The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[aaggjg]

Exactly. My backyard is very lush. Now someone in Arizona would struggle free ranging on the amount of land I have. It wouldn't be possible. It's dry and vegetation is just not there. Here it is. Here is some visual proof that my birds are NOT starving. They are healthy and active and HAPPY. They are relying on the land for a good 75% of their diet. (rough number there..) and I supplement because I have young chicks. Even the young chicks only have feed provided 24/7 for a week if they are with a broody. That broody takes them around and they thrive on the land. If free feeding works well for you, that is totally fine. But what works for you, does not work for me. My birds would be extremely lazy if that is what I did. My goats would gorge, and my rabbits would as well. I have to have a balance... My rabbits have not been fed at all since the spring. I've lost one to heat stroke and two to some type of predator. None have been lost to poor nutrition.

Love the photos Justine!!! Still waiting on the wedding photos My hens can't free range.... Unless I'm with them. So they get an hour or 2 of playtime in the morning when I have my coffee and double that or more on the weekend. I only feed my girls in the morning FF, sprouted grains, greens etc etc. I try to mix it up so they don't get bored. My birds take one bite of food and race to go forage in the garden. They do come back to pick from time to time but I suspect they'd much rather hunt for their food if they could. I feel bad that they. Can be left out all the time but if I did that I'd have no chickens

 

[Kassaundra]

The word for bone rubbing on bone is crepitous. It is a feel and sound used to identify disfuction (arthrits, or fracture)

 

[IttyBiddyRedHen]

I forgot the name of course ...... I'll try to figure it out and ask again when I see the person!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crepitus

Maybe this is what you are referring to? Just a thought.

Ha...I see Kassaundra beat me to it by 35 minutes.

 

[dutchbunny83]

Hi everyone!

We started keeping chickens to teach our kids about sustainability and feed them natural GMO free food.
A local feed store no longer carries anything needed to make my own feed, so I am currently back to pellets (which are loaded with corn & soy all GMO).
Does anyone have suggestions for other items I could use to make my own natural feed?
Or possibly resources for where I'd find items.
I REALLY don't want to use commercial feed for my animals.

Thanks so much!

 

[aaggjg]

Thank you both!!! She didn't used to do this.... I can even feel the popping when she breaths sometimes. She used to roost in my rafters & the trajectory down to the door was steep!!! She'd land on the door jam which is now metal since I put in the pullet shut door. I was worried shed hurt herself!! And well I guess she did.
I just gave her an Epsom salt soak and she is the only chicken that always wants to get out!!! Someone suggested putting a crate over the container so she can see & breath but not jump. Now to find a crate!!!

 

[armorfirelady]

I was out garage sales today. It was a treat since I normally work days on Saturdays. I found a ton of old stuff really cheap. A crock, very old canning jars, potato hoe, rug beater, a ton of little misc stuff and a plastic dog crate. The best find was a chicken grabber. The house used to raise chickens and this one is easily over 50 years old.

The guy said its to grab them by the legs. I won't use it for that but couldn't resist having it.

The plastic dog crate didn't have the screws to attach it together but I took both halves out to their yard. Instant hawk hidey spots that are easy to clean, won't rot & I have a instant quarantine crate all I need to do is put it back together. Score!!

Found and old strainer that holds 2 cups of ff so I told my mom for feeding they get to strainer fulls for feeding time. I haven't weighed them yet but at least I have the portion control down.

And I also agree with those who posted before. We all have different situations and want the most natural environment we can have for chickens. My electric netting surrounding their coop my not count as free ranging by others definitions but they have access to a ton of clover, weeds, grass & bugs with over 200ft feet of netting which of course means they have a ton of room. My girls are healthy, happy & well fed from their foraging that area.
They are out from sun up to sunset in their area and the great eggs I get is proof they are healthy

 

[Leahs Mom]

So I wanted to give you all an update on my little limping hen Nugget. She has bumblefoot on both feet but the scab fell off one and the other is almost off. When I was soaking her feet yesterday I noticed that she had a little scab at the end of her toe!! Upon closer inspection it looks like she lost that toenail .... She doesn't like me to mess with it as it is tender but hopefully with a little more time she will be all healed up!!!

Good to hear that!

 

[Leahs Mom]

Aoxa - Haven't forgotten your file. Just working outside and gone this evening. But I'll get it to you.


Let the broody girl with her 2 wk old chicks out today and have been observing. I'm especially concerned about the rooster boy since I don't know how he'll behave. He's been doing a couple things that have me concerned. This is my first rooster boy when I had a broody so I have no idea if this is "normal" or not. Here's what happened:



-He first came up to mom and chicks and danced. Mom puffed up, but won't attack him. He looked like he wanted to mate mom or attack her. Couldn't tell which. He ended up in a "face off" with mom but she does not attack him like she does if it were one of the ladies. When it got to the point that I was concerned, I made him leave. Did this twice.

-Then...the boy went in where mom nests on the floor in a corner. He dug the whole nest out and made a "better" nest. The whole time he was doing this, another girl (not the mom but her twin) was with him making interesting sounds. She's watching while he makes the nest. Then he gets IN the nest like a broody and starts clucking and picking up litter and putting it on his back like a broody. He eventually leaves - with his lady friend - and goes back outside.

-His lady friend is one that mom will attack and make her stay away. She comes out the door, mom goes after her. Rooster boy is right behind and he goes after mom briefly to let the other girl get away. Mom goes back to chicks.

-Throughout the morning I have made him leave the area if I thought things looked dangerous but as much as possible I just leave him with no interference.

-He came back to the indoor nest a second time (with lady friend) did the same thing as before. Then the lady wanted to get in the nest. He moved and she got in. He's standing guard. I put a stop to that as mom needs to go back to her place. I moved the other lady out. Boy went back in, then eventually I made him go back outside.


So...
What's he up to with the nest? Here were a few thing I wondered:

-I wondered if he was trying to identify with the hen/chicks and pick up their scent and become the "protector" kind of thing.
-I wondered if he was trying to encourage the other girl to make a nest and go broody.


All you experienced broody folks...who have roosters....What am I observing there?

 

[Gramma Chick]

Aoxa - Haven't forgotten your file. Just working outside and gone this evening. But I'll get it to you.


Let the broody girl with her 2 wk old chicks out today and have been observing. I'm especially concerned about the rooster boy since I don't know how he'll behave. He's been doing a couple things that have me concerned. This is my first rooster boy when I had a broody so I have no idea if this is "normal" or not. Here's what happened:



-He first came up to mom and chicks and danced. Mom puffed up, but won't attack him. He looked like he wanted to mate mom or attack her. Couldn't tell which. He ended up in a "face off" with mom but she does not attack him like she does if it were one of the ladies. When it got to the point that I was concerned, I made him leave. Did this twice.

-Then...the boy went in where mom nests on the floor in a corner. He dug the whole nest out and made a "better" nest. The whole time he was doing this, another girl (not the mom but her twin) was with him making interesting sounds. She's watching while he makes the nest. Then he gets IN the nest like a broody and starts clucking and picking up litter and putting it on his back like a broody. He eventually leaves - with his lady friend - and goes back outside.

-His lady friend is one that mom will attack and make her stay away. She comes out the door, mom goes after her. Rooster boy is right behind and he goes after mom briefly to let the other girl get away. Mom goes back to chicks.

-Throughout the morning I have made him leave the area if I thought things looked dangerous but as much as possible I just leave him with no interference.

-He came back to the indoor nest a second time (with lady friend) did the same thing as before. Then the lady wanted to get in the nest. He moved and she got in. He's standing guard. I put a stop to that as mom needs to go back to her place. I moved the other lady out. Boy went back in, then eventually I made him go back outside.


So...
What's he up to with the nest? Here were a few thing I wondered:

-I wondered if he was trying to identify with the hen/chicks and pick up their scent and become the "protector" kind of thing.
-I wondered if he was trying to encourage the other girl to make a nest and go broody.


All you experienced broody folks...who have roosters....What am I observing there?

We have no Broodys ...our rooster has been seen doing this .we came to the conclusion
he was trying to encourage his girls to make a nest and go broody. ...but we always collect eggs also ..so no eggs for them to set on

Can you make another place that this hen could nest ..if you wanted another broody ?

 

[MumsyII]

@Leahs mom: In my experience, cock birds are all about luring hens or POL girls in closer for breeding opportunities. Making the nest is one way they do that. Their brain doesn't register 'broodiness' in females. It works off instinct. Finding a good nesting spot and making the come hither noise is another way to woo. The end result for him means passing on his genes in his progeny. For chickens it's all about finding food, avoiding predators, and reproducing. Good roosters are at the whole top of the ladder in these areas. The hen will have to find another 'home spot'. Or you remove the rooster from getting access to her spot.

Some cock birds will kill new hatched young if they are not his to force the hen to start laying again with eggs fertilized by him so the new chicks will be his progeny. This happens in nature with wild animals. It is not uncommon with game birds.