The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[aaggjg]

From facebook Terry Fancher (Who I don't know!)

DEAD!!!!

 

[aaggjg]

Georgia, the broody girl:




I know I should totally leave her alone, and for the most part I do, but I had to get one photo of her all fluffed up.

I feel bad (here I am attributing human emotions to a chicken) because it's gotta be boring, sitting there with nothing to do. I told my husband I wanted to set up a chicken TV for her, 3 weeks is a lonnnnnng time. Maybe get her a chicken raising book to read or something

I have SO MANY BROODY Hens right now!!! I gave up trying to break them ... they either freak out and jump at closed door to coop for hours or they stand soaking wet laughing at me thinking that ain't gonna do it! I just had both of my Blue Silkies go broody on the same day! (joining 2 other silkies and 2 1/2 silkie in the coop!) They have been un broody yeah just a few weeks ... Now they are in sync. I went to inspect the nest box the first day they were "missing" ... I found both of them sitting and all of their breast feather plucked out!!! They had been broody a few hours at most...those silkies mean business!!!!

I am also in So Cal and when my hens were sitting last year I would feed her and water her every morning and afternoon ..... I called it chicken room service. I was worried that she would dehydrate as our weather was warm.
It is fine to leave her in the favorite nest box if you want but this is what I found out.... The good is that other hens will give her a break when they come to lay ... Depending on the hen she might stay or might use the opportunity to go out and drink, eat & poop. The danger in this is that if some of your other hens lay if a different box she might get confused and go sit on those eggs! Broody hens are so hard wired that they see eggs and just can't help themselves! My hen didn't budge for 13 days and then I found her on a different clutch a few boxes down.... If your other hen goes broody split your eggs between the 2 of them. Even if you break her she won't start laying again for a few weeks best case scenario .....

 

[countrygirl74]

I have SO MANY BROODY Hens right now!!! I gave up trying to break them ... they either freak out and jump at closed door to coop for hours or they stand soaking wet laughing at me thinking that ain't gonna do it! I just had both of my Blue Silkies go broody on the same day! (joining 2 other silkies and 2 1/2 silkie in the coop!) They have been un broody yeah just a few weeks ... Now they are in sync. I went to inspect the nest box the first day they were "missing" ... I found both of them sitting and all of their breast feather plucked out!!! They had been broody a few hours at most...those silkies mean business!!!!

I am also in So Cal and when my hens were sitting last year I would feed her and water her every morning and afternoon ..... I called it chicken room service. I was worried that she would dehydrate as our weather was warm.
It is fine to leave her in the favorite nest box if you want but this is what I found out.... The good is that other hens will give her a break when they come to lay ... Depending on the hen she might stay or might use the opportunity to go out and drink, eat & poop. The danger in this is that if some of your other hens lay if a different box she might get confused and go sit on those eggs! Broody hens are so hard wired that they see eggs and just can't help themselves! My hen didn't budge for 13 days and then I found her on a different clutch a few boxes down.... If your other hen goes broody split your eggs between the 2 of them. Even if you break her she won't start laying again for a few weeks best case scenario .....

Thanks for sharing that info! I have a silkie that went broody and I've been trying to break her - tried other methods but she was hurting herself to get to her nest. So, I am trying a couple other things... I was wondering once I broke her when she would start laying again, so I appreciate the information. This morning when I went out, I found my EE going broody with her! I kicked her out immediately. Apparently it's contagious this time of year.

 

[Leahs Mom]

I wish I could get one to go broody..I have some eggs I want to hatch when it's NOT winter!

 

[cywiar merch]

Just caught up.

Aoxa,absolutely gorgeous chickens. What breed is Nora? I'm new so not that great on breeds.

Delisha, that link on straw bale gardening looks interesting. I have ordered the ebook. Have you tried this type of gardening?

 

[armorfirelady]

Neither just hens with messy bums. I think they have to much fluff back there lol. I trimmed up the messy feather and In a week or so will see if the problem resolved itself. There poops are normal they just haven't learned to wipe well


Oh and Lily was the first to touch the netting......she cried for half an hour afterwards.....she really is a baby. And bear apparently forget about Lilly's episode so of course he went up

Maybe it misses you?

sorry  I don't know what came over me.

No it's funny.......well the chickens are smarter than the dogs.....they didn't zap themselves but the dogs managed to zap themselves twice each. I guess they need to figure out each side of the fence is electrified :/ Ugh !

Thanks for the links for the gardening sites I can't wait to check them out. I already have the cool weather plants planted but I still have the warm wx ones to do in a few weeks when it stays warmer.

And for those with snow still.......I had to mow the lawn today

 

[delisha]

Quote: My chickens keep the grass pretty good this time of year. I will have to mow it later in the year. I have all those new shoots of kale, clover, oregano, and other goodies coming up and I do not feed my flock this time of year. They are still contained inside the fence since the DH is still home from work, but when he goes back to work the fence will be opened. I have 20 adult chickens contained inside of a 200 foot square area. I purchased 4 rolls of 100 foot fence. I aMy birds eat enough grass to keep it short. It will get longer when I open the gate and let them out in the fields during the day.







They keep it quite short with out making it bare. I included different times of the year. In June and July and August I do have to mow the back. I have to mow the front all year since the chickens have been trained to stay away from the road.

Quote: I like to use cardboard too. It sure helps with weeding.

Quote: I have broody's too..That time of year. I gave one of them some eggs

 

[aoxa]

Just caught up.

Aoxa,absolutely gorgeous chickens. What breed is Nora? I'm new so not that great on breeds.

Delisha, that link on straw bale gardening looks interesting. I have ordered the ebook. Have you tried this type of gardening?

She is a bantam Ameraucana The bantam version is extra hard to come by. I just lucked out and got them from Jamie who got them from someone else and who got them from someone in the US. Margaret is one of the original 7 I purchased. Their fertility was terrible (I blame the boys!) But they are amazing little layers. Much better than my Easter Eggers were. Margaret has still not started laying again since molting in January and losing her toes in February.

My chickens keep the grass pretty good this time of year. I will have to mow it later in the year. I have all those new shoots of kale, clover, oregano, and other goodies coming up and I do not feed my flock this time of year. They are still contained inside the fence since the DH is still home from work, but when he goes back to work the fence will be opened. I have 20 adult chickens contained inside of a 200 foot square area. I purchased 4 rolls of 100 foot fence. I aMy birds eat enough grass to keep it short. It will get longer when I open the gate and let them out in the fields during the day.







They keep it quite short with out making it bare. I included different times of the year. In June and July and August I do have to mow the back. I have to mow the front all year since the chickens have been trained to stay away from the road.
I like to use cardboard too. It sure helps with weeding.
I have broody's too..That time of year. I gave one of them some eggs

Do you slowly take food away, or just all of a sudden one day they have to fend for themselves? I have been only feeding them at night following your advice. I can't imagine not feeding them at all. Especially since I have two silkies and Margaret in the flock. They just can't fend for themselves. I've been forcing Margaret to eat outside so she can get used to the idea. She's coming around. Especially since it is drying up.

 

[OohLaLa]

my two babies are ticking me off lol. They put themselves to bed one night just to mess with me I think because I have had to wangle them up and put their little feathered behinds in the coop just making the door closing or through my door because the door auto shut for the night. You ctell they don't like it in the dark (they make a heck of a noise) so why don't they get in their coop? We checked no boogie things in there to scare them. They like their roosts now that I gave them a training ladder to reach it. I swear they are like m kids when little and just fight going to bed. They make a bunch of noise at first in their coop but quickly settle down on their roosts for the night.You can tell they don't like it in the dark (they make a heck of a noise) so why don't they get in their coop? Also how much ACV should I add to their 5 gallon water system (nipple type)?

 

[delisha]

I read the post wrong about the measurements on the new coop being built. I apologize. I have been skimming way to much trying to keep up. No excuse. I should not give advise if I cant take the time to read. Your coop if fine for 9 birds.


I fed just at night for a month. I just started not feeding at all when the kale, clovers and spinach came up. The ground is thawing and they are moving branches and the wood pile to look for worms and bugs. I have dang mice in my coop so I know they are getting enough food. If they are hungry they eat them buggers. I hate mice..they bring in mites and all kinds of stuff. I am a bit mad at the chickens and ducks for not controlling them better and me for over feeding for too long.