gallon at a time--don't use super pasteurized, just regular any fat content) to 180* (takes about 20 minutes in the microwave). Allow to cool to less than 120*. Add 2 Tbsp plain yogurt (for the culture) and whisk it in. Cover, wrap in towel, place in slightly warmed (but definitely OFF) oven with the oven light on for 6-8 hours and VOILA! Yogurt. Easy peasy and MUCH cheaper than buying. You can use the last bit of your last batch for the culture of your next. Heating kills bacteria, then you add the new "good" bacteria (culture) and let it grow in the warm environment. I eat this every day. I like to add 1/2 cup fat free powdered milk in the beginning (before heating) and after removing from the oven, I chill mine for 2 hours in the fridge, then strain through a cloth to remove about a quart of whey. That gives me nice creamy greek-style yogurt and my chickens get the whey (they go bonkers for it! unless my dear mom gets it first--she loves to cook with it). Don't flavor or sweeten (for human consumption) until after straining and setting aside your 2 Tbsp of starter for the next batch (which you can keep in the fridge for 2 weeks or just freeze it). I usually start the process at night and sleep while it's warming. Six hours is pretty much the minimum time it will take, but you can leave it up to 10 in the warm oven. I always put a sign on the oven that says "PLEASE LEAVE OVEN DOOR SHUT AND OVEN LIGHT ON. YOGURT MAKING IN PROGRESS." I used to put the sign on the oven handle, but once I forgot I was making yogurt and nearly ruined a batch by preheating the oven for pizza. I realized my error when I started to smell the towel burning. Now I put the sign right over the oven controls. SHEESH! (face-palm)

I do this all the time except I put the made yoghurt in a yoghurt maker to sit over night and then in the morning it's all ready.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I rejuvenated the indoor dust box with a bit of new peat moss and a small amount of ash this morning. Just went out there and found mom teaching the kids how to dust! All the chickens LOVE the peat moss!

The chicks have gotten so big, sweet pics..

 

[groverlvchx]

I rejuvenated the indoor dust box with a bit of new peat moss and a small amount of ash this morning. Just went out there and found mom teaching the kids how to dust! All the chickens LOVE the peat moss!












Indoor dust box! GENIUS!! I never thought of that and I can see where they are trying to use the bedding to dust bathe--where do you get peat? I don't have ash, either. Can I use sand from the sand box? (it's also frozen solid...) What to do???

 

[Leahs Mom]

Quote: You can get a big bag of peat moss from any home type store. I got mine at Menards. I think any place like Home Depot, etc., that has a garden center will have it.

I did use sand for awhile - and at one point just dug dirt from the garden. At this time of year, if the ground isn't too frozen to dig the dirt, it would be holding a lot of moisture so you might have to let it dry out before putting it in the box. They didn't like the sand as well as the dirt or peat moss.

The WOOD ash helps prevent lice and mites. You only use a very little of it percentage wise in the whole box. You can get that from having a bonfire with wood or from someone that has a wood burning stove. Just ask them to save a bucket of their ashes for you!