The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[Quailsong]

Every day I log in (often twice a day) to BYC this thread has 40+ posts! Some good news, some sad, but you guys keep me going. I won't be moving to my mini farm till mid July, that's when I get my quail chicks.

I'm just going to pretend I'm already on my farm feeding my quail, and well, reading more chatter here on BYC.

 

[Bulldogma]

ok, let me ask Leigh a few questions. Did you hatch this guy yourself? If so, no worries

If you bought him from where and for how long have you had him? Since a chick or as a big pretty boy?

I brought him home the day he hatched. My friend ki4got hatched him for me. She has super-healthy birds.

Gunnar went from this:


(taken Sunday)


To this (taken this morning):








(Trying so hard to stand up and be roosterly... he died less than an hour later in the car.)


It was less than 24 hours from the time he first appeared just a tiny bit "off" to the time of death. I would never have noticed he was moving a little slower if I didn't spend so much time with these birds.

 

[stonykill]

You can't just get a rooster without eventually having the coop bursting at the seems.

why not?

 

[stonykill]

I brought him home the day he hatched. My friend ki4got hatched him for me. She has super-healthy birds.

Gunnar went from this:


(taken Sunday)


To this (taken this morning):








(Trying so hard to stand up and be roosterly... he died less than an hour later in the car.)


It was less than 24 hours from the time he first appeared just a tiny bit "off" to the time of death. I would never have noticed he was moving a little slower if I didn't spend so much time with these birds.

I'm sticking with natural causes unless he somehow ate some poison. Which isn't that likely. It's the 10 month thing.

 

[Ashdoes]

If it was a heart thing, would explain the blueness to his comb, a blood flow issue which would affect the oxygen moving through his body?

 

[stonykill]

If it was a heart thing, would explain the blueness to his comb, a blood flow issue which would affect the oxygen moving through his body?

I'm not a doctor nor do I play one on tv

. But yeah makes sense. I'm just a keeper of chickens who observes them. And learns from them.

But what you say makes perfect sense. My best friend who is 12 years my sr thought he was going to have to have his leg removed. The pain was intense. Open wound that would not heal. Couldn't walk more than a few feet at a time. The VA scheduled his amputation. Then he had a heart attack. Then one on the operating table. Quadruple bypass saved his leg and his life. 3 weeks later the open wound that wouldn't heal closed up.
Do I trust doctors...... nope

 

[OohLaLa]

why not?

Okay let's say I get a rooster when all I want are eggs for eating and I have big dogs for protection. Why should I get my husband a rooster?

 

[aoxa]

This year I'm trying to gather all my grass clippings, lay it out to dry, then save it. I use it for the nest boxes and they LOVE the grass best. I saved some last year over the winter but only a 5 gallon bucket so I didn't have enough for winter. So..I'm thinkin' ... It's grass hay and I might as well not lose it if I can dry it and keep it.

I would have put some down inside the hen house floor from time to time if I'd had more for them to eat and kick around in.

And - I like that it isn't legume hay with all the stems/straws...just nice soft grass!

I brought him home the day he hatched. My friend ki4got hatched him for me. She has super-healthy birds.


To this (taken this morning):


It was less than 24 hours from the time he first appeared just a tiny bit "off" to the time of death. I would never have noticed he was moving a little slower if I didn't spend so much time with these birds.

It looks like even his eyes changed

 

[aoxa]

Okay let's say I get a rooster when all I want are eggs for eating and I have big dogs for protection. Why should I get my husband a rooster?

For babies.. For entertainment.. for the beauty of them?

I can't imagine a flock without a rooster. They are so majestic

 

[stonykill]

Okay let's say I get a rooster when all I want are eggs for eating and I have big dogs for protection. Why should I get my husband a rooster?

why should you have chickens for eggs when you can just buy fresh eggs? Fair is fair. I DON'T want another dog, ever, but if my wife shows up with one... it is ours. Still didn't answer my 1st question however. You in politics?