The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[SallyinIndiana]

Quote: I will look into hatcheries that are near by. Typically I order from meyer and they are not in driving distance.

Quote: They say it is because the eggs include shipping. Still for show chicken eggs on here, they are typically about $36 a dozen including shipping.

 

[loveourbirds]

https://www.dunlaphatchery.net/birds/hatchingeggs/hatchingeggs.aspx has cornish cross eggs priced at 85 cents each, with 14 shipping on first dozen and 3 each additional dozen.

http://www.sandgpoultry.com/ourpricing.html advertises broiler strains of "heritage white, turken, and red ranger" for 5.50 a dozen (shipping not included)

 

[ChickChickChicky]

Just reading an interesting article about growing your own insects right on your kitchen countertop http://shopping.yahoo.com/news/farm-432---insect-breeding-on-your-kitchen-counter-214732341.html

 

[delisha]

I'm considering trying to hatch my own cornish meet bird. Any ideas on what hen and what rooster I need to produce the cross bred chick that grows really fast and has lots of meat?

I originally purchased cornish and crossed them to my white rocks. I always kept a 3 pullets a year that had the *heavie* look. I tried once to keep a male. They get so aggressive I could never keep one more than a year. I have vericose veins and every adult male would rip open my veins on my legs. I just stuck with the white rock since my daughter loved them and did 4H.

Quote: cutie pie

I want to play with aoxa and Trav. Here is my Blue Split pullet. Gi Gi is out of a Catdance egg I hatched in March. She is very little but a keeper.

wow ..nice looking silkie!! I am looking forward to some white eggs from you.

Just reading an interesting article about growing your own insects right on your kitchen countertop http://shopping.yahoo.com/news/farm-432---insect-breeding-on-your-kitchen-counter-214732341.html

I have issues with bugs on my counter...lol

 

[ChickChickChicky]

Report of a nationwide salmonella outbreak linked to one (and possibly many) hatcheries http://mtstandard.com/business/salm...cle_cd8824e3-4f81-5c10-95fd-cee562bf8450.html

 

[armorfirelady]

This might sound likea silly question but here goes.

Since spring/summer began I only fed the big girls just at night. When the tots were big enough I moved them in with the big girls and then gave everyone a spoonful or 2 of food in the am and fed them their normal portion at night. I started with the 2 spoonfuls in the morning because of the tots still being young. The spoon is just a normal spoon you would use for cooking, stirring, etc. I've been giving less and less food so the tots would learn to forage more, and the 2 spoonfuls they get are maybe a 1 1/2 cups of food total. At night they get 3-4 cups and there is always a little leftover. The feeders are licked clean in the morning,

The big girls would spend all day out foraging in the yard and the tots soon followed. The last month I have noticed no one is out all day like before. They spend more time in the coop or under shelter. The weather has been warm but not back in the 90s. We did have a week or 2 of cool weather. They have tons of shade and a yard full of clover, grass & bugs. I even moved their fence to a different area thinking maybe they were not finding enough food. They foraged a little more but after a few days back to laying around. Everyone is healthy. The big girls are finishing a moult and some started laying again.

And every morning I now find 8 hens waiting at the gate for me to come feed them. With a couple voicing their displeasure quite loudly. Now they are up & out in their area normally before I get up. And it's not like they are roaming thru the yard and come running to gate when they see me, they are all at the gate waiting like that's where they went as soon as their pop door opened.

I haven't seen any more aerial predators than normal that would cuz them to stay in more during the day. They do forage just not like before. Any ideas? Are they just getting lazy? I purposely don't feed them much in the am so they do go out but they have cut back on how much I see them outside. And at night most have very full crops. Some times a couple don't have full crops like the others but at least I know everyone is eating

Do you think I should up their FF in the morning to see if they go out more to forage after?

I was talking to my mom about it since she feeds them at night a couple times a week and she says she gets mobbed also. Maybe with the few weeks of cooler temps they think fall/ winter is coming sooner and trying to eat more in preparation?

I'm hiding in the house now to see if they go to forage since I haven't given them breakfast yet

 

[Leahs Mom]

I do wonder if the bugs get gleaned in their regular area and there just isn't as much. I'll be interested to hear what others say on that, AFL.

My birds do the stand by the gate thing at night when I usually go out with some sunflower seeds for them. But they always come running like they're starving any time of day if they see me. The gate thing they do on their own - even if they don't see me - as it is a nightly ritual to go out w/the seeds and get them in their pen.

 

[armorfirelady]

I do wonder if the bugs get gleaned in their regular area and there just isn't as much.  I'll be interested to hear what others say on that, AFL. 


My birds do the stand by the gate thing at night when I usually go out with some sunflower seeds for them.  But they always come running like they're starving any time of day if they see me.  The gate thing they do on their own - even if they don't see me - as it is a nightly ritual to go out w/the seeds and get them in their pen.

I think the gate thing is habit also. Green started it and the others are just following her. She likes to jump up at the gate as I get closer like she's excited to see me . I just peeked out the kitchen window, gate is clear and their all in the coop again :/.
My mom text me last night saying she was surrounded by chickens when she tried to feed them and did I starve them all day? (She was joking) they had yogurt, zuke chunks and a couple small sunflower heads.....no way were they starving .........and Edie's new trick is jumping on the roost in front of the nesting boxes to try and get up to the feed bucket (its on the top shelf above nesting boxes) she knows momma rooster & nana rooster will protect her from the big girls

 

[lalaland]

 

[delisha]

If you moved the fence to give fresh area's to feed and no hawks or preds are in the area, you are over feeding at night. They don't need the grass and greens since they are fed so much at night. Skip a night feeding and a day feeding and see how they are the next morning with the free range. (don't worry ...a day with out feed is sometimes more helpful to get answers, you will not harm your birds)