The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[SallyinIndiana]

Quote: This interesting, I will look into it some more.
Currently he is in his own area and basically eating all flock and free ranged findings. He is not happy about being away from his hens, but his legs might be a touch bit better. It might be me wanting to see improvement too becasue they sure are not completely better.

I just finished my first experience. I had a single chick hatch out of almost two dozen eggs. It was extremely discouraging. I'm much more encouraged after eggtopsying because I realized that a) 5 out of 8 of my shipped eggs never even started. of my own eggs, two never started. Not sure what's up with that, since ever egg I break seems to be fertile. and b) the ones that had died had died right about the time we had a huge power outtage. So, it wasn't me or the incubator, it was the power outtage.

- It was pretty easy. I just had to remember to keep a strict eye on the LED light that says that the program for my incubator is still running (My 2 year old son managed to turn it off twice. I caught it quickly both times though) and that the water in the humidity tray runs out in less than 8 hours, so I need to check it halfway through the day to keep the humidity stable.

We just had a power outage about a week a go. I had forgotten it. I was wondering why I had so many duds last night when I was pulling them.

Do you use the 1588? I just got ming and one of the things I noticed is that I'm having trouble keeping water in the tray as well. I also noticed that the instructions had a low humidity range for lockdown compared to other sites I have read.

Great news, I got my shipped eggs from Stony today. They are currently sitting in my basement for their 24 hour time out.

 

[BlueMouse]

just my .02. I think that my decision would be, if it was just the single hen, and i was sure that her diet was good, to keep her, but not ever hatch out new layers from her eggs, even if she was my best jumbo egg layer. If it was more than the one hen and I had a reasonable number of hens for my roo, I think I might be tempted to try another rooster. But, this is just my .02. I think the Leah's Mom is really right, there are people here with WIDELY varying needs/wants/goals from their flocks. I don't want to keep bad genetics in my layers. but, by the same token, my small flock of layers are more or less outside pets. We get kind of attached to them. (unlike the meat birds). But, also, I will probably end up always refreshing my laying flock from bought chicks or hatching eggs, because there are so many different interesting breeds out there, and I really want to have one of EACH.

Except the buff orpingtons. I'm always going to have them.

 

[Bulldogma]

Mumsy, that is good thought when it comes to breeding/culling.

At some point, if I keep going the way I am, I'd separate the layers from those that I wanted to breed and proceed from there.

In the meantime, this girl with the feathers is a hatchery ee that lays the largest eggs in the whole flock. They weigh out at "jumbo" size in ounces per egg. She is definitely a good layer and even if I didn't breed her for future genetics, I'd surely keep her for egg laying.

You're right - sometimes people give advice that they try to apply to everyone...but different folks have different goals.
-LW has a good bunch of layers the run with the roosters. They lay and produce what's needed. They're like the old fashioned farm flock.
-Then there are the folks that are breeding for standard conformation and to sell offspring. A whole different set of rules and variables and list of what makes them valuable.
-Some have the old fashioned farm flock then decide to breed/cull for other things such as egg size and numbers, overall good health, feed efficiency, etc. etc. etc.
-Others just purchase new chicks from time to time and will never breed but will raise meat/eggs from those chicks. They replace them from the hatchery or breeders as needed.

You just have to figure out what your goals are and go from there.

I have hens that are a value to me in producing eggs for eating. Then I'm beginning a little flock of birds of a breed I want to breed for myself as a closed flock - and to perhaps sell fertilized eggs or chicks sometime off into the future. These 2 groups will be treated differently in what I'd find valuable

Very well put.

We all have different goals and what may work for one person may not work for another. LM - in your case this is a young roo with crazy hormones. He hasn't learned his duties quite yet, and he will likely become more gentle and careful with age. The hen in question is just used as an egg layer, and she's a darn good one from the sounds of it. You won't be hatching her eggs and thus there are no worries about passing on poor feathering.

While we have heard from other people in the past who are against hen saddles, I personally believe there is a time and place for them. If it it not a moult, then this would be the time. LOL.

All that said, if you were running a flock of 10 mature hens and 1 roo for the purposes of breeding and improving the breed, I'd say that signs of over-breeding could be problematic in just one hen. My first thought would be to put her in another breeding pen with a different roo and different hens and see if the problem persists. Most likely it wouldn't as that roo may not favor her as much and she would have a different standing in the pecking order.

There are no "right" or "wrong" answers here - only apples, oranges, grapes, tomatoes and carrots.

 

[armorfirelady]

OH... And I'm not sure that this kiddo isn't just beginning a molt. I guess I'll be able to tell in the next week or so!

I have no roosters but I have feathers in nesting boxes, naked belly's, & Edie the EE has feathers all over as well. The big girls haven't molted ever, just a few feathers here & there & a general disheveled look .........and this has been off and on since I got them last August (not the naked belly's just he feathers here & there)

But I have seen pictures of molts where the chickens are almost bald......so I keep thinking that's what a molt should look like. Now I don't think my big girls will ever do a full molt unless they wait till 18 months which is in November when it will be cold

 

[Ashdoes]

I hate it, but had to put saddles on two of my Cochins. They had beautiful cushions, till mating started and then they were practically bare. It seems to be helping, but I'm pretty sure my Roos size has a lot to do with it, he's huge. Once our CL are bigger, we'll be getting rid of this Cochin Roo and we'll see how the girls do after that.
Right now we have our broody Silkie on 4 of her eggs and 4 LF eggs, she's doing great. And all of a sudden we had a Cochin go broody and she managed to have 13 eggs under her. The Cochin girl gets up for about an hour every day, she eats and dust bathes then heads back in the barn. Hopefully that's not an issue.
Gotta clean up a bit...we've got guys coming to estimate A/C installation....I don't care about the price, I just need to not melt this summer!

 

[chooks4life]

Quote: A proper moult leaves no areas bare as the feathers are being replaced in good timing. What you're describing is how chickens are supposed to moult. Production layers and their hybrids are notoriously slow to replace what they're losing but taking them off pellets worked for me. They too can be freed from that 'over mated' look. I have heard of delayed moults in sick birds though but doubt you've got that.

Hope nobody took my theories as some kind of ultimate truth being preached. I did state they were just my experiences which led to my theories. Since almost nobody runs as many roosters per hen as I do, I don't think 'over mating' is the actual root cause of the loss of feathers. A rooster continually mating with a hen who has production genes and is on layer pellets is basically a guarantee she'll be de-feathered. But I don't blame the mating for it since in my experience the pellets are to blame.

Each to their own, anyway.

 

[stonykill]

I have never culled due to a hen being a favorite and believe me, I have and have had some bald hens. Nor do I aim to start. I suppose I am a gentleman but it seems so wrong that because she is cute and a favorite, I should kill her. Sounds like Victorian thinking to me.
I have never lost a bald hen to the cold, nor to an infection. They just go about their business.... um... bald.

Not saying one is right, and one is wrong, just my way of thinking.

x2. Must be a guy thing.

 

[Leahs Mom]

Quote:

A proper moult leaves no areas bare as the feathers are being replaced in good timing. What you're describing is how chickens are supposed to moult. Production layers and their hybrids are notoriously slow to replace what they're losing but taking them off pellets worked for me. They too can be freed from that 'over mated' look. I have heard of delayed moults in sick birds though but doubt you've got that.

Hope nobody took my theories as some kind of ultimate truth being preached. I did state they were just my experiences which led to my theories. Since almost nobody runs as many roosters per hen as I do, I don't think 'over mating' is the actual root cause of the loss of feathers. A rooster continually mating with a hen who has production genes and is on layer pellets is basically a guarantee she'll be de-feathered. But I don't blame the mating for it since in my experience the pellets are to blame.

Each to their own, anyway.

FYI - my kiddos have organic feed made at the feed store ground to order fresh with Fertrell organic nutribalancer, fish meal, raw meat, and all kinds of other stuff.... After this batch is done I'll be making it at home myself. Pretty "fancy pants"

and I'm very careful about nutrition. I ferment, sprout, watch protein levels, give them animal fat for feather and skin condition, etc, etc etc.

In this case, I can say as a matter of fact that it isn't poor quality, dead feed source....

Oh...and I didn't take any offense... I like to hear everyone's thoughts!

 

[salt and pepper]

FYI - my kiddos have organic feed made at the feed store ground to order fresh with Fertrell organic nutribalancer, fish meal, raw meat, and all kinds of other stuff.... After this batch is done I'll be making it at home myself. Pretty "fancy pants"

and I'm very careful about nutrition. I ferment, sprout, watch protein levels, give them animal fat for feather and skin condition, etc, etc etc.

In this case, I can say as a matter of fact that it isn't poor quality, dead feed source....

Oh...and I didn't take any offense... I like to hear everyone's thoughts!

Might just be molting, here's a pic of a chicken molting, and it looks just like yours. ( Not my pic )

 

[countrygirl74]

I have never culled due to a hen being a favorite and believe me, I have and have had some bald hens. Nor do I aim to start. I suppose I am a gentleman but it seems so wrong that because she is cute and a favorite, I should kill her. Sounds like Victorian thinking to me.
I have never lost a bald hen to the cold, nor to an infection. They just go about their business.... um... bald.

Not saying one is right, and one is wrong, just my way of thinking.

X2 - our roo's favorite is also one of my favorites - I couldn't imagine not having her. However, at one time we had too many roos to our hens and she was getting stressed. I simply re-homed a couple roos to places where they could have tons of girls to themselves and all is peaceful again here. But I am just raising for eggs and pets right now - not worried about breeding.

Very well put.

We all have different goals and what may work for one person may not work for another. LM - in your case this is a young roo with crazy hormones. He hasn't learned his duties quite yet, and he will likely become more gentle and careful with age. The hen in question is just used as an egg layer, and she's a darn good one from the sounds of it. You won't be hatching her eggs and thus there are no worries about passing on poor feathering.

While we have heard from other people in the past who are against hen saddles, I personally believe there is a time and place for them. If it it not a moult, then this would be the time. LOL.

All that said, if you were running a flock of 10 mature hens and 1 roo for the purposes of breeding and improving the breed, I'd say that signs of over-breeding could be problematic in just one hen. My first thought would be to put her in another breeding pen with a different roo and different hens and see if the problem persists. Most likely it wouldn't as that roo may not favor her as much and she would have a different standing in the pecking order.

There are no "right" or "wrong" answers here - only apples, oranges, grapes, tomatoes and carrots.

I got some hen saddles just to give all my girls a chance to recover from when we had an over-abundance of roosters. Their saddles were removed the other day as their feathers were returning. It was also nice to have one when one of my BR's had her side ripped wide open from the roos claws one day. It kept it covered enough for her to remain in the coop. All I used was some blu-kote for a few days, threw the saddle on her and she has healed completely.