The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[stonykill]

I never understood the commercials that some companies have out that say their chickens are vegetarian fed and free ranged. Are those chickens not eating bugs, small rodents and reptiles, etc.? Every chance they get I'm sure. Agree with all of you, let them be chickens and get that protein they need to be healthy.

Bulldogma, thanks, I'll check walmart for the net, just in case.

free range by FDA standards and our standards are 2 ENTIRELY different things.

 

[hotrodflash]

And here I was thinking they'd be all sensitive to the killings... Not.

I knew they would be fine. I knew they'd want to harass us, so we put our killing area out back.. it was winter.. and some still trudged through the 3 feet deep snow to find us.

What was really funny( to me at least) is that the lowest pullet in the pecking order grabbed the most internal organs. I know she had at least the equivalent to the organs of a whole cockerel. She just kept grabbing and gulping them down. She was so full that she laid in the sun for about an hour. She went to roost early that night too. So funny to watch their behavior.

 

[Kassaundra]

There's a hole in the bucket Dear Ida, Dear Ida....

I'm sorry, I could not help myself.

Then mend it Dear Henry! ................................................ I haven't even thought about that song is years .

 

[aoxa]

Then mend it Dear Henry! ................................................ I haven't even thought about that song is years .

With what shall I mend it dear Liza, dear Liza..

Hehe.. It goes on and on

Song makes no sense. Who fixes a bucket with straw?

 

[Kassaundra]

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.

Here here! Absolutely!

 

[Kassaundra]

My chickens have been chasing the chipmunk who lives on my porch for three weeks. They eat snakes little rodents.
In fact, this was a selling feature of chickens for my husband.

Mine are lowly EE and NN and mixes and they are amazing hunters of rodents, snakes, lizards really anything they can swallow or dimember and swallow.

 

[Kassaundra]

With what shall I mend it dear Liza, dear Liza..

Hehe.. It goes on and on

Song makes no sense. Who fixes a bucket with straw?

Sora like the old lady who swallowed the fly.

 

[Kacey's Krazee's]

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.

I processed 7 roosters on Saturday. I steamed the backs and wings, and fed them the backs, with wilted lettuce salad. They were so excited! and they played football with their food too! ( oh how rude of them hahaha) Sunday, they were served chicken wings, alas, the salad was gone. I see no reason to not feed them back the parts of the chicken I am not using. I didn't feed them the innerds, heads and feet, as I wanted to feed the coons and coyotes a long ways from the house.

Kacey

 

[hotrodflash]

I processed 7 roosters on Saturday. I steamed the backs and wings, and fed them the backs, with wilted lettuce salad. They were so excited! and they played football with their food too! ( oh how rude of them hahaha) Sunday, they were served chicken wings, alas, the salad was gone. I see no reason to not feed them back the parts of the chicken I am not using. I didn't feed them the innerds, heads and feet, as I wanted to feed the coons and coyotes a long ways from the house.

Kacey

I disposed of the heads, feet and intestines waaaaay away in the woods. I didn't want predators coming in my yard and I didn't want to step on them either. I fed them the lungs, kidneys, pieces from cleaning up the heart and gizzards, and testes.

 

[Sally8]

STRANGE QUESTION OF THE DAY
(There should be an award for that, I think)

I have a little plastic bucket that I love.  It only holds 1 gallon, but it is very strong and has a good handle.  I can haul all kinds of things in it...just the right size.

But - somehow my little bucket got a slit in the bottom - about 1/2" long.  Almost looks like someone poked it with a knife.  The edges are tight together, no gap.

So here's the question:
[COLOR=008000]WHAT CAN I USE TO PATCH THAT SLIT THAT IS NON-TOXIC?[/COLOR]

I was thinking of some kind of "gum/putty" type patch on it on the outside of the bucket.  But I want to be sure I can still put water or ff in there (just to carry them from place to place so the ff won't be in it for longer than 10 min. at longest).

Your thoughts, please!

I also agree with duct tape. It lasts a long time even with water. Make sure the bucket is good and dry. Only 200 posts behind, I'll catch up eventually. Lol. sue

I thought Dung Beetles were also only from Africa. Saw the program on Natural Geographic, twice. Very interesting.

I just read in the paper tonight that our menace here, the Emerald Ash Border reached Randolph, NY in 2012. 2 hours away. We have 21 Ash trees in the back yard. Looks like we don't have far to look for firewood next year.