The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[OohLaLa]

Your duck eggs were probably fertile..they were just too much for your silkie to set on. That was too many. Two duck eggs would have been more than enough.Three max. I would not let her set again. That is asking to much unless you have eggs ready to hatch.
Pekins are horrible setters.
If you have open pop doors at night you need to get them off the floor. Drafts are worse for chickens than the cold. Where are their roosts? They need to be on roosts. Baby's at 2 and 3 weeks old will roost with mom. At least make them a small ladder to roost on. I start with a step stool.

When I first moved my EE out to the coop at 5 weeks they would not get on the roost. I picked them up and put them there but it seemed to high they were scared and flew off or jumped on to me then to the floor. I built a mini ladder of sorts with dowel rods and bits from Hobby Lobby. I hooked it to the lowest roosting pole. That night they used it and roosted on their lowest pole, not long after that they began using the highest roost.
It only takes one or two bricks to the head before I catch on. I have 7 in the brooder now. Before they arrived I went back to hobby lobby and got more dowels etc. and built a set of mini roosting poles for the new babies. It looks like stadium seating. They took to it in less than a week and I feel it will help them adapt when they go to the coop. Now it's not fool proof, at 2 weeks they split their sleep time between the mini roosts and the corner in a chick mash pit of sorts.

 

[armorfirelady]

Thanks Delisha I will def put some sticks in the enclosed run when I get home for them to roost on after work. I am home tonight so I can put them on the roost after dark and see of they stick with it.

The babies were wide awake at 630 this morning & eating like little pigs when I left. Edie was still roosted but I said good morning to her and she was moving around. Hopefully she doesn't pick on the babies to bad today. I left the pop door open so they can venture out into the garden again. Plenty of cover in the hostas for them. They are so cute when they run and start flapping their wings.... they even get a few feet in the air

 

[mlowen]

We have a nationally published author among us! LoanWizard has a little piece in the June/July 2013 Mother Earth News in the article: "Start a Work-From-Home Business." I was reading my new Mother, last night, and as I reading "Internet Food Sales" it sounded really familiar. Then I got to the "Shawn Dostie Coshocton, Ohio" and sat up straight and said out loud "I know him!!!" I startled my dog a bit.
Nicely written, Shawn, and I hope the business takes off and you can live your dream!

 

[TexasLisa]

To all veterans, I humbly thank you!

Lisa

 

[aoxa]

We have a nationally published author among us! LoanWizard has a little piece in the June/July 2013 Mother Earth News in the article: "Start a Work-From-Home Business." I was reading my new Mother, last night, and as I reading "Internet Food Sales" it sounded really familiar. Then I got to the "Shawn Dostie Coshocton, Ohio" and sat up straight and said out loud "I know him!!!" I startled my dog a bit.
Nicely written, Shawn, and I hope the business takes off and you can live your dream!

Go Loin Wizard!

 

[armorfirelady]

Aoxa- were your EE friendly? Edie has so much personality. She makes a noise & those babies run. And last night she saw me walking towards the run and she came running towards me clucking. She is not impressed with me holding her but the fact she comes to me I find amazing since it hasn't even been 24 hours. If I sit down she will walk over to me and let me touch her. When I make a clicking sound with my tongue she comes over & cocks her head sideways......I really thinks she is going to be lot of fun.

 

[lalaland]

way to go, Shawn!


I got beef liver for the babies, it is the ugliest thing I've ever seen - comes in a frozen pack in slices. Grocery store clerk looked at me like I was crazy when I asked if they had any fresh. I'm a little nervous about the stuff that is in that beef liver as it is conventional, but the chick feed is vegetarian so I want to give them something animal.

My internal layer passed last night - I had guests so couldn't cull her earlier in the day, and planned on culling her as soon as everyone left.

When I ordered 16 chicks a few months ago, I had 14 hens -down to 9 adult hens now. A lot of death in just a few months - internal layer, owl, dead overnight suddenly, one unknown but way too much fat, and the one the lab necropsied which was e coli systemic infection probably stress related.

THats not counting the one wellie that Delisha helped me bring back to health.

Keeping my fingers crossed everyone stays healthy.

I can't think of anything in my chickenkeeping that could be improved except perhaps more animal protein.

 

[armorfirelady]

Quote: Congrats Loin !!!

 

[armorfirelady]

way to go, Shawn!


I got beef liver for the babies, it is the ugliest thing I've ever seen - comes in a frozen pack in slices. Grocery store clerk looked at me like I was crazy when I asked if they had any fresh. I'm a little nervous about the stuff that is in that beef liver as it is conventional, but the chick feed is vegetarian so I want to give them something animal.

The beef liver I got is the same way....I put it in the food processor and its like thick jelly

I put some out for the new babies but they haven't touched it. I think I will mix a little into their FF when I get home.

 

[salt and pepper]

Everyone was right when they say food is the way to a chickens heart! lol Ever since I started feeding fermented feed, my birds have slowly gotten more social. Now, I have birds who would freak out if I was just in the pen, and now they'll eat out of my hand! Still don't like getting held, but are sooo much easier to be around. Oh, and their droppings don't smell anymore!