The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[loanwizard]

Why do chickens put all their eggs in one basket? To answer that, simple, do away with Man. No fences, no feed, no nipple waterers, no nest boxes.

What eats chicken and eggs minus Man? Probably easier to say what doesn't.... and Deer might like eggs.

If you want to know what is low on the food chain, watch their reproductive cycles and litter size. Mice, Rabbits, Chickens, etc..... Been ruminating on this since my sows have large litters grow quickly and have 2 litters per year. I have a VERY difficult time watching Pig Birth as the sow, in childbirth struggles to keep from mashing her young, while they struggle to get close and find that nipple.... Talk about danger at a young age......

Anyway, at my farm, Raccoon, Opossum, dogs, fox, mink, marten, coyote, hogs.... all eat chicken and eggs.

My Goose has her eggs high in the haystack and covers them to keep them hidden.

Back to the original question. In the wild, birds flock together. If predators discover one egg, they will search for more and find the chicken homeland. If the birds fortress their eggs in Fort Poultry Knox, there is a lesser likliehood of them being discovered.

Nature is perfect. Man screws it up.

Back in the days of the expansion of America, Woodsmen hated sod busters. Sod buster fenced in America and ended the Woodsman's way of life. I am a Sod Buster that wishes he were a Woodsman.

Shawn

 

[Bulldogma]

Are your roads busy? Do you worry about them going on the roads to get the crushed acorns?

Our roads are not that busy. We do have cars and log trucks... and they all go fast on these country roads, but my Swedish Flowers are very smart and get out of the way before the cars get to them. Funny thing is that the flock is so pretty and "different" than most flocks, it is not uncommon for cars to come to a screeching stop, back up, and watch them for a while.

We have now fenced a few acres in for them in the back of the house - to keep the roosters from waking up the neighbors - LOL. And as I was writing that, a SFH roo and hen passed by the front window on the front porch. Just got back from putting them back in the enclosure.

That is the drawback to having such intelligent birds.

Nature is perfect. Man screws it up.

Well put!!

 

[lalaland]

I would think the natural all lay and then one broods as well as following suit of the 'lead' chicken. This way 'miss alpha' teaches the others to be good mommies. Just my guess. Besides if there is a threat and others can spread out in all directions it would draw attention away from the broodie and everyones young.... ensure a better chance of offspring living on.

Never thought of that. Will keep it in mind for the future!
Oh that is sooo cool. I loved the process story.
Thanks so much!!! I also struggle with this condition and other inflammatory issues! I just currently found a supplement called omegavia which is omega-3. It has no sugar, starch, gluten, corn, artificial flavors, no dairy, wheat, chinese fish oil, yeast or sodium. Cholesterol free and mercury removed. This is the first and only I have found that is NOT made from the type of fish I am allergic to! So far it seems to be helping.
Thanks for the information.... I already learned though to switch away from the vegetable oils. Good advice for us and our chickens. THis is one of the reasons I wanted to raise a few chickens for my own food.

Though I can not work a regular job I still feel I am doing SOMETHING for myself. This way I will never be 100% dependent on Government handouts. Anything will be an appreciated HELP and NOT a gimmie gimmie attitude. No matter how much or how little Government wants to take from my pension I will at least be able to eat an egg to three a day! I am now at the point of having to apply for help... though I wish I didn't have to.

Oooopps off my soapbox now!! sorry.

well, I'll jump on my soapbox! if corporations didn't have the same rights as you, and couldn't use their money to promote their interests even when against your interests - like in being able to produce unhealthy food because it it is more profitable, even though it means such a huge increase in autoimmune diseases, etc ....which then cause folks to be unable to work,.....then requires gov assistance to survive.......nasty circle which will only change if and when people become educated enough that they vote (although the more cynical part of me thinks it is too late for that).

anyway, the government is part of the reason big biz interests were protected above yours, so now, yes, the gov has to step in and deal with the results. And the piddly little bit of "gov handouts" goes to individual people, and the huge part goes to corporate welfare. Although of course there are those that think the gov shouldn't help people but they seem to think corporate welfare is fine. anyway, hence....chickens! eggs and healthy meat each of us can provide for our families.

oooppps, off my soapbox and not sorry

 

[aoxa]

Our roads are not that busy. We do have cars and log trucks... and they all go fast on these country roads, but my Swedish Flowers are very smart and get out of the way before the cars get to them. Funny thing is that the flock is so pretty and "different" than most flocks, it is not uncommon for cars to come to a screeching stop, back up, and watch them for a while.

We have now fenced a few acres in for them in the back of the house - to keep the roosters from waking up the neighbors - LOL. And as I was writing that, a SFH roo and hen passed by the front window on the front porch. Just got back from putting them back in the enclosure.

That is the drawback to having such intelligent birds.


Well put!!

See now we used to live in a neighbourhood with 21 chickens a year ago (moved April 13th 2012 to this place) and they were always going on the road and to the neighbours'. There were no accidents involving cars. Same as our new location. Our road is very very busy now. The chickens never went on it. The turkeys did but didn't get hit.

Aren't cats supposed to be smart?

Oh and my dogs have been on it a fair amount. We try our best to keep them off it of course, but sometimes there is a squirrel... and you know how dogs are... Lucky with the dogs. We have an underground fence for them, which we will be training them to this spring. Need to get new collars and put up flags for the training.

 

[delisha]

Quote: Pretty easy to grow. I really just make rows and drop a seed. One lb of the seeds makes more than we need of sweet corn.

They couldn't go on MY road...it's a highway. But the other day I was driving back in "dirt road Amish country" and saw banties and all variety of chickens in the road and everywhere else.

I WAS wondering how these tiny banties keep from getting eaten by hawks...but they were having the time of their lives rooting around the road edge and into a newly plowed field.

survival of the fittest.

 

[bluebirdnanny]

I love your response. My sorry was only for taking the thread off on tangent. Oh but I so loved my late breakfast... my home made biscuits, the 2 hens gave me by 11:30 (somebody didn't so far) and a little REAL fresh maple syrup instead of jelly!

Though someones egg was not quite as dark brown.... does that warn/tell me of a problem starting?

They were complaining at the screened porch of the coop t get out this morning. I hesitated but finally fixed back up the "tunnel" to the kennel and opened the coop door. Only baldy ventured out.... lifted a shivering leg out of the fresh icy snow and went back in to the plywood/lightly strawed screened porch of their little coop. Told her "I told ya it is cold and wet, icy) I didn't think she really meant she wanted out.... she cooed at me. They haven't ventured out since but are staying in the screened covered plywood part. But they can if they want. I don't want to either!!! Think they just remembered yesterdays worm-feast and mud clad feet as I was testing the soil thaw. Well I was glad the feet weren't mud clad this morning. Thought I was going to have to fight the cold to clean them. Good girls!!!!

 

[Leahs Mom]

Wanted to show what I found as a "chick refuge" for when folks put them out with the rest of the flock.

This group were raised by a broody but when she was done with them, she no longer protected them and was just as mean to them as the others!

They were doing fine as they were raised right in with the adults by the mamma and know "their place". But I wanted to have a little area they could go if they wanted and also a place I could let them get the amount of food I wanted them to have if I was giving raw meat, sprouts, etc. That way they could get their share before the "olders" got the lion's share.

Found these little "digless fence sections" at Lowes for $13 each piece and made a little corner refuge. I put a little of the deer/bird netting over the top just in case a hawk came in and they ran in there. (Didn't want it to be a death trap.)


The corner is held together with zip ties. Zip ties also attach them to the kennel panel.

The "littles" can fit through the fence posts but the adults can't fit through!

 

[armorfirelady]

I feed more bagged feed in winter since most of these are not available at the mill during winter. Usually by late November they are running low. My feed mill does not refill any of the bins after Novembers last harvest. I try really hard not to purchase more than I can feed in a month. I think feeds attract to many rodents. I refuse to feed my hens mouse poop on purpose.



4 cups oat groats(Or steal oats if they are out)great for sprouting
4 cups black oil sunflower seeds(never out and great for sprouting)
4 cups hard red wheat berries(they run out)
2 cups soft white wheat berries(never out)
2 cups kamut(grass seed and great for sprouting)
2 cups millet..they do not like it and its the last to go I will substitute bird seed.
1 cup lentils (grocery store when they are out this also is a good sprout)
1/2 cup sesame seeds...expensive and I do not buy in the store or replace
1 cup flax seeds(crushed or ground in a large container when they are out)
1/4 cup kelp /spinach(frozen in my freezer)
I have also added the alfalfa cubes

Thank you for your recipe. I have been copying everyone's recipes to keep to see what I have available around here. While I only have 4 hens (soon to be maybe 6 or 8) here if I could purchase the items in small portions or maybe find someone to share with I would like to make my own feed. I hate reading labels and see all these chemical names that I have no clue what they are :/

On your flax seed.....I put some in their FF now. But I feed it as is. I don't crush or ground them. I didn't know that I had to. Are they not getting the benefits from the flax seeds because I don't?

 

[loanwizard]

New ad going on Craigslist. Could use some opinions.
Thanks in advance!




https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...s-from-a-natural-perspective/40#post_10905003

 

[delisha]

Flax seed:


When I buy it at the fed mill it is not crushed..when I buy it at the store it is. I do not crush it.