The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[stonykill]

lol. My ducks crave severe weather. Hail...they love it. Stand out there bills to the sky catching quarter sized hail, then run around eating it all

. Downpours... they love it. High wind...doesn't matter. Ducks love bad and severe weather.

 

[Toast n Jelly]

rain and lots of wind here. The chickens aren't happy. The ducks are all running around looking up at the sky quaking "BRING IT ON!"

That picture danced through my head. Very funny!

 

[Bulldogma]

Here's the link to the waterer post: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...keeping-thread-ots-welcome/1000#post_10109510
This is the one I liked best:
Cup type A. (So far I like this one best. It is the less expensive at $1.70 ea.) This one PASSED THE FIRST FREEZE TEST.
I purchased these at http://www.cornerstone-farm.com/equipment/poultry-float-valve-226

That is the company I'm waiting to hear back from )

I'm still contemplating trying on the others. She would let me at them but I'm not sure I want to bother her with it

Chances are she will know before anyone else and kick off any infertile or non-growing eggs. Very eggciting!

 

[stonykill]

That picture danced through my head. Very funny!

you just can't make this stuff up! Ducks are a laugh a minute

 

[Sally8]

aoxa, I do not like those waterers either. I have 3 but they are not heated. I constructed a tripod to hang them on because even under the best conditions, they get it dirty. AND THEY FREEZE!

stonykill, you must be much closer to the coast than I am. It's yucky out but calm. I'm down, in town, and the sand trucks are out, no precipitation going on. We live on the road where the town sheds are but our road rarely gets much attention. (Except to run over my dog). Must be because we are way out in the country, but the speed limit s 55.

I think I'll let my hen set on her eggs and see what happens. I h ave EE's and Marans. So I'll write it down and select the eggs I want.

 

[texasmomma]

Love the picture of the '32! My dad had a 5 window when I was growing up. I remember learning how to sand on that thing. LOL It was mostly my sister's by the time I got married and we had wedding photos taken with it. That was quite a feat, though, as the engine didn't like to start with the key. So a friend had to go out during the service and start the car so that we could drive from the church in it. Of course, I drove, big white dress and all.

I've had some eggs in the incubator. They were due to hatch Wednesday night and we had our first chick Wed night. Then, got another one yesterday. It took over 24 hours to hatch. I think the humidity is off, because I had to pull some of the shell off of it. I still have another egg that is moving around, but no external pipping. I really, really want to help, but I know that is not my job. I will be incredibly sad if it dies in the shell, maybe more so if it's a hen.

Here is the first little guy that hatched out. For some reason, you can't see the dot on the top of his head.



And here is the second one.

 

[stonykill]

aoxa, I do not like those waterers either. I have 3 but they are not heated. I constructed a tripod to hang them on because even under the best conditions, they get it dirty. AND THEY FREEZE!
stonykill, you must be much closer to the coast than I am. It's yucky out but calm. I'm down, in town, and the sand trucks are out, no precipitation going on. We live on the road where the town sheds are but our road rarely gets much attention. (Except to run over my dog). Must be because we are way out in the country, but the speed limit s 55.
I think I'll let my hen set on her eggs and see what happens. I h ave EE's and Marans. So I'll write it down and select the eggs I want.

3.5 hour drive to the Atlantic. As for the hen...if she were mine I would

 

[Bulldogma]

I've had some eggs in the incubator. They were due to hatch Wednesday night and we had our first chick Wed night. Then, got another one yesterday. It took over 24 hours to hatch. I think the humidity is off, because I had to pull some of the shell off of it. I still have another egg that is moving around, but no external pipping. I really, really want to help, but I know that is not my job. I will be incredibly sad if it dies in the shell, maybe more so if it's a hen.

Cute chicks! What kind are they?

 

[armorfirelady]

Quote:
Sally, it is horrible here,, absolutely horrible. The wind is NorEasterish, yuc. Thinking I have to feed mine indoors too, problem is, my coop isn't very big. I only covered half my run, and thinking of having the man who built my run come back and cover the entire thing. Here is a picture of my setup... not perfect, but it's strong and with the high winds on the elevation I live on.. it had to be windproof.
The feed gets wet out in the run, so I am going to have to put it under the coop I think... rain is blowing sideways! I think I am going to go out and buy some straw bales to put around three sides of the bottom of the coop, to make a little cave that they can get out of the wind, but not be stuck inside the coop.
MB

MB- My run is set up sort of like yours. I purchased heavy duty roll of plastic from Home Depot in the aisle where roofing is sold and attached it to the outside of the run with the staple gun. I left a few inches on the bottom open & the top for ventilation. DL is dry and not damp at all except where the pop door is. Blocks out the high winds we have had with no tearing and the rain. Very inexpensive. When I first put it up I only secured the top so I could roll it up on the warm days. Its the opaque kind so its not so dark in the run/coop.


Plastic attached to outside the coop



Just a picture to show that its still bright inside the coop with the plastic on.

We are starting to get snow here but my 4 hens are still busy outside scratching through the leaves & grass looking for goodies. Snow doesnt seem to bother them....they like to catch snowflakes but it should be interesting to see what they think of the the inches of snow we are suppose to get with the storm coming. As for treats I just bought them some meal worms......curious to see what they think of them later when I give them some

 

[texasmomma]

Cute chicks! What kind are they?

Thanks. They are cream legbar roosters.