The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[Bulldogma]

I love these pictures. My silkies never did this.. allowed the others to stay. I did have a broody BO that did though.

How many juveniles do you have right no Leigh? What's your total chicken count now? (Including all chicks!)

After taking those pictures we had a good rain storm. I went out to check on everyone and all 5 of Darth Bator's chicks were in there with her (one is bigger than she is and 2 are the same size)! So far so good on the eggs. She's a gooooood mamma!!

I have:
3 adult SFH hens
11 SFH chicks 10 weeks and under (youngest are 6 weeks)
2 adult Silkie hens
3 H/RIR (16 weeks)
1 H/RIR (7 weeks)
2 Production Red (16 weeks)
1 Silkie X Bantam Cochin pullet (16 weeks)
1 EE X Dorking pullet (16 weeks)
And one of my friends is holding 3 SFH chicks for me (1 week)

So... 27 and counting. LOL.

Sold my daughter's bantam Cochin roo and a hatchery quality bantam cochin hen yesterday to a good home that is nearby.

 

[stonykill]

I wish I could share some of my broodiness to all of you. I'd like some eggs. I had to knocked the Twisted Sisters off several nests before they got the idea, Cecilia, the Sizzle, switched nests so often, she never waited 21 days and that started when we were still in winter. She actually lost all the feathering off the shafts on her wings. I see they are finally growing back. I fed her in the nest every afternoon and picked her up every morning and carried her half way to the house to give her time off the nest. She was determined. I have 2 EE's on nests right now. I'll give them another week. I moved sister tot's to armorfirelady's tot's, outside. I moved the chick's in the tub, out in the grow out pen on the porch.

Stony, do your duck's have access to water (creek, pond)? If not, are they happy with a pool? Thanks, sue

just a pool and they are as thrilled as a duck in water

 

[armorfirelady]

Went to check on the tots and all finally roosted with Edie took a week but finally

Moved big girl red into tots coop. Hopefully there will be peace in the morning when they wake up. She is out by 6 am and the tots ESP Edie are not early birds lol

 

[aoxa]

After taking those pictures we had a good rain storm. I went out to check on everyone and all 5 of Darth Bator's chicks were in there with her (one is bigger than she is and 2 are the same size)! So far so good on the eggs. She's a gooooood mamma!!

I have:
3 adult SFH hens
11 SFH chicks 10 weeks and under (youngest are 6 weeks)
2 adult Silkie hens
3 H/RIR (16 weeks)
1 H/RIR (7 weeks)
2 Production Red (16 weeks)
1 Silkie X Bantam Cochin pullet (16 weeks)
1 EE X Dorking pullet (16 weeks)
And one of my friends is holding 3 SFH chicks for me (1 week)

So... 27 and counting. LOL.

Sold my daughter's bantam Cochin roo and a hatchery quality bantam cochin hen yesterday to a good home that is nearby.

How did your daughter feel about that?

I thought you had much more than that. Also, what about your dark cornish?

 

[Quailsong]

anyone have any thoughts on my hen that's losing weight??? Not to nag, but I'm worried about her.

Eliza spent the day penned up while we policed the garden fence for bantam sized entrance holes. I'm tired of her digging up all my peas! Think we plugged them all, but I guess we'll see tomorrow.

BlueMouse, I didn't notice the earlier post so I'll ask here. Is she eating & drinking like the others? Have you tried giving her treats (mealworms, fruit, etc) & see how she responds to them? Checked her over for mites, ticks, fleas?

Is she running around outside of the coop, resting in the shade, scratching at the ground - basically acting like a normal chicken otherwise? Is your rooster (if you have one) paying her extra attention, or another hen driving her off constantly?

How does her feces look? Watery, mucusy, what colour?

 

[Eggcessive]

Hmmm do I have to get a silkie to get a broody....

Come on, Stony...give me some encouragement here. What do you put in the water to get those girls of yours to go broody? I need a broody within 2 weeks and I don't have a silkie



Oh...and WONDERFUL, BDM - a Gunnar Boy (Like John Boy... Gunnar Boy)

My goodness, if you need a broody, come to my house! I've got 6 right now, and a seventh with chicks. They are mostly ameraucanas (lavenders and blue wheatens) and salmon faverolles. Oh and my silkie and mille fleur d'ccle who only take a few weeks off per year from being broody LOL. I put 3 in my broody-breaking pen today. They are driving me crazy, and I have welts on my hands and arms from being pecked.

 

[Bulldogma]

How did your daughter feel about that?

I thought you had much more than that. Also, what about your dark cornish?

Daughter was upset... but daughter is in the autism spectrum with an OCD comorbid condition of kleptomania. She was given numerous chances and finally told if the stealing continued her rooster was going bye-bye. (This particular roo crowed all night and the neighbors were complaining... we were going to move him around to the back side of the large barns if my daughter had been able to control her impulses, but no... )

*sigh*

Unfortunately there is no cure for true kleptomania. It's a mental illness.
Irony? Her father (DH) is a corrections officer at a large prison.


The DC were eating us out of house and home. DH finally said he wanted me to pick ONE breed to focus on, so I chose SFH, H/RIR, PRs and Silkies. (I think I did pretty good...) LOL - sold the DC at a big swap in May. We go through so much less feed now!!

SFH are my main focus. I'm picking up 2 SFH roos that came from Greenfire Farm on Wednesday!

 

[Sally8]

So who wants to play Roo or pullet? I love my BCM and finally got some close ups.....fingers crossed they are both pullets still........

With her copper chest I've decided her name is Copper. They are 6 weeks old Her sister has barely any comb. And the BR has almost nothing also and she is 5 weeks.

Tomorrow I'll send pic's of the roo that's the same age and maybe we can compare. Funny, we're only a couple hours apart and we never had a drop of rain today. I finished putting in my garden and am watering it right now as things are quite dry.

 

[SallyinIndiana]

Trying to talk DH into buying me an early Christmas present. RK has free shipping on orders > $99 and I really would like a genesis. I'm sure I'll get it, but when is the question.
Earlier and free shipping is best right

 

[aoxa]

Daughter was upset... but daughter is in the autism spectrum with an OCD comorbid condition of kleptomania. She was given numerous chances and finally told if the stealing continued her rooster was going bye-bye. (This particular roo crowed all night and the neighbors were complaining... we were going to move him around to the back side of the large barns if my daughter had been able to control her impulses, but no... )

*sigh*

Unfortunately there is no cure for true kleptomania. It's a mental illness.
Irony? Her father (DH) is a corrections officer at a large prison.


The DC were eating us out of house and home. DH finally said he wanted me to pick ONE breed to focus on, so I chose SFH, H/RIR, PRs and Silkies. (I think I did pretty good...) LOL - sold the DC at a big swap in May. We go through so much less feed now!!

SFH are my main focus. I'm picking up 2 SFH roos that came from Greenfire Farm on Wednesday!

Wow that must be tough to deal with. You have 3 kids right? You must have your hands full.

Think you'll ever get a silkie rooster for your hens?

Do you know of Celtic Oaks? She is importing some Buff Toulouse geese for me next spring, and is also going to import some SFH for me here in Canada. I like things no one else has No one has them at all here. Would be so neat! She is a great friend, and is certified to do that importing.