Our introduction to keeping chickens, the high's, the lows and pics of our journey.

[NovaAman]

Can you believe your thread is over 50 pages already?


Awesome pattern/lacing what ever on this one.

 

[Wrightsx4]

I think, if you could get away with doing it, you probably have a turn over on the cockerels for dinner. That is really the only reason I let the girls set eggs here. Replenish the egg laying flock, and replenish the freezer. I like know what my birds were doing and how they were living their lives. Nice, free, in the sun and happy in their chicken living lives. May not be as "big" as a store bought roaster, but they are raised better, the way nature intended.

Couldn't agree with you more. It's good to know that the chicken I feed my family [now!] was fed well and lived a good chicken's life - a much fuller and healthier life than that of the poor chickens available at the store, and MUCH better than most of the non-meat roos hatched at commercial hatcheries.
Baby is so pretty I really like the SPW feathering too. Luna definitely looks like she'll win the egg laying race vs your LS!
I'm beginning to wonder if my broody hatched chicks will ever get use to me picking them up. My first faverolle was so friendly and affectionate...these seven? Not so much. Even though Betty (mom) has never seen me as a threat at all and brings them right over to me, they don't like being touched. I do love watching her raise them though. It's very sweet - one of my older roosters brings them food frequently and guards them when I let them out of the pen for brief adventures.
I should really try to get a pic of them one of these days.

 

[ozexpat]

Couldn't agree with you more. It's good to know that the chicken I feed my family [now!] was fed well and lived a good chicken's life - a much fuller and healthier life than that of the poor chickens available at the store, and MUCH better than most of the non-meat roos hatched at commercial hatcheries.
Baby is so pretty I really like the SPW feathering too. Luna definitely looks like she'll win the egg laying race vs your LS!
I'm beginning to wonder if my broody hatched chicks will ever get use to me picking them up. My first faverolle was so friendly and affectionate...these seven? Not so much. Even though Betty (mom) has never seen me as a threat at all and brings them right over to me, they don't like being touched. I do love watching her raise them though. It's very sweet - one of my older roosters brings them food frequently and guards them when I let them out of the pen for brief adventures.
I should really try to get a pic of them one of these days.

nature intended us to stalk the jungles of Asia chasing small fowl that lay 50 eggs a year

saying that, I still prefer the satisfaction of eating home raised food

 

[Wrightsx4]

nature intended us to stalk the jungles of Asia chasing small fowl that lay 50 eggs a year

saying that, I still prefer the satisfaction of eating home raised food

haha - I guess if I would only get 50 eggs per year I wouldn't want to pen them and provide their feed either. Then again it can be tiring stalking down and catching a chicken that's determined to not be caught!
Ben - I think Nova gave you another excuse to fire up that bator! Afterall, you'll need meat in the freezer in a few months right?

 

[ozexpat]

haha - I guess if I would only get 50 eggs per year I wouldn't want to pen them and provide their feed either. Then again it can be tiring stalking down and catching a chicken that's determined to not be caught!
Ben - I think Nova gave you another excuse to fire up that bator! Afterall, you'll need meat in the freezer in a few months right?

When my wife was doing her 1st bachelors degree in political science she spent 8 weeks living with the aboriginal natives of the Northern Philippines. She spent her days snaring chickens - red jungle fowl - (gallus gallus) and digging up taro to eat. Mrs Oz will tell you that the chicken that nature made is not much like a dual purpose bird we rear and love.

 

[Bens-Hens]

Sorry for the big quote guys, only way I can get to everyone!

Well, I must say, I am glad your kids were willing to help with the dinner preps. I can't do it yet... I do have several that will be heading to the processor soon...

I think, if you could get away with doing it, you probably have a turn over on the cockerels for dinner. That is really the only reason I let the girls set eggs here. Replenish the egg laying flock, and replenish the freezer. I like know what my birds were doing and how they were living their lives. Nice, free, in the sun and happy in their chicken living lives. May not be as "big" as a store bought roaster, but they are raised better, the way nature intended.

Can you believe your thread is over 50 pages already?

Couldn't agree with you more. It's good to know that the chicken I feed my family [now!] was fed well and lived a good chicken's life - a much fuller and healthier life than that of the poor chickens available at the store, and MUCH better than most of the non-meat roos hatched at commercial hatcheries.
Baby is so pretty I really like the SPW feathering too. Luna definitely looks like she'll win the egg laying race vs your LS!
I'm beginning to wonder if my broody hatched chicks will ever get use to me picking them up. My first faverolle was so friendly and affectionate...these seven? Not so much. Even though Betty (mom) has never seen me as a threat at all and brings them right over to me, they don't like being touched. I do love watching her raise them though. It's very sweet - one of my older roosters brings them food frequently and guards them when I let them out of the pen for brief adventures.
I should really try to get a pic of them one of these days.

I am in agree with both you ladies. When were were eating out first home raised bird my wife said "This is probably what chicken is supposed to taste like, were are just used to the other stuff" Makes total sense. We still buy chicken, as we eat more than we grow, but I am liking where this is heading. We had chicken and corn soup the other night. I think we could grow and raise all ingredients to make it completely at home. I think that will be my spring time project!

Baby is very nice, the other rooster of that breed is awesome too, he is a much darker grey, big tail on him, just fantastic looking bird.

Would love to see the little ones.

nature intended us to stalk the jungles of Asia chasing small fowl that lay 50 eggs a year

saying that, I still prefer the satisfaction of eating home raised food

I have tried that before....harder than it looks. Those wild game birds are fast devils, never catch them on foot!

haha - I guess if I would only get 50 eggs per year I wouldn't want to pen them and provide their feed either. Then again it can be tiring stalking down and catching a chicken that's determined to not be caught!
Ben - I think Nova gave you another excuse to fire up that bator! Afterall, you'll need meat in the freezer in a few months right?

I have thought about it, trying real hard to stick to the plan though, ultimate goal is to have a healthy flock of home raised layers. To walk down with an empty egg tray and come back with a full one, preferably of a range of colours. If we produce a few more roo's along the way then we will treat them decently and not waste them.

Naturally, we will have to have an annual hatch to maintain effective numbers though.....and diversity hahahahaha

When my wife was doing her 1st bachelors degree in political science she spent 8 weeks living with the aboriginal natives of the Northern Philippines. She spent her days snaring chickens - red jungle fowl - (gallus gallus) and digging up taro to eat. Mrs Oz will tell you that the chicken that nature made is not much like a dual purpose bird we rear and love.

Just as Alicia said when eating a duel purpose bird. Reminds me of chips (fries) Saw a doco on McDonald's, the host was shocked to hear they sugar wash the fries before frying. McD's rep said "The public wanted to see perfect chips every time, they complain if one look different to the others. Sugar washing gives that uniformity. Every commercial chip producer uses sugar washing to maintain the perfect standard the customer demands."

We are just used to something, and if it's not the same (say chicken breast size, or tenderness) it's not 'right'. Even if, that's how it is supposed to be before the product was developed and marketed.

 

[AussieHens96]

After reading this it reminds us why we've had our girls vaccinated (when we bought them) for Marek's disease and something else. I'm sorry about your chickens :/

 

[Bens-Hens]

Thanks for the well wishes. We did not know about these issues. We thought chickens were something you threw down the back and fed food scraps. Foolish I know, but it was not until we started to have problems that we jumped on the education band wagon.

We now have vaccine in the fridge. We are not ready to declare that we are free of MD just yet, will be confident to say that once the four older chooks are laying and past the danger zone.

In today's news, went for a run this morning, came home and cooked up some awesome bacon and egg rolls, then got into some run modifications. Just a few small things I have been meaning to get done. Mostly to refine things, improve it for the girls.

Was a couple of weeks ago that I re-located the roosting bars/perches. Lowered two which has given them more head room and easier to hop onto. Today I removed the little ladder we had in there now they seem to be able to get up no worries. Opened up the floor space a bit.


The little devils have been digging under the pavers for the garden shed, I had wire there but thought we could neaten it up a bit. We used two different gauge wires and relocated some old roll on lawn under it. Hope that it greens up and make a little lawn box for them. Strong enough to walk on, small enough not to reach the base of the lawn. See how it works out. Also trenched and wired the perimeter to try stop them digging under.


Did a major sift and clean of the sand base, topped it up. Was it's first big clean other than a daily scoop in the morning.


They had been scratching the nest box contents out (even though they left no eggs in place!) I cut and glued in these little lips to try keep the stuff in there a bit better. Moved to the last three boxes, two are over open air so I made this little shelf/perch to help them get in from the ground. One is still over the sand area. See what one they go for when the time comes. The first three are open but now empty.


That's it for today, been a big one! Thanks for reading.

 

[Wrightsx4]

I bet they'll really enjoy the garden box. I keep one in my run and throw leftover seeds in it - they especially like pea vines! In the fall I rake loose an area and put perennial rye seed under it so they have greens late into the fall. When I change their water each morning I dump the old water onto their "garden".

 

[Bens-Hens]

Excellent Pam, I love that idea. Will see how the lawn goes, if it's not working the best we have some old feed here that has grains in it, can lob them under there and see if any of the wheat sprouts!

Will see if I have enough material laying about to make a cap for the top edge same as yours.

Thanks for the advise!