The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[Leahs Mom]

chickie...

I do use the whey to feed the chickens too. Just that when I have it there is WAY TOO MUCH for the number of chickens I have.

I usually end up putting the excess on various plants for fertilizer and in the compost pile but the idea of using some in the bedding has me intrigued. I'm not sure I'm going to do it but I'm curious as to how it would effect it. Next time I make cheese, I may just spray some out there and see!

 

[lalaland]

hello, I had to post.. just . because its taken me a month to get caught up to the end..

-- My first order of Day old's will come mid month. and i'm very excited.. after seeing all the photo's you've been posting..
and truth be told.. I've been going thru my own "Pannic" about being a good enough care giver..

I may not be current with the list here.. for another month .. so I just wanted to say Hello..
back to lurking..

Welcome!

and don't worry, I think everyone has gone through a panic when they start out - if you have read this entire thread, you practically have a phd in chick raising.

I haven't had new chicks for about 4 years, and am getting some at the end of May and I am excited - so post what is happening with yours when you get them, and ask all the questions you want!

 

[IttyBiddyRedHen]

Glad to hear that. You said it twice once you even said you were looking for the other hole but did not want to hurt them. So what I am saying is I must have missed the humor. (in Eeyore's voice from Winnie the pooh) OH well not the first time I read something wrong probably won't be the last. (in sponge Bob's voice) LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL.

Seriously now can someone with experience in this help out as to why this did not work. Do you have to stick the bottle way up there. Do you cut feed so the don't poop it out. Whats up get graphic.

Also Moxie what steps did you take. Exactly. Did you stick it way up there. Drop it on the outside. Get graphic.
I want to know why this did not work and how to make it work. I have not done it but common sense says it should and I just can't figure out why it didn't.
The picture in my mind is turn them upside down stick the bottle in and squeeze. Don't do that unless someone with experience verifies it Like I said I never done it before

For those that don't know what I'm talking about it is about putting food color up their pooper / egg shoot to find who laid what egg.

Thanks pigeonguy- yes, I was being humorous. But also, no color on the eggs. Now I know that the poo and egg exit the same opening. But considering that chickens will poo every 7 minutes (read that somewhere), and lay an egg >1x per 24 hours, it only stands to reason that the intestinal opening would be more accessible. The egg, when being laid, closes off the poo opening. They just both exit the same vent hole is all.

Anyhoo...to be more graphic.
4 LF hens.
DH holds hen upside down. Me, wearing rubber gloves, has bottle of said color ready. We move to the door, to have better light. Now, while hen is being held upside down, I sort through feathers to access vent. Check vent for issues. Hen is opening and closing her vent during the process, as she doesn't know what's going on. I, like you, assumed ..(drop liquid in vent, end of story). So, I hold tiny plastic bottle up over her vent and drop in 3 or 4 large drops of food color. Hen opens and closes vent, because liquid is cold..apparently.
Toss hen back in coop, grab another, repeat procedure.
Wait for eggs to be laid...2 the next day...2 the day after. None have color streak.

1} Now, maybe I didn't put enough in (?)

2} Maybe, being chickens poo all the time, it did go in the wrong one.

3} I don't know.


BTW, we haven't culled any hens yet, so I have n hands on verification of vent opening on a non combative hen.

ps;

Hence, that is why I am asking in here. It is all a learning process for me. I am new to chickens.

 

[IttyBiddyRedHen]

Ok..this will work

get a syringe. mix 1/8 oz of olive oil and 4 drops of red food color. Remove the needle from the syringe and extract the oil and food color mixture. Cover the outside of the syringe with oil.(for safe insertion)
Insert the syringe into the vent all the way and deposit the oil.
In two days you should have some streaks on eggs.

Ahhh....now see? I knew somebody had to have the answer..and it wasn't me. I obviously did it wrong.

Thanks delisha. I had bought a syringe for chickens, but couldn't remember where I read it, or the process, or how to word it to look it up.

 

[Leahs Mom]

The more I look at photos, the more I think this kiddo may be a Black Australorp. She has that blue/green sheen to the feathers and she looks a lot like the photos of the BAs. I'm going to contact the gal I got them from and see if she may have been hatching BAs at the time...

Anyone have BA's? What do you think?

I never thought I'd post one of these posts...but... anyone want to guess the breed on this kiddo? She/he was supposed to be a SFH but apparently got mixed in by mistake. The folks I got her from also had clean leg marans at the same time.

So...anyone want to try a guess?

Black - Today at 14 wks old








Here is an age progression:
2 Weeks - "black" on far right.

4 Weeks

5 Weeks

6 Weeks

7 Weeks

9 wks old

 

[lalaland]

The more I look at photos, the more I think this kiddo may be a Black Australorp. She has that blue/green sheen to the feathers and she looks a lot like the photos of the BAs. I'm going to contact the gal I got them from and see if she may have been hatching BAs at the time...

Anyone have BA's? What do you think?

LM, she does have the black slate legs, and does look ba to me. LOL, am trying to remember my ba earlobe colors....you think after having them for 15 years I would remember that , wouldn't you? I'll check when next tiem I'm out.

Goal today is to get the electric fence up and running - that means shoveling about 100 feet of fenceline where it is buried under the snow . Will let the girls free range while I shovel.

Last year had a BO hen shock herself on the fence when she squirmed out of the gate while I was going in....she has some tail feathers that have come in after moult with some black streaks in them. Noticed today she is still skittish about that gate!

 

[Sally8]

BCM eggs finally hatching. I had thrown a few Sizzle eggs to see if I could get the funky feather thing. So far 2 of the Sizzle eggs hatched. Again hen is gray/blue, roo is a BCM. 1 chick is yellow but can see the back/dark skin under and the other is a silverish (probably a blue). The pic has all the BCM, 1 EE and the 2 Sizzle babies. Well I thought I was going to have a pic but it's giving me grief. I'll try again later.

 

[chikenscratch]

I am not sticking anything up inside of nt chickens!!!!!! You guys are crazy....yuck. lol

How are you cleaning that playpen?

Homegrown all the way. A good way to tell if someone g!rows their own is to start up a conversation about their produce, seeds, etc. Only people that gro their own will have this knowledge! Also its a great way to see how they prep their garden throughout the year, how many acres they have, etc. Farmers are all willing to talk farming with others that show interest (as long as you don't ask for their secrets).

Sorry to hear of the loss to yhe cold temps.

 

[Kassaundra]

Leah's mom, I am horrible at chick breed ID, so I am throwing this out there for what it is worth. The chick down and early coloring pattern isn't that a pattern for mottled??? The SFH pic you showed is that a version of mottled (the correct adult patterning)???? If so could blackie have extra melanizers w/ the mottling?? Could she express the mottling more after the first molt??? Sorry that is more questions then answers isn't it.

 

[IttyBiddyRedHen]

I am not sticking anything up inside of nt chickens!!!!!! You guys are crazy....yuck. lol

How are you cleaning that playpen?

Homegrown all the way. A good way to tell if someone g!rows their own is to start up a conversation about their produce, seeds, etc. Only people that gro their own will have this knowledge! Also its a great way to see how they prep their garden throughout the year, how many acres they have, etc. Farmers are all willing to talk farming with others that show interest (as long as you don't ask for their secrets).

Sorry to hear of the loss to yhe cold temps.

The only reason I am considering it is because we have one hen of four LF hens that is consistently laying fragile eggs. The shells are too thin and the yolk is even fragile. She may be a future cull, as she can't lay eggs for reproduction. They are offered oyster shell often. As it is, I remove those eggs for consumption only. Of our other 3 LF hens, and the 3 game hens, they all have hard sturdy shells.