The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[stonykill]

My chickens are SAVAGES!

I knew I should have held them more as chicks.. I knew I should have splurged for the diapers...

 

[aoxa]

where on FB? Pm me if you want. I REALLY want to put my Sumatra eating a frog picture up

. Chickens are feathered dinosaurs who given the chance will hunt and kill their own food. I one of the boys eating some un identified meat earlier today. I didn't give it to him. It was his kill

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?...03993923.15585.113466542089966&type=1&theater

I don't know if that will bring you up to the conversation, but there you are.

 

[NanaLynn]

Newbie Question: What do you use and recommend for catching chickens when they roam from their free range area? I've read that some use a net and some a hook. Where would you find these items? Or any other ideas?

Thank you for your help!!!

-Lynn

 

[aoxa]

Newbie Question: What do you use and recommend for catching chickens when they roam from their free range area? I've read that some use a net and some a hook. Where would you find these items? Or any other ideas?

Thank you for your help!!!

-Lynn

You don't catch them until bed time.. Or you work really hard at getting them into a secluded area and then catching them.. Or you can get a net, but it doesn't really work if they free range.

 

[BlueMouse]

a food bowl! seriously, I can yell "chick chick chick chick" from pretty much anywhere within eyesight of the darned birds and they'll come thundering down on me en masse. Especially if I have the food bowl. If I have the food bowl they will follow me to the ends of the earth.

 

[aoxa]

a food bowl! seriously, I can yell "chick chick chick chick" from pretty much anywhere within eyesight of the darned birds and they'll come thundering down on me en masse. Especially if I have the food bowl. If I have the food bowl they will follow me to the ends of the earth.

Yeah I can get them to come for food, but I can not catch them. Except Margaret.

 

[stonykill]

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?...03993923.15585.113466542089966&type=1&theater

I don't know if that will bring you up to the conversation, but there you are.

thanks. Your response was perfect BTW

 

[armorfirelady]

Thanks to all for the help with the electro netting. My mom & best friend were over super early this am so as they moved the netting I mowed it down the girls were out watching looking for any bugs that came out and loved the grass clippings I dumped for them

I planted clover before the torrential rains we had a few weeks ago and I saw today that it survived and is growing!!! Woohoo I thought it all floated away.

Mumsy- I was working on planting my beans, peas & snake gourds today and thought of your xplanation on your portage beds. So I planted peas and beand along both sides of the fence around the veggie garden. I don't think they will mind if they have hostas growing next to them. I even planted some snake gourds around the chicken coop. I figured they can grow up the sides of the coop. And I planted sunflowers around the coop and fencing as well. I'm in big trouble if all those beans and peas grow and when I get all the compost out of the old pile I am going to plant my pumpkins & watermelons out there were they can grow to their content

 

[BlueMouse]

Ah, yes, for actual catching purposes, about half of them I can just grab. Those are the babies and I'm always tripping over them anyway. The big kids I either take off the roost, or lure into the shed with the food dish and nab while they're eating. They haven't figured that one out yet either....

as per raw meat. My husband caught us a fish for dinner tonight (it was tasty) and the chooks had a good time fighting over the offal. The funniest part is watching the bantam cochin run through my big BO's legs to make off with a piece.

I'm obsessively watching the rest of my keets now. I'm worried I somehow managed to do something wrong and they're going to just start keeling over one by one now....

 

[hotrodflash]

I'm on FB and there is a discussion about how raw meat should not be fed to chickens. Really? Are my birds the only ones who hunt and devour their uncooked victim? I don't understand..

I do understand not feeding chickens raw chicken from the store. Who knows what those birds have on them, but if you have a bird you processed yourself, and have scraps from said processing, what is so terrible about feeding it back?

Well I have a broody raising 8 little 10 day old cannibals. We processed 9 cockerels on Sunday and the the broody stood behind me and as I dropped bits and pieces she clucked to her babies and they devoured whatever was dropped. All of my chickens stood around waiting for us to drop bits and pieces and scratched around after we were done to make sure they got everything. I saved the livers for them to get in a few weeks. I don't think there is anything wrong with feeding them meat that was humanely raised and well fed and humanely killed.