The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[Kacey's Krazee's]

thanks for the update... Oh the pics we shall enjoy from that! So exciting! I have 2 RIR hatchery girls... funny she went broody!
Keep us posted!

I know Bee was always against hatching this time of year, but if a hen of mine was to go broody, she'd get a few eggs. I've had them broody in February, and it is the coldest here in February. My hen successfully raised 3 chicks. Did not hatch them herself, but they thrived outside. Mama is there to keep them warm!

If you really don't want chicks, don't give her eggs. Just know she can do it. The biggest worry is if they get away from her and chill. This is where ramps and high nesting boxes could pose a problem.

Leahs Mom was letting a broody hatch some eggs. How is that going?

I also have a broody that I went and bought fertilized eggs for her. She is scheduled to hatch on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day. I couldn't break her either, but then, I wasn't really trying that hard. I have been waiting for a hen to become broody. All I have is hatchery girls. This one is a Buff Orpington. I just put some mutts under her, RIR+, she is doing great so far, and she hasn't pushed any of the eggs away from her....

Yay! I'll be waiting to hear of you get more!


On the broody - I had communicated privately w/Bee regarding her opinion on the matter of my "DECEMBER BROODY" I was wondering if that was a terrible idea but I REALLY WANTED some chicks that would be coming into lay a little earlier than my spring chicks had next year. I had been really been considering purchasing some chicks anyway for that very reason and was trying to figure out how I'd keep them warm during the first several weeks. I had actually been hoping that one WOULD go broody but then wondered how smart that was at this time of year (!) Strangely enough, this is an RIR from a hatchery - which aren't supposed to go broody very much!

After some conversation, Here's what Bee had to say:
So...I DID!

She's still at it. She has 3 Swedish Flowers and 3 Black Copper Marens eggs under her as of December 7 so if we have any luck, they should hatch somewhere around a week from today - give or take a day or so. The eggs were shipped so that's another issue...never know what shape they'll be in after shipping.

I'd definitely do these come summer. Spring it would be too much to have in all the pens I need for breeding.



This is my favourite waterer we have. Is not heated. I love how it fills from the top. That black thing screws on to the bottom so when you are moving it from tap to where you set it down, the water does not fill in the base. Once in place, unscrew the little cap and place it where you see in the picture.

You know how some waterers get dirt all in them from waterfowl? This one doesn't!!!

I had one of these waterers. I didn't like it much. It was hard to get the lid off, and back on again. It is very hard to line up the threads, and get a good seal. I haven't found any plastic waterers that I like. I am going to try Leah's water cups. I am using the galvanized waters right now, and hate how they always seem to have rust in them, plus you can't use the ACV in them either.

Ha ha ha. I really have to laugh on this one. This past summer I had a barred rock that I could not un broody. She spent almost 2 months with me locking her out. Carrying her almost to the neighbors, changing her nest, moving her nest, no nest at all. What determination. I finally left her, with her infertile eggs. Finally, she left the nest and 2 weeks after she died. I'd even put food and a little water cup so she could eat and drink. Sometimes she would, sometimes not. She would peck holes in the eggs and get rid of them. 2 weeks before she quit I bought 6 fertile eggs and she did the same time. (Pecked holes in them). She was my favorite but maybe a little looney.

 

[Sally8]

Has anyone had a hen go broody at the same time you were hatching chicks out of the incubator? This same one I was talking about earlier, Mrs. Rock, was broody as I had some hatch. I felt that they would be sacrifices and didn't want to try putting them under her. Has anyone tried this?

 

[stonykill]

Has anyone had a hen go broody at the same time you were hatching chicks out of the incubator? This same one I was talking about earlier, Mrs. Rock, was broody as I had some hatch. I felt that they would be sacrifices and didn't want to try putting them under her. Has anyone tried this?

many times. If a broody hatches within a day or so of the incubator hatching, she gets some extra lil ones.

 

[Kacey's Krazee's]

Hey Texasmomma, where in Texas are you? I'm in East Texas.

 

[Kacey's Krazee's]

Has anyone had a hen go broody at the same time you were hatching chicks out of the incubator? This same one I was talking about earlier, Mrs. Rock, was broody as I had some hatch. I felt that they would be sacrifices and didn't want to try putting them under her. Has anyone tried this?

Someone back a few pages had Silkies, and had a staggered hatch. She put the late hatched chicks under the silkie, who's other chicks were a week older.

 

[aoxa]

I just borrow and egg go into a dark room which is where i keep my feed, and take a look then replace it and borrow another, my hen doesn't mind at all. you just need to see it now and then right before hatch day. Never have candled at night but that would be a good idea.

The darker the better. Unless you have a light specifically meant for candling eggs. I bought one with my cabinet incubator, and it is so bright - I can see through the eggs in a room with the lights ON. Brown eggs, blue eggs, white eggs. It's a crazy bright flash light!

me too. My 3 RIR broody's this year were incredible

I had my RIR go broody and she had a chick hatch, but it was dead under her and to the side. Not sure if she killed it, or if it just died. I didn't feel like giving her any at that time after seeing that. The other eggs disappeared. She must have kicked them out or ate them because they were bad. I'll probably let her try again.

For some reason I actually thought that through ahead of time

. (But there were other things I wish I'd had hindsight for now!)

We built any doors that were entering the chicken side short - with about an 8-12" "retaining wall" below. Have to step over the "retaining walls" but it works very well. From my outside door, however, there is a small area I can step into without being on the "chicken side" of the house. That helps a lot...and the doors there open outwards.

I didn't think it through with the first coop. This one I try to keep shavings away from the door by sweeping it back nightly. I don't have 10-12 inches of DL yet. It's evaporating or something. You don't even want to know how many shaving bales I've put down. Also checked everywhere in my area for shavings and the price is just not right. Ah well.. Should have saved the leaves...

Has anyone had a hen go broody at the same time you were hatching chicks out of the incubator? This same one I was talking about earlier, Mrs. Rock, was broody as I had some hatch. I felt that they would be sacrifices and didn't want to try putting them under her. Has anyone tried this?

What Stony said. Almost always!! I have never not given a hen extra.

 

[aoxa]

Someone back a few pages had Silkies, and had a staggered hatch. She put the late hatched chicks under the silkie, who's other chicks were a week older.

Yes, that was me

 

[Leahs Mom]

Wow! What a lovely coop!

Thanks...I have my (very patient) husband to thank for the interior. We got the shed through Habitat for Humanity Re-Store for $250. Hauled it over hear (a friend had a trailer and equipment that was suitable to get it off the property it was on and move it over). Got some vinyl flooring really cheap (I wanted something easy to clean and the floor was wood - I just didn't want it to rot under animals doo doo). My husband had the metal siding (used for trailer exteriors) already laying around (he uses it in his sign business for sign substrates) and he used that on the interior walls (again, for the purpose of easy cleaning. He also had old sheet styrofoam laying around (for other sign and art projects) so he put in some insulation while he was at it.

I won't post photos here of the original interior construction project unless someone wants to see them.

These photos show the updates with the additional area to divide off either for brooding or for a broody. They get the whole area if there isn't any brooding going on, and the dividing door stays open.


Where that straw bale is sitting is where my broody's box is sitting right now and the door between the 2 parts is closed to keep others from laying more eggs inside. (I put the straw bale in there originally for them to have some different levels to jump up on and also for me to sit on if I wanted to just sit out there and watch them)







And here is the regular nest box from the inside out. Just happened to catch 3 in there at the same time which very seldom happens. They often all lay in just 1 or 2 of the boxes.

 

[Leahs Mom]

My daughter just wrote this blog post...somehow about me! She works for the Elkhart Truth (Newspaper) in Elkhart, IN and has just started writing a food blog. The blog is brand new so not a lot of followers yet. If you take a look, please leave a comment! I'm sure she'd appreciate the traffic and feedback...it's always nice knowing that someone is reading!

http://blogs.etruth.com/singinginth...m=rss&utm_campaign=my-mom-builds-a-food-mecca

All the way down at the bottom are some pictures of sprouts and the chickens!

 

[delisha]

Your place look so nice and new and clean. Mine look like it is 30 years old with 30 years of built up chicken business. ..probably because it is. But looking at yours makes me want to redo the whole interior. Beautiful!

Anytime you have a broody hen and you want the hen to eventually raise chicks, and you just happen to have some eggs in the bator, give them to her. A hen will do a much better job than a human or a bator can.

Nice article about saving some money on feed. The biggest thing she did not mention is Fermented Feed. With today prices, any and all advise given about saving money on feed costs, should at least be considered.

I have cleaned and cleaned getting ready for the holidays, and I still have not found my camera card. Looks like I have to buy another one. I have a feeling I threw it away with one of my walk by the garbage can.