The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[delisha]

Have a ? just saw my 7 week old roo down a 6 inch feather like a sword is this normal

It all depends on what you consider normal. They eat poop and feathers and all kinds of things when there system needs something. They also do it when they are bored, confined, depressed, and because they want to. If they have good food, clean water, good housing, a place to lay in the sun, a place to run..don't worry.

 

[delisha]

black copper maran

panda's

too many black variety chickens to post..many hatchery black chickens all look identical. The foundations are egg producers.

 

[TipihlowLadies]

It all depends on what you consider normal. They eat poop and feathers and all kinds of things when there system needs something. They also do it when they are bored, confined, depressed, and because they want to. If they have good food, clean water, good housing, a place to lay in the sun, a place to run..don't worry.

They have all that just moved in new coop and are confined cause of weather. I know the eat anything but that was a big feather didn't want to find him dead from chocking on it. And thanks

 

[Mumsy]

So I have been trying to find the article I read awhile ago about how chicken eggs are colored. I know that it has to do with minerals individual hens produced. While searching I found this exert & found it quite interesting. Lately I have noticed once in while one of my hens earlobes are white.......perhaps that is when I get 1 egg that is so pale it looks white? Its not always white so I am looking for info as well on that. Thought I would share.......and if I find that page that was so informative I will share that as well.

Here is the quote-
"The most fascinating aspect of the lobes is not that they have them, but that the color of a chicken’s ear lobes will determine what color their eggshell will have—a chicken with white earlobes will produce white shells, and a chicken with red earlobes will produce brown shells."

It took me some time to read up on the thread today. This post has me wishing. I wish my silkies would lay turquoise eggs to match their gorgeous turquoise ear lobes.

A wonderful 75 degree sunny day here. I weeded the potager beds, planted sweet Banana pepper plants, and watched chickens. A perfect day.

 

[PeepsCA]

These aren't chickens/chicks but... here's my 1st hatch of Turkey poults (in a bucket, just for the pic). Hatched from eggs collected from Turkeys that were raised on FF (and UP-ACV in their water too) since they were 3 months old. I'm really curious to see how many end up being Hens...

I set 16 eggs (of the very first eggs I collected from them) to start with... lost 2 to a blood ring and a cracked egg that I did not catch when I set them that turned into a blood ring as well, and 1 egg was infertile... then I had a late quitter right before lockdown. So 12 out of 16 made it to lock-down, and all 12 hatched.

I have been hand feeding them teeny tiny bites of minced Guinea liver and heart as a treat... and these poults try to eat my entire finger, lol.

 

[CoopChick719]

Weird..I think my post disappeared! Thanks Delisha...I guess we'll never know about our mystery birds without a DNA sample.

 

[PeepsCA]

Mumsy, I'll trade you a couple of your 75 degree days for a few of my 97 degree days... I need to finish planting my veggie starts!! I am extra stressing out over my pumpkins not getting planted soon enough (which I am growing for the birds). I end up in the shade with Silkies, Guineas and Turkeys all over me way too often on these hot days and I get NOTHING done, lol.

 

[camilleathome]

My chickens have officially been moved to the coop and seem to be doing well in there with a heat lamp. The silkies are doing great with them. We named our little roo Steven After his father Steve(Aoxas blue silkie).

I had some bad new today. When I came back home I looked and there were only three little ducks in the pen. Al had fed and watered them for me while I went out with my mom and found one of my little call ducks dead .

 

[countrygirl74]

Here is the quote-
"The most fascinating aspect of the lobes is not that they have them, but that the color of a chicken’s ear lobes will determine what color their eggshell will have—a chicken with white earlobes will produce white shells, and a chicken with red earlobes will produce brown shells."

It took me some time to read up on the thread today. This post has me wishing. I wish my silkies would lay turquoise eggs to match their gorgeous turquoise ear lobes.

That's exactly what I was thinking Mumsy!!

My favourite photo of the day. Lucy hunting Can you see it?

I love Lucy's expression! Great shot!

That last one looks mean

I had some bad new today. When I came back home I looked and there were only three little ducks in the pen. Al had fed and watered them for me while I went out with my mom and found one of my little call ducks dead .

Sorry to hear about your duck... : (

 

[Leahs Mom]

There is a great book that I got from the library about foraging for wild food. Its called Backyard Foraging by Ellen Zachos.

Just looked at it on amazon - looks interesting!