The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[aoxa]

Anyone that has BR or BCM at what age do they start laying? I've gotten a pullet size dark brown egg twice now and no clue who its from. I checked the vents of both but they are both small and firm and since they are only 15 & 16 weeks old I really don't think its them. Their combs and wattles aren't red either. And Lucy's eggs (or what I think are hers are an XL size). My big girls have never laid such large eggs and their over a year old so I don't think they would just start laying bigger eggs. I know she's laying from looking at her vent. Maybe one of the big girls is laying darker eggs after not laying for a couple weeks?

I have never had a BR lay a dark egg. They are almost always light brown. I did have one that was a medium brown, but mostly light.

They start at 20 weeks for production (Hatchery) birds.

It's not about the vent so much as it is about the pelvic bones. There are two sharp bones near the vent (I think it's pelvic?) anyway, fit two to three fingers held up to it and if it is two or three wide she is already laying, or soon to be laying.

Can someone please give me the correct terminology?

 

[aoxa]

We avoid shots of all kinds... always have... but I thought I was doing the smart thing.
Without going into a lot of detail the reaction was severe but went undiagnosed for three weeks.
Shut down my kidneys and every hormone in my body. I'm an extremely healthy person and hadn't a clue what was wrong.
I am just now really starting to get all levels where they need to be again and feeling good.
They think it was the delivering agent - thimerosal. Thimerosal has been linked to many complications including autism and is a common delivering agent in many vaccines.
We have always believed vaccines are a bad idea... I wouldn't allow my kids to have them.
This just reaffirmed what we had always believed.

Lockjaw is very uncommon and with proper wound care 99.9% of all farm wounds are not a problem. We had a woman close to us die of lockjaw last year... she was an MD. Cut her hand working in her garden. It happens. I'll take my chances.

I've cut myself many times on the farm in the last few years. I slid down a muddy ramp with poop all over it and scraped my leg terribly. Probably should have considered that at the time rather than a tick bite.

I'll be careful to look out for any symptoms.

Vaccines for kids are such a high controversial topic, I think we best to stay away from that - but I'm not pro vaccines at all. I was shocked to hear my baby niece was already vaccinated for hepatitis B at just a day old.

 

[armorfirelady]

Hmmm will have to check pelvic bones then. My gut says its a big girl laying again. Really need o find a game cam so I can solve some mysteries

The BR isn't from the hatchery. Sally's uncle raises them and got them from someone else's line I believe. Stella has really filled out for 4 months old. She is almost as big as the big girls. I love her barring to. As soon as she stops molting I am sure she will be even prettier

 

[aoxa]

Hmmm will have to check pelvic bones then. My gut says its a big girl laying again. Really need o find a game cam so I can solve some mysteries

The BR isn't from the hatchery. Sally's uncle raises them and got them from someone else's line I believe. Stella has really filled out for 4 months old. She is almost as big as the big girls. I love her barring to. As soon as she stops molting I am sure she will be even prettier

She is production quality by her barring. Not true heritage Barred Plymouth Rock. I find these are better layers, and are full of personality.


This is the picture I found of her you posted late July. She doesn't look anywhere near POL. She has better type than hatchery Barred Rocks for sure though.

Heritage Barred Rocks can lay between 30-36 weeks according to Fred. I have a bunch of heritage BPRs growing out and they are 7 weeks. One has only wing feathers, and even still - not much of them!



Maybe this picture can help you compare.

 

[delisha]

Hi! Been lurking a little on this thread, thought I'd finally introduce myself! My DH and I are pretty much organic vegetarians at this point (not for any ethical qualm of eating another living thing, plants are living too, but it keeps me from needing cortisone shots in my knees every year or twice a year) and are raising our chickens on organic non-GMO food. They do scrounge in our yard for bugs and get bugs and scraps from the garden. Hoping for lots of perky, deeply colored yolks in our homegrown eggs! Most of our friends and his family think we are nuts! It's peaceful and empowering though to know you don't have to have a grocery store to feed yourself! Our birds will be slaughtered however when they stop laying or if there is a mean roo, as my Mom and brother both suffer from Celiac disease, and love eggs and chicken! It's great to see so many others that want to raise their birds in a simpler and very natural way. I do feel bad that ours will be in a run most of the time, but with so many predators in the area it seems the best way while we are gone during the day. How do all of you deal with these sorts of self conflict?

making the hard decisions for the health of the chickens is not always easy...always choose for them and not for you. Culling is one of those hard choices. We think in emotions. We give chickens emotions. Chickens need fresh air, water, exercises, and good feed. It sounds like you will be a good chicken stewart. Welcome to the group.

Quote: cross blue game hen

Anyone that has BR or BCM at what age do they start laying? I've gotten a pullet size dark brown egg twice now and no clue who its from. I checked the vents of both but they are both small and firm and since they are only 15 & 16 weeks old I really don't think its them. Their combs and wattles aren't red either. And Lucy's eggs (or what I think are hers are an XL size). My big girls have never laid such large eggs and their over a year old so I don't think they would just start laying bigger eggs. I know she's laying from looking at her vent. Maybe one of the big girls is laying darker eggs after not laying for a couple weeks?

Mine did not start till they were 8 months old. I have a few now that are 7 months old that are coloring up. They take longer once they color to start laying. Look for a moist vent.

 

[Kassaundra]

Allergy shots: Totally worth it. SO WORTH IT.

I am so glad I spent those two years.. It was unbearable before and now I am never congested or have sneezing fits or eyes feeling like they are burning from the inside out during hay season.

Glad they worked for you my husband has been less fortunate. He is going on 8 years w/o any benefits. We knew when we started it was going to take longer b/c his allergies are soooo bad the dilute had to be started so low and increased so slowly and he was still having systemic reactions (they didn't even think it was possible to react at his starting doses). The only changes he has seen in 8 years is he tolerates the shots themselves better (only occasionally gets hives and no systemic reactions in quite a while) He is refractory to all OTC meds and most prescribed meds. This year his eyeballs haven't swelled up (and I do mean the eyeballs not the area around the eyes) This so far is the first year for that not to happen, that requires several very pricy eyedrops to control. They also told us going in there was basically 1/3 helped enough to be off meds, 1/3 helped enough that otc meds worked, and 1/3 not changed at all.

 

[TipihlowLadies]

I see the resemblence in the head/beak. I thought araucana crosses would always have slate legs? not sure.....

mine are more green yellow

 

[aoxa]

Glad they worked for you my husband has been less fortunate. He is going on 8 years w/o any benefits. We knew when we started it was going to take longer b/c his allergies are soooo bad the dilute had to be started so low and increased so slowly and he was still having systemic reactions (they didn't even think it was possible to react at his starting doses). The only changes he has seen in 8 years is he tolerates the shots themselves better (only occasionally gets hives and no systemic reactions in quite a while) He is refractory to all OTC meds and most prescribed meds. This year his eyeballs haven't swelled up (and I do mean the eyeballs not the area around the eyes) This so far is the first year for that not to happen, that requires several very pricy eyedrops to control. They also told us going in there was basically 1/3 helped enough to be off meds, 1/3 helped enough that otc meds worked, and 1/3 not changed at all.

Oh no

I had such TERRIBLE allergies. It was unbearable. I could never breath through my nose, and on my initial allergy test they were surprised how allergic I was to almost everything they tested me for (not food, the tests for trees, molds, animals, etc). I never had much of a reaction to the shot except mild irritation.

My mother also had the allergy shots and has been allergy free since she was in her 20's (now almost 50) does that tell you how young I am?

Susan and I lived in a basement apartment our second place. Never ever again. My allergies.. yeah.. my allergies had allergies. I started out three times a week, and ended up ending at once a month. I almost felt immediate relief. It was the best decision I have ever made. After 8 years of nothing, that must be very frustrating.

 

[aoxa]

Processing 10 birds tomorrow...

I'm trying to make a mental list of all the supplies.. Can anyone let me know if I am missing something:

Killing Cone
Killing knife
Scalding pot
Temperature think to check pot temperature
Wheelbarrow for plucking
Processing knives
chicken shears
bags for packaging


I feel like I am missing something... :/

 

[TipihlowLadies]

A chicken lady I know had the same problem: Riffle, shovel, hole in the ground, never speak of it! Problem over.

I agree but it is like lightning fast!