The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[PeepsCA]

Quote: He's horrid, isn't he? LOL.

It's funny, I adjusted to/got used to Guineas and Turkeys, with with their ugly naked heads and necks... but Showgirls are a much harder adjustment for me (I did NOT want any Showgirls chicks, but there were Showgirls running with the Silkie flocks I got my eggs from... and of course I ended up hatching 2, lol). At least he has the bowtie. Luckily the White Showgirl is a sweetheart and has a great personality, so she stays... but this clingon looking thing (or Egor is what I've been calling him, lol) is livin' on borrowed time with his bullying. I guess if I was that ugly I'd be a bully too tho, lol.

 

[amberr]

I think very few "absolute" statements are true, life is full of all kinds of choices some better then others.  It is true that caring for chickens and other farm animals brings with it all kinds of different situations then typical pet animals.  With chickens especially it is hard to find vetrinary services to "do the dirty work" of caring for an animal, that is why you see so many threads of performing invasive medical treatments and repairs to sick and injured chickens.  Chickens do get sick worse and injured more often then a typical, say, cat or dog, requiring interventions some mild like giving meds, others more severe including stitches, and euthanizing.  How you choose to euthanize(or provide invasive care) is still a choice YOU must make, whether it is you doing it, or a friend or relative that has agreed to help you with this, or finding a vet willing to take care of the chicken, or putting the chicken in a quite safe place and letting "nature take it's course".  All these choices have good and bad consequences, some are better then others, some make us squirm or cringe.  Do YOU have to be able to personally physically kill an animal to own one, no, there are choices.  Should you have a plan  in place for it, yes.  B/c it WILL happen it is not a matter of  IF but WHEN.

A lot of us thought we couldn't "do it" until we were faced w/ our first mortally wounded chicken that we raised and loved and to know how much pain it was in and know it was the only way to end it's suffering and couldn't bear the thought of it suffering anymore more then our personal discomfort.  Have a plan in place before it happens b/c you won't be in a position to rationally make a plan during the crisis.

Thanks Kass, funny thing is I gut fish I catch and have no problem with tending to wounds and injuries in the family and there have been MANY. But watching those videos made me very queasy and teary eyed. I know if an animal is suffering ill be able to do it for them just was hoping for a less bloody option my first time or two you know ease into it. Ill do some research and have a plan. Thanks again

 

[CoopChick719]

I'm planning to get eggs from some mostly black and dark gray stock in June so I hope to have some real sfh black/dark gray soon too! Can't wait for these kiddos to start laying to see how they do egg-production-wise.

Yes putting them in place.. this reminds me of a picture I have of Mabel showing Gigi what happens when he tries to mate an older woman...

This is hysterical!! You can tell she IS NOT happy!

I had to show my new BLRW..

Delisha, Pretty colors on these little guys!!



Would anyone like to hazard a guess on these 2 little silkies? Boys? Girls? They are 3 weeks old in this picture. They'll be 7 weeks this Wednesday. I've got newer pics but can't find the darn camera at the moment.

 

[cywiar merch]

Hi Everyone,

I have been on this thread along with the old timers and the gnarly bunch doing research to prepare myself for chickens. After reading many things on all these places, I am looking for some honest advice as I have become unsure as to whether my particular circumstances will be right for chickens.

I have quite a small back yard of about 20 feet by 25feet and I was wondering if this is suitable for about 3 or 4 chickens. Of course they would have a run and coop and be able to go in the garden but they will not have the opportunity to go into large and differnt areas to forage. They will just be in this same patch of land all the time.

I live in a part of the UK where we have wet but relatively mildish winters ( except for this past one where we had about three weeks of sub zero temp and about 4 inches of snow, but that's usually rare). so they will not be necessarily cooped up in their run all the time.

My concern is will the soil have a build up of parasite which will ultimately affect their health?

Any advice will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

 

[Leahs Mom]

Just my opinion on that CW, but...

People have been keeping a few chickens right in the city for as long as people have kept chickens - and some not with as much property as you have!

I think you can use the same principles but just have to be a little more creative. A couple of examples:

-I don't have a dirt floor in my hen house but I do deep litter. When I start it (or refresh it from time to time) I go out in the garden and dig some dirt and put a layer of it on the hen house floor (which has a vinyl floor). Then I start my litter over that. (I use mostly wood shavings on the inside). It all gets stirred in together over time.

-Most areas have a tree service that will leave some wood chips at your place free that you could use to start a deep litter in the outdoor run. And you probably cut the grass and have leaves to rake that could go in there, etc.


Anyway...it's just all in miniature. They may not get to forage for the main part of their feed, but they can run around some out there...

So, I vote YES.

 

[Leahs Mom]

Oh - and you can still get fresh greens, and raw meats on occasion.

-I don't know about your area, but many grocery stores here throw expiring veggies out in their dumpsters. Some of them are glad to save them for you if you tell them it's to feed your chickens. Some won't, but there are other creative ways to get hold of greens for little or nothing during winter months.

-You can visit a butcher and see if he'll keep some bits and scraps of fat and meats from the butcher process. You may have to visit a few before you score, but there is a lot of waste in the butcher process that no one else wants...skin, fat, small bits of fat, bones with a little meat still on, etc.

You may be able to strike up a relationship with a couple of places and make a weekly stop for these items that are very inexpensive or free!

 

[aoxa]

Wow girl you look sooooooo young. I thought it was going to say my daughter and Henery!
This chicken photo sounds like my girls!! They were mad they didn't get out today. And the day was gorgeous. It was just a busy day away for me and when I was home I needed to sleep. Bear visited last night... but the trash can I couldn't get into the car to go to dump tomorrow sufficed it... had to clean all that up from yard as didn't want girls finding anything and kept them pinned up for their own safety. Praying the coop is enough if it visits tonight... and it goes on to neighbors triangling the the field. Might be all the half up half down hardware cloth fencing lain out to see if I have enough for a yard pen when I can't be out deterred it. Pray for my babies.
I love this. I have been a bit depressed lately and needed this laugh. Thanks!

I have a baby face but am young. A few times people have said Susan looks like my mother, but she is only a little over a year older than me. Boy does she get mad when they say that. It's happened 3 times in 2 years that someone said that.

Most likely it is dust..however to be safe..put one of your birds in with them for a few weeks first.(choose a non aggressive one) If your bird starts sneezing in a few weeks...umm..you will need to think about what to do at that time. I am sure every thing will be fine..but always do safe measures first.

Yes I think it's dust unless there is discharge from the nose.

Mine are very sensitive to dust, and my shavings are very dusty this time around. Once outside, they are fine. I definitely prefer the more coarse shavings compared to these tiny morsels...

 

[Sally8]

Leah's Mom

-I don't have a dirt floor in my hen house but I do deep litter.  When I start it (or refresh it from time to time) I go out in the garden and dig some dirt and put a layer of it on the hen house floor (which has a vinyl floor).  Then I start my litter over that.  (I use mostly wood shavings on the inside).  It all gets stirred in together over time.

-Most areas have a tree service that will leave some wood chips at your place free that you could use to start a deep litter in the outdoor run.  And you probably cut the grass and have leaves to rake that could go in there, etc.

Are you talking, starting deep litter in an outside, uncovered run? I am so proud of my DL. It's been breaking down just perfect and I am going to give credit to the floor being mostly dirt. My other coop has a wooden floor and in the 3 years, the DL has never broken down like in the dirt floor coop. Starting with dirt, whether it's just the ground or by shoveling some in is a great idea. It's finally staying above freezing so I'm going to whitewash both coops. I'm debating whether to remove the DL in the good coop but probably defeats the purpose of whitewashing to get rid of the bugs by leaving it.

 

[Leahs Mom]

Sally -

I have 2 different scenarios

The dirt I shovel from the garden goes inside the hen house that has a vinyl floor over wood. I did that to get things started in there. Even if it never breaks down well, it is a good thing as they get what's in the dirt including whatever bugs survive until they get them! In there I use mostly wood shavings as bedding.

The wood chips, grass, leaves etc., goes in my outside pen/run (that is dirt). The kiddos just have to be in that pen a few hours in the morning depending on when the sun comes up, but I want it to remain healthy and active with the goal of having it deep enough that it insulates below so they can still access worms in winter. Haven't gotten that deep yet, but working on it!

 

[OohLaLa]

Really cute coop! love it. Is there enough cross ventilation? Perhaps that could be a reason they are hesitant to stay in there? I'm a real newbie, so this is real speculation. I've been reading the old timers thread and one of them suggested 1 foot of vent (in and out) per 10 square feet of floor. This is just a thought that came to me so please don't think I'm being crtical.

No prob. This is is only a quick shot with one of my hens coming out of the hen door. I have a window on the other side that is quite large and opens for venting, the window opening is secured with hardware mesh. Also my eves under the roof line are only covered by hardware mesh for protection they remain open the entire length of the roofline on both sides. Then there is their door of course. When the rain subsides I'l take more detailed pics and post.