The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[Eggcessive]

The temporary quarantine playpen (don't laugh too hard!)

Great job! I have joked to my husband many times about letting our old 10 ft. satellite dish go--it would have made a great chicken pavillion, LOL.

 

[Leahs Mom]

I hope that they stay in today while I am at work. My mom is going to stop on her way to work and check. Its hot & Humid today & there is no shade or water available if they hop the fence again. And I didnt want to put a temp water there because I thought it might encorage them to keep hopping the fence.

Their old coop is closed up and the waterers moved to the big run. Sure wish Goerge could convince them to stay but he is to young to stand up to the big girls lol

Isn't is strange that they seem to be able to get out but can never figure out how to get back?

 

[armorfirelady]

Isn't is strange that they seem to be able to get out but can never figure out how to get back?

Yes it is and then they run around yelling because they want back in. Little snots !!!

 

[Kassaundra]

Yesterday was a long but productive day. I have 24 chicks I hatched out this spring, I gathered out all the chicks I thought were male (11), upon exam found all 11 were infact male, so woo hoo I correctly sexed the EE and NN. They are old enough now to correctly sex by most people, but these are the same ones I had picked as male from very young.

Of the 11 boys (here is the long day part) 6 are no longer boys, 4 are 1/2ish boys and 1 is still full boy. No casualties at all. After several months of grow out, we'll see the tasty results of today's labor.

 

[Leahs Mom]

Whoa, K....where is the tutorial for doing that? How long did it take specifically to do one?

 

[lalaland]

Whoa, K....where is the tutorial for doing that? How long did it take specifically to do one?

x2 - you made them into capons?

 

[Eggcessive]

Yesterday was a long but productive day. I have 24 chicks I hatched out this spring, I gathered out all the chicks I thought were male (11), upon exam found all 11 were infact male, so woo hoo I correctly sexed the EE and NN. They are old enough now to correctly sex by most people, but these are the same ones I had picked as male from very young.

Of the 11 boys (here is the long day part) 6 are no longer boys, 4 are 1/2ish boys and 1 is still full boy. No casualties at all. After several months of grow out, we'll see the tasty results of today's labor.

I've never eaten capon--you will need to let us know if they taste differently than meat birds.

 

[Kassaundra]

Ask and yee shall recieve


https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/675898/graphic-pics-of-my-day-learning-to-caponize

Whoa, K....where is the tutorial for doing that? How long did it take specifically to do one?

 

[Kassaundra]

Whoa, K....where is the tutorial for doing that? How long did it take specifically to do one?

I have observed and had just 2 attempts before yesterday, so they took longer for me, some were less then 5 minutes (easy extration) some were longer up to 30 minutes for both sides. We babied them before and after calming them before, giving a little food and water holding them to make sure no post procedure issues.

 

[EmSteele]

Typed in Natural chickens and found this thread! I haven't been able to read all posts yet so forgive me if I ask something that has already been answered. I can't seem to find any great GMO and soy free chicken feed that doesn't cost an arm and a leg! Does anyone know where I can find some, reasonably priced? Would I be better off making it myself? If so, what is a good recipe for 40 3-14 week old chicks?