The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[delisha]

Can someone help me out with this chick? They are 9-10 weeks old and all supposed to be girls. They are all different breeds so I'm not sure. We have 10 all together and a couple others are getting their combs but this one is bout twice as big as the others. Please tell me she isn't a he!

Both pullets and different combs.

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!

Tell me where you live and I will find you a source.

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?

This made me smile and chuckle.

Your cockerel is making nests to encourage girls to make him some chicks. It is hormonal *nesting*. Your hen does not seem to feel threatened by his presence. I would continue to observe his behavior and see if he feeds the chicks. Once he does he is calling them his and recognizes them as his. All males are different. Some will enter into a new area with new hens and kill chicks that know are not his ..He wants only his progeny to live on. All of my males have taken on all chicks..with or without mothers. Its the juvies that are the problem here. Some are quite nasty.

@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.

and or this...lol

 

[aoxa]

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?

Both pullets and different combs.


Tell me where you live and I will find you a source.
This made me smile and chuckle.

Your cockerel is making nests to encourage girls to make him some chicks. It is hormonal *nesting*. Your hen does not seem to feel threatened by his presence. I would continue to observe his behavior and see if he feeds the chicks. Once he does he is calling them his and recognizes them as his. All males are different. Some will enter into a new area with new hens and kill chicks that know are not his ..He wants only his progeny to live on. All of my males have taken on all chicks..with or without mothers. Its the juvies that are the problem here. Some are quite nasty.

and or this...lol

I agree with Del.

Rooster Boy just wants some lovin Doesn't sound like he is trying to attack. More like he's missed mama while she's been busy. All my boys do this when they see a broody. The excitement dies down eventually.

 

[SallyinIndiana]

my production red hens caught and ate a mouse this morning while still in their cube tractor. In the past I had only seen my roosters running around with a mouse. We live in an area with lots of fields corn and soybeans so mice abound. Just so someone does not think that there we live in some nasty are that is rodent invested. Even though there are more mice than I can count living in the fields, they are not in my house since our barn cat Moses found us.

 

[MumsyII]

Chicks hatched yesterday from pen #2 by my Sheryl Butler cockerel, Mr. Bigfoot. Healthy chicks with good toe spacing and feathering. Fertility was good with this guy but the hatch rate so far is 66%. It seems though I may be setting more eggs to get the hatch rate up to where I want it. Pen 1 and pen 2 have given me twenty nine chicks so far using four pullets and two cockerels.




I used a toe punch to identify the Pen 2 hatch. Tricky business.

 

[SallyinIndiana]

Chicks hatched yesterday from pen #2 by my Sheryl Butler cockerel, Mr. Bigfoot. Healthy chicks with good toe spacing and feathering. Fertility was good with this guy but the hatch rate so far is 66%. It seems though I may be setting more eggs to get the hatch rate up to where I want it. Pen 1 and pen 2 have given me twenty nine chicks so far using four pullets and two cockerels.





I used a toe punch to identify the Pen 2 hatch. Tricky business.

chicks are adorable.

 

[armorfirelady]

Chicks hatched yesterday from pen #2 by my Sheryl Butler cockerel, Mr. Bigfoot. Healthy chicks with good toe spacing and feathering. Fertility was good with this guy but the hatch rate so far is 66%. It seems though I may be setting more eggs to get the hatch rate up to where I want it. Pen 1 and pen 2 have given me twenty nine chicks so far using four pullets and two cockerels.

I used a toe punch to identify the Pen 2 hatch. Tricky business.

They are adorable Mumsy. I dont know if I could use a toe punch on such young chicks. I know it hurts for only a little while but I am a wuss lol

I'm curious as to why the later in the year hatch? Are you planning on selling them or is it so you can show in the spring?

 

[Kassaundra]

You got a lot of vaulted skulls, they are adorable!

 

[lalaland]

Quote:
Originally Posted by MumsyII



way cute! I can't imagine trying to do a toe punch on a wiggly chick, so tiny! you must have steady hands.

 

[lalaland]

Aoxa, keep those pics coming. I love the one with all the chickens and ducks and the little girl - looks like a wonderland. I couldn't comment when you posted thoe barred rocks earlier (Chrome book and BYC aren't always friends), but wow!

 

[dutchbunny83]

Quote:
Thanks so much!

Fayetteville NC
(Mahogany Rd, Fayetteville NC 28314)