The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[SallyinIndiana]

I'm one of the people who changed the water 2 - 3 times a day but I did not reuse the water or let it thaw. We did have a heat light on the water to help it not freeze as fast. I'm not sure about using the heat light this year as it does increase the cost.
The dog bowls look promising as we will have ducks this winter.

Last year we had a waterer that was the turn over kind. I don't care for them so now I have a metal one that you spin and the outer shell comes off allowing water to be added from the top. Still not my favorite waterer as the metal bends easily making it hard to open or close. We have the trays that allow us to tip over the 5 gal buckets but those are all outdoor waterers as they spill out quite a bit of water during the tipping process. I have 1 bucket with nipple waterers in the bottom, so far none of my chickens will use it so I will not be buying any more nipple waterers.

 

[MumsyII]

So weird to be talking about winter stuff when all winter long all we talked about was how much we couldn't wait for summer to get here.

My problem with watering at the moment is turkeys and broody's with chicks. The chicks can't reach the big water dishes and the flock think the chick water's are something special so drink them dry. The rest of the time they are filled with debris from zealous scratching about. And don't even get me started on turkeys. If they aren't pooping in the bucket, they are forever knocking it over! I hate the thought of using a five gallon bucket and having to change the water constantly. A waste any way I look at it.

 

[aoxa]

So weird to be talking about winter stuff when all winter long all we talked about was how much we couldn't wait for summer to get here.

My problem with watering at the moment is turkeys and broody's with chicks. The chicks can't reach the big water dishes and the flock think the chick water's are something special so drink them dry. The rest of the time they are filled with debris from zealous scratching about. And don't even get me started on turkeys. If they aren't pooping in the bucket, they are forever knocking it over! I hate the thought of using a five gallon bucket and having to change the water constantly. A waste any way I look at it.

Never had that issue with my turkeys.

Why not just get a bigger waterer that all can reach and use without them being "dishes"?

 

[MumsyII]

Never had that issue with my turkeys.

Why not just get a bigger waterer that all can reach and use without them being "dishes"?

Silkie chicks can't reach the bigger waterer without falling in and drowning. Had that happen once last year. In another week it won't be an issue. But with thirty under two week old silkie chicks right now, it is. These turkeys are filthy creatures. Eat enormous amounts of ff, poo, and dirty their water constantly. I'm second thinking raising them again.

 

[Sally8]

Silkie chicks can't reach the bigger waterer without falling in and drowning. Had that happen once last year. In another week it won't be an issue. But with thirty under two week old silkie chicks right now, it is. These turkeys are filthy creatures. Eat enormous amounts of ff, poo, and dirty their water constantly. I'm second thinking raising them again.

But they are so much fun!! Every morning they are looking in the dining room window waiting for breakfast pooping all over the deck. They are so nosy, they follow us everywhere. The neighbors are afraid of them and they are very hard to keep fenced in. Makes me wonder what's wrong with me! lol

I think we are all talking about winter because I'm not sure where summer went this year. Last night I built a small fire in the woodstove to take the chill off. It's in the 60's here now.

 

[MumsyII]

But they are so much fun!! Every morning they are looking in the dining room window waiting for breakfast pooping all over the deck. They are so nosy, they follow us everywhere. The neighbors are afraid of them and they are very hard to keep fenced in. Makes me wonder what's wrong with me! lol

We can't let ours wander. I am neighbored on four sides and they all have big dogs. I knew they would be confined when I decided to get them. They are beautiful and friendly birds but I don't have them for pets. They are going onto the dinner table this winter. I wanted to keep the tom and one hen for breeding but they are just too dirty. The run is plenty big for them. We turn the litter because they don't scratch it up themselves. They put out a tremendous amount of poo for five birds. These five poults make the same amount of mess as twenty LF chickens. I know this because I can see the results every day.

 

[Leahs Mom]

Good thing those turkeys don't fly.

(Bummer. Can't get my emoticon to work.)

 

[armorfirelady]

An but Mumsy come winter I would think all those poo producing turkeys will taste wonderful

 

[Leahs Mom]

Dumb thing still won't work but now I have to write something to delete if

 

[armorfirelady]

Guess it was scared away with all this talking about turkey dinners