The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[Mrs.SB]

Thanks guys! I'm so relieved! I knew the 2 in the pic were different that was just the only pic I could get that had a good view of her comb

 

[camilleathome]

Just wanted to comment that I absolutely love having my birds in the barn! My barnyard is so much more entertaining(Even though I do miss having them by the house in the mornings) My boarder is still a bit nervous of them lol but im sure that will pass. The ducks are having a blast right now with all the rain weve been having. Pile of puddles. and the chickens LOVE going through the horse manure to get at the larvae!

 

[uglychickens]

Quote:
ok, slow down I don't think anyone was accusing anyone. text is sometimes easy to interpret attitudes that aren't there. I would point out that "starving" is a pretty harsh word, especially to people who put as much time, money, and effort into making their chickens as healthy as they can be. You could instead say, you would worry they weren't getting the right nutrition which is a softer way and less accusatory to make your point. You make some good points, that nutrition in a backyard might not be something that has been documented, and that in a farm yard, chickens would likely have access to feeds dropped (or excreted) by other animals, all of which is missing in a backyard. Most people on this thread worry about the food supply for people and for chickens. It is a strange world we live in, with gmo's, factory production of food, and all the other issues related to health. That extends to bagged, extruded chicken feed = at least for me it does. I don't want to feed my chickens what I wouldn't want to eat myself in terms of quality. I have had hens who were free fed the best commercial food I could get that wasn't certified organic, and who became obsese, I've had a hen die of prolapsed vent, and I've had a lot of hens who have lived only one or two years. I have changed my practices as a result and I think it is showing up in the health of my flock. Starving or eating to an excess - both are bad. I'm feeling pretty good that now I have a 4 and 1/2 year old hen that still lays. Delisha mentioned she has some 4 year olds that are still laying. That says to me that they are not starving, and are healthy. And I have seen starving hens, and unhealthy hens, and I don't think anyone would mistake a starving hen for a healthy hen. If your lawn is in a suburb and is treated with lawn chemicals/pesticides/herbicides and is basically one kind of grass, I am not sure whether a chicken could survive on that very well. Where I am? lots of species of plants and bugs in the "lawn", and woods, and planted veggie garden. I would say, though, that hens who are foraging and satisified, and then are lazing around in the late afternoon, aren't starving, are being well cared for. I am personally envious of those who are at home during the day or who have lgds , and can allow free ranging all day! with my predator situation, I choose to let them free range when I am home, so I do feed them in the morning before I leave for work, because the run has been pretty well picked over - there are a few kinds of grass but no clover/dandelion/plantain/chickweed/etc which have been eliminated by the chickens, the weeds are not the kind they eat, and I never see grassphoppers etc there because they have been eaten up! anyway, this is a very friendly thread and I am sure you weren't trying to make your posts confrontational or accusing. When someone makes a startling statement, such as you did on your earlier post, it is normal to ask where you came across that info. answers tell a lot - there are all kinds of wacky "facts" on the internet and many contradictory, and many not credible. RIght here on byc, for example, you will read people saying that you can't feed your hens potatoe peelings, because they read it somewhere. so what kind of chickens do you have, and how long have you been raising them? (edited to make my own words a little softer)

I just gotta put my 2 ¢ in here: just because its on the Internet don't make it true, anymore then if it came out of my own lips.

 

[MumsyII]

Every hatch is an exciting time for me. I stare at, examine, and study each chick and it is such a fascinating process with each batch.

My White Silkie flock consists of only five females. The two Catdance girls are now hens. The three Sheryl Butler girls are young pullets. They all lay and go broody around the same time. Within days of each other actually. I'm using two males this year. A Catdance boy that is now a cock and the Sheryl Butler boy that hatched with the girls. My plan is to hatch as many chicks from these seven birds as possible before they stop laying for the winter. Silkies take a long time to mature and they take a while to sex as well. Next Spring, I want my breeding pens to be made up from the best pullets from these matings. I will only keep one male. Maybe two if there is another exceptional male that out shines my breeding males this year.
I have a waiting list of people that want eggs and youngsters. I won't sell any bird before it reaches five or six months old.

One of my customers is a little 4 H girl that wants three to show at the fair next year. Another lady wants a trio of pet quality. So far, only two chicks are what I would consider pet quality. One has four toes and one has six toes. That's a DQ. They are beautiful in every other way. I'm thrilled that out of thirty chicks, only two hatched with funky feet.

I would love to be able to show them. Problem is where I live in relation to where all the big shows are. So, for this year, I'm breeding the most beautiful White Silkies I can to stabilize my bloodlines.

Toe punching Silkies is challenging. I use good lighting, my best reading glasses, and I don't punch until I'm certain of where it's going. The chicks let out one peep. There is no blood unless you nick a toe. I did that once. Blood stop powder is essential for that. The chicks don't even notice the punch as soon as it's done. They behave as if nothing happened. I do it as soon as they come out of the incubator. I redo some if the hole seems to be clogged. You can't even see the hole in the images I posted. I have to spread the toes to see it up close.

 

[aoxa]

Every hatch is an exciting time for me. I stare at, examine, and study each chick and it is such a fascinating process with each batch.

My White Silkie flock consists of only five females. The two Catdance girls are now hens. The three Sheryl Butler girls are young pullets. They all lay and go broody around the same time. Within days of each other actually. I'm using two males this year. A Catdance boy that is now a cock and the Sheryl Butler boy that hatched with the girls. My plan is to hatch as many chicks from these seven birds as possible before they stop laying for the winter. Silkies take a long time to mature and they take a while to sex as well. Next Spring, I want my breeding pens to be made up from the best pullets from these matings. I will only keep one male. Maybe two if there is another exceptional male that out shines my breeding males this year.
I have a waiting list of people that want eggs and youngsters. I won't sell any bird before it reaches five or six months old.

One of my customers is a little 4 H girl that wants three to show at the fair next year. Another lady wants a trio of pet quality. So far, only two chicks are what I would consider pet quality. One has four toes and one has six toes. That's a DQ. They are beautiful in every other way. I'm thrilled that out of thirty chicks, only two hatched with funky feet.

I would love to be able to show them. Problem is where I live in relation to where all the big shows are. So, for this year, I'm breeding the most beautiful White Silkies I can to stabilize my bloodlines.

Toe punching Silkies is challenging. I use good lighting, my best reading glasses, and I don't punch until I'm certain of where it's going. The chicks let out one peep. There is no blood unless you nick a toe. I did that once. Blood stop powder is essential for that. The chicks don't even notice the punch as soon as it's done. They behave as if nothing happened. I do it as soon as they come out of the incubator. I redo some if the hole seems to be clogged. You can't even see the hole in the images I posted. I have to spread the toes to see it up close.

Our chicks have to be vaccinated to show. They punch the wing skin. I know you process, so you can imagine it if you stretch the wing open. It's like their shoulder. They are all numbered. They hardly make a fuss when they tag them, so I concur that toe punching wouldn't bother them in the great scheme of things. The jewelry bugs them for a few minutes. They inspect it, but go on with their day.

 

[armorfirelady]

Every hatch is an exciting time for me. I stare at, examine, and study each chick and it is such a fascinating process with each batch.

My White Silkie flock consists of only five females. The two Catdance girls are now hens. The three Sheryl Butler girls are young pullets. They all lay and go broody around the same time. Within days of each other actually. I'm using two males this year. A Catdance boy that is now a cock and the Sheryl Butler boy that hatched with the girls. My plan is to hatch as many chicks from these seven birds as possible before they stop laying for the winter. Silkies take a long time to mature and they take a while to sex as well. Next Spring, I want my breeding pens to be made up from the best pullets from these matings. I will only keep one male. Maybe two if there is another exceptional male that out shines my breeding males this year.
I have a waiting list of people that want eggs and youngsters. I won't sell any bird before it reaches five or six months old.

One of my customers is a little 4 H girl that wants three to show at the fair next year. Another lady wants a trio of pet quality. So far, only two chicks are what I would consider pet quality. One has four toes and one has six toes. That's a DQ. They are beautiful in every other way. I'm thrilled that out of thirty chicks, only two hatched with funky feet.

I would love to be able to show them. Problem is where I live in relation to where all the big shows are. So, for this year, I'm breeding the most beautiful White Silkies I can to stabilize my bloodlines.

Toe punching Silkies is challenging. I use good lighting, my best reading glasses, and I don't punch until I'm certain of where it's going. The chicks let out one peep. There is no blood unless you nick a toe. I did that once. Blood stop powder is essential for that. The chicks don't even notice the punch as soon as it's done. They behave as if nothing happened. I do it as soon as they come out of the incubator. I redo some if the hole seems to be clogged. You can't even see the hole in the images I posted. I have to spread the toes to see it up close.

Thank you for taking the time to explain. I knew you had a plan for breeding jbut could not remember if you would be hatching so late in the year. Will the new chicks be able to forage in the yard this fall/winter? I know your on an island & I dont believe you get any snow? So I am assuming they will be able to hence the reason you can hatch so late? Just curious is all. I know it wont be long before our temps will be cold and snow will be here

And for whatever reason when I think toe punch I think of the paper punches holes that obviously would be to large for a chick.....

 

[flagirl]

Just when you think things are getting better---the water is receeding, about 6" around most of coop and still 6" to 1 ft in run. bobcat has not been by in a month since my husband shot near him to scare him away. Have to let them free range especially since we do not have a run now, but today, a brown bear and cub wrecked havoc. Ate my pol brahma, 1 wlh and ran away with another. 3 hens were still here, but 4 missing. 2 have returned and 2 still remain unseen. hoping they will return at dusk. My best friend died 3 weeks ago and her husband wanted me to take her 5 issa browns and 4 barred rocks. I was going to take the 4 rocks since they are only 9 mo old and the issa's are 2 yrs. Well, now I have room for all! don't know if he wants me to feed them tto the bears though. As usual with murphy's law, the bears took my youngest hens, not the 3+ yr old black sexlink, or the wellsummer with bumblefoot!!!

 

[aoxa]

Rosie is growing fast

 

[rowerjen]

Rosie is growing fast

Ohmygoodness.
Hard to believe anything could be cuter than Henry, but there you go.

 

[MumsyII]

Thank you for taking the time to explain. I knew you had a plan for breeding jbut could not remember if you would be hatching so late in the year. Will the new chicks be able to forage in the yard this fall/winter? I know your on an island & I dont believe you get any snow? So I am assuming they will be able to hence the reason you can hatch so late? Just curious is all. I know it wont be long before our temps will be cold and snow will be here

And for whatever reason when I think toe punch I think of the paper punches holes that obviously would be to large for a chick.....

I really love to get questions like this. It helps me to type out in a way that explains what my breeding is all about. It's really hard to explain face to face.

We haven't had snow here of any significance in three or four years. Every five to six years we get dumped on. I have pictures of it at eighteen inches some years. It rarely happens and rarely lasts. We do get freezing temps in the 20's and teens late Jan and Feb for a few weeks. The weather here is temperate. My chick runs will be open all winter except for storms. Our first frost is expected late October. Sometimes roses are still blooming here in December. Don't hate me.

Washington State is getting more and more like California.

The toe punch tool for chicks is very small. But it works the same way as a paper punch. It makes the same sound too. That kind of freaks me out more than marking the chick. It's only an inch long. I tied ribbon to it so I won't lose it.