The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[armorfirelady]

Quote: Yeah I was thinking coons as well. There are a lot of woods around their area and some of the houses back up to the woods. They are more in the *country* than I am and I have coons. I saw one that was at least 30# in front of my house in the road. Dead thank goodness and before I had the hens.
I did tell them they needed to put fencing on the ground to deter digging predators. Hopefully they do. I've never seen a weasel around my area but coons & possums & one lone fox have been spotted in the area. Makes me want to put up more fencing around the hoop coop. There never can be enough protection!!

 

[aoxa]

Ok, I have a problem for the seasoned chickeners. I have two males left, a Cochin Roo that never messes with me and is great around all the kids that live and come to my house (ages 3-9) and then there's Sprite, our silkie boy. He used to be so sweet, but all of a sudden anytime myself or one of my daughters walks past Cloud, our one silkie girl, he attacks us. He has not done this to hubby, who has only been home for 3 weeks. This morning he did it twice, and as usual I picked him up and carried him around, the little $!?&@ BIT me! I swear I almost snapped his neck right there. All the kids that visit our house know how to treat the chickens, they're not mean they don't chase them and they know how to pick up Cloud...I can't have a tiny evil chicken scratching up their legs. I have one nephew who for some reason has been scared to death of the chickens since they were five weeks old, I can't imagine how traumatized he'd be if Sprite attacked him. I can't decide if its good or bad that he only does it when we're walking between him and Cloud, like he's protecting her? But I'm also thinking I don't want babies from that little terror, since most people say not to breed a mean Roo. What do I do? I'm open to suggestions.

Edit to add...he's under a year old.

Oh, and I'm working on the duck pics....going to take pics of the checking stall too, since we removed the cabinet coop.

There is no need to put up with that. I vote to cull him.

 

[kian]

I hope y'all don't mind a TON of new baby chick photos

. Our final count: 7 out of 8 eggs hatched. The last egg was in the nest still this morning, completely cold and she had the babies on another field trip. Absolutely nothing happening with it so I took it. 7 out of 8 is pretty darn good I think









I gave them their first greens yesterday. One of the oldest ones jumped up on a stalk and started picking the aphids off one at a time!

 

[armorfirelady]

I hope y'all don't mind a TON of new baby chick photos

. Our final count: 7 out of 8 eggs hatched. The last egg was in the nest still this morning, completely cold and she had the babies on another field trip. Absolutely nothing happening with it so I took it. 7 out of 8 is pretty darn good I think

Congrats!!! I have no objections to seeing a lot of baby pics. I love this one. She looks like she has them lined up for a head count & to go over the rules before the field trip

 

[loanwizard]

graphic image. Bypass if the truth bothers you














7:30 this morning. This "nocturnal predator" was hungry and out chicken hunting. Was.

I may get in trouble for this but..... Is that an Indian Possum? I noticed the red dot in the middle of the forehead.....

 

[kian]

Congrats!!! I have no objections to seeing a lot of baby pics. I love this one. She looks like she has them lined up for a head count & to go over the rules before the field trip

She totally does!

 

[loanwizard]

There are no aggressive chickens in my flock.... 100+. Any hint of an exhibition of such attitude meets with sharp resistance from the farmer. Razor sharp.... or hoe dull....

A little late to the discussion but I agree with hubby.... That brooder is nicer than my kitchen....


Sorry.... was thinking of Carla for a minute.... or maybe CountryGirl..... Did I just say that?


This is a BROODER, a utility trailer with plywood sides and a door cutout. When the batch is done, take trailer out to compost heap, empty, and start again.....

 

[Leahs Mom]

This is a BROODER, a utility trailer with plywood sides and a door cutout. When the batch is done, take trailer out to compost heap, empty, and start again.....

LW - What can I say?

What size is your trailer?

 

[Toast n Jelly]

I hope y'all don't mind a TON of new baby chick photos

. Our final count: 7 out of 8 eggs hatched. The last egg was in the nest still this morning, completely cold and she had the babies on another field trip. Absolutely nothing happening with it so I took it. 7 out of 8 is pretty darn good I think









I gave them their first greens yesterday. One of the oldest ones jumped up on a stalk and started picking the aphids off one at a time!

That second to last pic is very nice, they're all great but that one caught my eye. Love that she got the aphids, worth her weight in gold...I detest those bugs.

 

[BlueMouse]

Do you use chick starter only and doesn't it just mush up? I've been feeding FF to older hens and using grain based layer feed which remains nice and grainy. I'm expecting a hatch on Wed. and started the chick FF but I find it so mushy, maybe I need to make it really thick?

Also I'd like to use the bottom of the feeder (on the right). Do you think if I fill it to the top and maybe block the middle section so that they don't poop in it, that it would work?

I use the bottom of one of those feeders for my chicks, works great. I did have one of the guineas get stuck in it once. I'm not sure if that just means that they're less clever than chicks? The chicks never even tried to climb into it. I didn't bother to cover up the center hole, and no one poops in it excessively. I'm fermenting game bird starter right now for the guineas. The chicks are on what the rest of my flock eats ground up and fermented. I mix it pretty thick then just slop it into the dish. It's not quite soupy, if you drop a spoon full of it it holds together as a clump, but spreads out slowly, but it's not dry either. I use my ferment like a sourdough starter, ever time I take some out I add in more, one part food and one part water. Sometimes then I come back an hour or two later and feel that it's a little dry, and add a little more warm water. I've also been adding a little of the juice from my big ferment bucket every day, just to keep the ferment in the smaller container going strong. probably not neccesary, but it's not hurting it any either. I should just bite the bullet and start doing that in a larger container so it has a longer average ferment time.

I can't believe that brooder setup! looks nicer than my kitchen too....