The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[lalaland]

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)?

Oohlala, its amazing how loud and how much commotion the girls can cause at night when they are settling on the roost, isn't it? I'm always interested to see what configurations they sort them selves out into - and the first month or so of integrating new pullets is pure hell with the littles always determined to be on the roost next to a big girl, and the big girls thinking the littles have cooties.

Broody Hen thread and learned soooo much!!

If I had a question...didn't matter if I thought it was silly or not, I posted it and got answers & support from some very lovely people...many of them are on this thread as well. I didn't separate her from the rest of the flock mostly because no one was bothering her. February 1st--She hatched 4 of the 6 borrowed eggs...raised them right in the coop with everyone else including my roo. When the chicks were first born, I did coral them with a few bales of hay and a cardboard box so they would learn where their food & water was. When they started hopping over the hay bales, I gave up and let them have free range of the coop. My roo was & still is very protective of his brood....would let them eat from his beak.

He points out food for them and stands guard while they eat. He does not like anyone to pick them up. We can pick up the older girls but not the "kids"! Everyone in my area told me "You can't keep those chicks in the coop...the roo will kill them." "Those chicks need to be at 95 degrees for the first week yada...yada...yada..." I did provide a heat lamp but it was not 95 degrees on the floor of the coop...in February...in Maine. Momma did a good job of keeping them warm and protected. I did spend a lot of time in the coop watching how the older girls reacted to the chicks but between Momma & Papa Roo, they were well protected. Hope this helps!

really liked reading this thanks for sharing!

 

[lalaland]

ohhhh my gosh! I love this idea for a coop! What a great use - you could get a cool old classic car shell, the one in the link below is a little junk yardy even for me! but!
I'm keeping my eyes out at auctions this year - sometimes there are some great old cars that go for scap metal - all the paint rusted off, just a rust shell.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/771359/behold-a-chicken-coupe

 

[brandislee]

aaggjg - maybe what you've been doing for the worms is working as she is expelling some. But on the Basic H, I think you should only give it a couple days then back to regular water and maybe only do that about 1X in about 3 weeks if you think there's a problem. Way less often if you don't think you have a problem.

May want to back off on all the worming items and give them a rest and and recover on normal food.

Just a thought, but I'm thinking if those items are meant to expel worms, they most likely make the intestinal tract inhospitable - and possibly a little irritated if given constantly.

All this Basic H talk is making me laugh... My grandma's sister used to sell Shaklee products. You know on My Big Fat Greek Weddding, how they use windex for everything? That's how my Grandma uses Basic H. She was just telling me how awesome it is as a pesticide in the garden. Perhaps I'll need to get some!

 

[brandislee]

We were just wondering if we would still have to mow in between our raised beds and the surrounding areas or not. My understanding (newbie here) was that any area the chickens are given will become short on vegetation and just become dirt. I guess I assumed they would be also eating the grass as well.

Oh and what is KWIM?

KWIM = know what I mean? Like I said, it depends on the size of the overall space. It's not outside of the realm of possibility that they could keep it all down to dirt. But it may take a while- my run is 30x30 and with 25ish chickens it was grassy the entire first summer... although now that I think about it the grass never got tall. But after the fall, when the grass went dormant and the chickens scratched it up all fall and winter it was completely gone. I tried to keep them out of the run for a while and replant, but it wasn't really worth the effort. Now I just mulch it with leaves.

 

[brandislee]

Thats why you dont till the land you just mulch it. Its pretty amazing. I cant wait to try it and see what results we get

Word- the wood chips only tie up nitrogen if you till them in. Same with dead leaves that haven't broken down yet. If you till them in you will have nitrogen deficient soil for a few years. BUT not if you use it as mulch. It makes amazing mulch- have you ever stuck your hand down in the soil in a forest? Loose, damp, and full of organic matter for a LONG way down. That's from wood breaking down on the surface of the soil. A few years of wood mulch and your garden soil will be like that!

 

[delisha]

Chickens I have

8 dual purpose layers (Rock/Cornish)+(1 pullet my last one)
3 BBS English Orpingtons
2 Gold Laced Black English Orpingtons (2 more coming)
5 BBS Ameracuana
25 BLRW chicks
3 White Silkies 1 Partridge Silkie 1 Blue Silkie
50 BBS Orpington chicks
1 splash Cochin
3 Marans

4 Muscovy ducks

I am taking pictures later today of the Ameracauna's

 

[Sally8]

If anyone with some splay leg wouldn't mind sharing their wisdom, it would be greatly appreciated.

I picked up 18 chicks from the breeder on Sunday and noticed that one of the nicest blues was limping on one leg which was held out to the side quite a bit.

I picked up some vet wrap on my way home yesterday but as the leg seems much improved I am not sure if I should just let her be. She gets around fine, eats, drinks and doesn't get picked on.

We have them on papertowel over shavings. The breeder had them on some type of paper that looked much slipperier.

Should I watch for a couple days and see if the better grip continues to help her improve? Or should I hobble when I get home?

I'm sure someone else already responded but I had one. I cut a bandaid length ways and wrapped in around and fastened it onto itself leaving the part with the cloth in the middle. I didn't do it terribly close for a day (By day 2 I had the legs about an inch - inch and a half apart) then I removed them every night and rubbed the little legs and replaced it. After 3 nights I changed to a vet wrap and it was so much easier. By 5 days I noticed the wrap was off and he was walking find. It was amazing how well he walked with the bandaid/vet wrap on. (At 3 nights it was still splayed) (He's been fine ever since) sue

 

[brandislee]

aoxa, would you please elaborate on your experiences that cause you to feel this way about the Wyandotte & Orpington. I am considering a black Ausrtalorp and a Gold Lace Wyandotte. As a general question to all, What breeds can't be kept in a mixed flock as the only one it's breed. < please don't flog if this a dumb question, but don't worry I can take it!>
So far my little flock a da future is :
1 Black Australorp
2 Black Copper Marans
1 Plymoth Barred Rock
1 Rhode Is. Red
0 Buff Orpington
1 Gold Lace Wyandotte
0 Blue-lace Red-Wyandotte
Black Jersey Giant
Barnevelder
Welsummer
2 EE
1 Blue Sumatra
Many of the birds in this wish-list are based on pics of members' chickens like stoney's 'Mama'. I surprise myself that I like the darker color birds, they're all exquisite. I'm new all reading as much as I can everyday and so welcome all coomments, advice etc.
Thank you,
Brian

I have:

5 Buckeyes (one is "the" rooster)
4 Salmon Faverolles
9 Gold Stars (...never again, but they do lay well)
7 EE's (getting an EE rooster soon from a friend who had a spare she doesn't want to feed anymore)
1 white silkie

I also have 25 broiler chicks and 8 broad breasted bronze turkeys in the brooder. Speaking of wish lists, if anyone knows anyone who keeps Faverolles in MN or western WI, I'm in the market for a rooster.

I am done with layer hybrids after this year- the Gold Stars will get processed this fall. I think in a free range production setting they would be great- I've never worked out their feed efficiency because they've always been in my mixed flock, but I do know they would rather be out free ranging than hanging around the feeder, BUT they have no sense- when my other chickens are staying close to covered areas or hiding when a hawk flies over, they are completely oblivious. Plus they just have no personality. After that I'm going to just stick with the Favs, the Buckeyes (maybe... I don't like solid colored chickens though, they don't blend well with my mostly wooded area), and the EE's. And I might add some Speckled Sussex, but probably won't think about that until next Spring.

The only breeds that I can think of that MAY have problems would only be if you kept roosters of the breed- breeds like Jungle Fowl, where the roosters are more aggressive. There are other considerations that can help you make decisions on breeds, though, but none are really forbidden from being kept together. Like Faverolles are known for being super mellow and easy going, so keeping them with a breed of hen that is a lot more aggressive can cause problems. BUT most hens who grow up together, regardless of breed, learn to coexist pretty darn well.

 

[Leahs Mom]

Brand - where did you get your Buckeyes? I was originally going to get some but I'm possibly going a different directions.

 

[lalaland]

Brand - where did you get your Buckeyes? I was originally going to get some but I'm possibly going a different directions.

I know! I start off thinking I'm going to add this breed, and then.....well what about buckeyes, and then swedish flower hens, but hey those icelandics...
Funny thing I miss not having barred rocks in my flocks.

I've been emptying out the storage area of the coop. There is 5 years of dust in there from the hay and chickens. Found a cast iron teapot (used to be on the wood stove to add humidity til I moved into this airtight house) and it was full of mouse nest. Must have come in thru the spout.