The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[yellowfuzzies]

Question? I have totally free range hens, one has stopped laying in house. I found the secret egg stash today when I followed her she had 19 eggs in there and I didn't realize. I am trying to keep them in coop/ run longer to force house laying but she seems to be particularly stressed and when let her out she makes a hard bee line for nesting area. If forced will she start laying on house again or wait till I do let them out later in day?

 

[Mumsy]

would vineger work?

Vinegar is not an antiseptic. Just change and wash your clothes. Wash your hands. Get your self clean the old fashioned way. Soap and water. Your shoes are very important in this regard. Do not wear the same ones between farms. Common sense.

 

[Mumsy]

Every so often the subject of predators comes up here. There are a few ways that seem to be popular in dealing with this. Since the beginning of man raising domestic animals, predators must be addressed.

Killing the predators. Protecting the livestock. Together? Or selective? I do not bring this up to start an unwinnable debate. Both ways of dealing with the problem have merit. Both ways are not 100% effective.

Rather than tote one better than the other I will state this from experience rather than just cutting and pasting stuff off the internet.

For me, protecting my flock has become more effective than wanton killing of all things that eat chicken. Weasels are perfect little killing machines. That doesn't make them evil. Anymore than I would think of a domestic cat as evil. They are perfect killing machines as well. Both could cause havoc in my barn if allowed access. This is key. ACCESS.
Rats are the normal diet of weasels. They can access a barn or coop from an opening as small as one inch. They find a ready made highway in old rat tunnels. If you kill off rats on your property and don't deal with the tunnels.....Weasels will need a new food source and rat tunnels will give them access....To your chickens.

Every day I allow my flock outside to free range. Knowing full well the risk they take with predator birds of prey. It's a big risk. This morning two Bald Eagles swooped into my yard without a sound. They were after a rabbit on the lawn. They missed. I watched in awe as they sped a way as fast as they swept in. My flock were all under cover in the shrubbery and hiding. I was standing staring with my jaw on my chest! I had been watching four Osprey overhead and never new the Eagles were in the neighborhood. The chickens knew! They knew and I was caught unawares.

As humans raising domestic livestock, it is our job to protect our flock. Predators have a job. It is their job to find food for themselves and their young. It is a balancing act with all of us and it takes vigilance, experience, know how, and knowledge. Today my flock was lucky. So was that rabbit.

 

[Bulldogma]

What's the best kind of hen for going broody? I raise NN's and they are just not known for this but I want a broody hen to do the chick work for me... Any suggestions?

Aoxa gave you a great answer. I use Silkies personally because they don't eat as much as Orps - LOL! (They also can't cover quite as many eggs, but hey.) So far we've had great luck with the Silkie-bators.

Hi everyone! I've been MIA for a bit (double ear infection, followed by my 7yr old getting Scarlet Fever--strep throat with a rash-- and then me getting a severe case of strep myself! Loads of fun!). I wanted to share this though thought you'd all find it a bit funny:

I just this afternoon found this egg in the middle of my bedroom floor. Notice the teeth marks? Apparently Leah's (my daughter) little dog (terrier/chihuahua mix) went into the run, up the ramp to the coop, into the coop and nabbed this from the nest box, then carried it all the way back into the house and into our room. This is definitely a first.

Good heavens - what a wild ride for you lately! Glad everybody seems to be recovering! Cute about the dog with the egg.

Question? I have totally free range hens, one has stopped laying in house. I found the secret egg stash today when I followed her she had 19 eggs in there and I didn't realize. I am trying to keep them in coop/ run longer to force house laying but she seems to be particularly stressed and when let her out she makes a hard bee line for nesting area. If forced will she start laying on house again or wait till I do let them out later in day?

If you keep her contained for a few days, she will start laying in the chicken house again... but there is no guarantee that once she is allowed to free range she won't run back to her old nest. At least you know where it is now.

 

[starlingdaly]

Question? I have totally free range hens, one has stopped laying in house. I found the secret egg stash today when I followed her she had 19 eggs in there and I didn't realize. I am trying to keep them in coop/ run longer to force house laying but she seems to be particularly stressed and when let her out she makes a hard bee line for nesting area. If forced will she start laying on house again or wait till I do let them out later in day?

She sounds broody to me! How long have you noticed her eggs missing? Could be another hen is helping her out with that collection of eggs.

 

[midnightroo]

young buck who lives in our backyard. While taking pics of him, a female MOOSE passed through. No pics. Couldn't get any. We RARELY have moose here. I am REALLY hoping she is having babies here. Wow! A moose would be so cool to see. At times we have phantom bear sightings in our area and everyone gets spooked. he will be a nice shooter in the fall

Hi everyone! I've been MIA for a bit (double ear infection, followed by my 7yr old getting Scarlet Fever--strep throat with a rash-- and then me getting a severe case of strep myself! Loads of fun!). I wanted to share this though thought you'd all find it a bit funny: I just this afternoon found this egg in the middle of my bedroom floor. Notice the teeth marks? Apparently Leah's (my daughter) little dog (terrier/chihuahua mix) went into the run, up the ramp to the coop, into the coop and nabbed this from the nest box, then carried it all the way back into the house and into our room. This is definitely a first.

Glad you are all healing. I had a good laugh with the egg!

Every so often the subject of predators comes up here. There are a few ways that seem to be popular in dealing with this. Since the beginning of man raising domestic animals, predators must be addressed. Killing the predators. Protecting the livestock. Together? Or selective? I do not bring this up to start an unwinnable debate. Both ways of dealing with the problem have merit. Both ways are not 100% effective. Rather than tote one better than the other I will state this from experience rather than just cutting and pasting stuff off the internet.[/SIZE Every day I allow my flock outside to free range. Knowing full well the risk they take with predator birds of prey. It's a big risk. This morning two Bald Eagles swooped into my yard without a sound. They were after a rabbit on the lawn. They missed. I watched in awe as they sped a way as fast as they swept in. My flock were all under cover in the shrubbery and hiding. I was standing staring with my jaw on my chest! I had been watching four Osprey overhead and never new the Eagles were in the neighborhood. The chickens knew! They knew and I was caught unawares. As humans raising domestic livestock, it is our job to protect our flock. Predators have a job. It is their job to find food for themselves and their young. It is a balancing act with all of us and it takes vigilance, experience, know how, and knowledge. Today my flock was lucky. So was that rabbit.

Cool and scary all at once! When we lost our two, I told my daughter that same thing. They need to eat and feed their young, our job is to protect them as best as we can without being too protective.

 

[bluebirdnanny]

ok, I need a camera, because these are with a cell - and Justine, how do you take pics of chicks? they don't stay still, by the time the camera flashes they are no longer there!

the littlest swedish flower hen, she has to be a girl - 3 weeks:





see the little sideways feather? when she is running she looks like she is wearing a tutu!




close up of her coloring - am in love with this



and finally, one of her sibs. Roo?

They are sooooo cute!!!

Okay, Stony...do these chicken mamas need therapy after they find out they've raised swamp creatures?

LOL, that is a funny thought!

Hmmmm, Well I planned on washing my shoes in bleach every time I came back, so maybe that will keep it at bay, I have played with the idea of just treating the birds while I'm there, so that I won't have to worry about this again...

Now that is a thought.... but 30 chickens is quite an undertaking!

She sounds broody to me! How long have you noticed her eggs missing? Could be another hen is helping her out with that collection of eggs.

I think you may have hit on something there. One of my three isn't laying all of a sudden.... she came out of woods one day and made the call but I could not find anything. With predators here if she did lay out there something got it. She has gone back to normal otherwise but still not getting that third egg. And some days only one.... I may have the same issue brewing! Today was two.

 

[mlowen]

From Mumsy: Weasels are perfect little killing machines. That doesn't make them evil. Anymore than I would think of a domestic cat as evil. They are perfect killing machines as well. Both could cause havoc in my barn if allowed access. This is key. ACCESS.[/SIZE]
Rats are the normal diet of weasels. They can access a barn or coop from an opening as small as one inch. They find a ready made highway in old rat tunnels. If you kill off rats on your property and don't deal with the tunnels.....Weasels will need a new food source and rat tunnels will give them access....To your chickens.

I have tons of chipmunks and red squirrels. They will tunnel under and into a coop/run to get to the food; making a "highway" for weasels. (I've seen them in my yard.). So...I literally have wrapped my coop/run in 1/2 inch hardware cloth. (I HAVE been accused of over-building before!) I will only be able to "cheap range" (as opposed to free) so when I am at work or asleep I can be reasonably sure the hens will be safe.

 

[zinia8]

I am still trying to power through the trinity of threads, what a lot of reading!  And it doesn't help that I am copy/pasting everything that strikes me into a word file.  Certainly don't want to try to have to wade through all this again to find some info that I KNOW is in there lol.

I have two 15 m. buff orpington hatchery hens, they didn't molt last fall, laid regular as clockwork even without extra light.  Their feathers look AWFUL.  I've checked in bright light and at night for mites and lice, no signs of either.  Down is really good, even some new feather nibs, skin is all good nice and pink.  They have really taken to the FF (half all flock, half oats, with a handful of BOSS), they get fresh cut field grasses, veg, a meal worm every once in a while as I cannot free range.  One is still regular with her egg, the other not so much maybe two a week. 

Do the feathers just get worn?  They look all lacy like the barbels have worn off, but the darn things just will not drop.  Anything else I should be looking for?

Thanks for any ideas.

Maybe they are heading into a molt. I have two 2yr olds that are molting now. I also have one 2yr old that has never had a molt. She is the most scraggily looking thing. No feathers on her head thin wing feathers and stubbles for a tail. I just want to grab hold of her and pull all those feathers out in the hopes she grows new ones. I am hoping that she is going into some kind of molt. She quit laying like the other two and some feathers look like they maybe being replaced.

 

[aoxa]

Thanks Aoxa for posting this. Are these pullets or over a year old? Just curious is all.
I would keep them at their home, practice bio security with different clothes & shoes. And I would def do like the others & add some fresh herbs to build the immunity of your own.

That rooster is 16 weeks old in that picture. The girl is a year old, but looked the exact same at 16 weeks. I just couldn't seem to find a profile shot of her at that age. She was always looking at me head on.

I should do one with younger birds. Easter Eggers are easy to sex based on colour alone. I sexed mine at 3-4 weeks old.

I now have 15 Easter Eggers that are maybe 2 weeks old and already a few stand out to me. I need to tag them somehow to see how right my guesses are