The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[delisha]

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.

OMG..I so want some of these!!!!!

Quote: http://www.carolinafarmstewards.org/organic-and-non-gmo-feed-and-hay-sources-for-the-carolinas/

Olde Carthage Farm
2270 US-Highway 15-501 Carthage, NC 28327
[email protected]
919-770-5190
Facebook: OldeCarthageFarm

The Herb Shop

3330 Boone Trl, Fayetteville, NC 28306

They sell fresh herbs

 

[armorfirelady]

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.

This made me laugh........thats like a dusting here

We can and have gotten 3-4 feet with a storm and that usually happens at least once or twice a winter. Last winter was mild, I think I only used the snow blower a half dozen times but I have 4WD in my car so I tend to not snow blow unless it gets over 2 ft

The Buffalo area is known for its snow.......the Weather channel is here every winter season.....I guess snow is a big deal but we are used to it.

My hens would love your digs.....it would be like a vacation retreat with no snow. I am hopeful my new tots do well this winter. It will be interesting to see if the BCM with their feathered feet are out more than the others. The big girls did well last year as long as I shoveled every day so they could see the veggie garden underneath. The cold didn't seem to bother them unless the wind chill was low. But I cant blame them for not wanting to be outside when the wind chill makes it -10 below.

If you ever want to enjoy a real winter your welcome to visit

Oh and there was a women at a garage sale I was at and she had a winter coat & mittens on today. I told her I knew it was cool but not cold enough for mittens. She was from North Carolina.......it was 62 & sunny here today but she said thats freezing for her

 

[Kassaundra]

This made me laugh........thats like a dusting here

We can and have gotten 3-4 feet with a storm and that usually happens at least once or twice a winter. Last winter was mild, I think I only used the snow blower a half dozen times but I have 4WD in my car so I tend to not snow blow unless it gets over 2 ft

The Buffalo area is known for its snow.......the Weather channel is here every winter season.....I guess snow is a big deal but we are used to it.

My hens would love your digs.....it would be like a vacation retreat with no snow. I am hopeful my new tots do well this winter. It will be interesting to see if the BCM with their feathered feet are out more than the others. The big girls did well last year as long as I shoveled every day so they could see the veggie garden underneath. The cold didn't seem to bother them unless the wind chill was low. But I cant blame them for not wanting to be outside when the wind chill makes it -10 below.

If you ever want to enjoy a real winter your welcome to visit

Oh and there was a women at a garage sale I was at and she had a winter coat & mittens on today. I told her I knew it was cool but not cold enough for mittens. She was from North Carolina.......it was 62 & sunny here today but she said thats freezing for her

18 inches sounds like Armegedon to me!!!!!!!!!

I take a winter coat to work w/ me even in 100 degree summer weather b/c I freeze in the air conditioned building (they have it set at 72) and w/o a coat I get so cold I loose feelings in my fingers

 

[Leahs Mom]

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.

A couple of questions on selling your birds.

-How did folks find out about you? Do you advertise somehow?
-You don't sell newly hatched chicks? Can you elaborate on the "whys" of that?

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!!!

Wow...

 

[MumsyII]

My sister lives in Anchorage, Alaska. My winters are like a Spring day to her. She sends me pictures of snow piled on her house in October and it doesn't melt until May some years. I never complain about winter here.

I have coop news! My husband started my second chick house today! It will be unlike most chick houses most people imagine. This will be used mainly for Silkies.

I am a model builder and specialize in 1:25 scale. This little tudor building I built two years ago is the inspiration for the new chick house. Lot's of ideas floating in my head for it.




The foot print is roughly 8'x7'x8'x7'. Facing the entrance where the door will be.

 

[delisha]

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!!!

sorry about your loss..

electric fence!!!!

My sister lives in Anchorage, Alaska. My winters are like a Spring day to her. She sends me pictures of snow piled on her house in October and it doesn't melt until May some years. I never complain about winter here.

I have coop news! My husband started my second chick house today! It will be unlike most chick houses most people imagine. This will be used mainly for Silkies.

I am a model builder and specialize in 1:25 scale. This little tudor building I built two years ago is the inspiration for the new chick house. Lot's of ideas floating in my head for it.

x


The foot print is roughly 8'x7'x8'x7'. Facing the entrance where the door will be.

How exciting!!!
You are very talented

 

[armorfirelady]

My sister lives in Anchorage, Alaska. My winters are like a Spring day to her. She sends me pictures of snow piled on her house in October and it doesn't melt until May some years. I never complain about winter here.

I have coop news! My husband started my second chick house today! It will be unlike most chick houses most people imagine. This will be used mainly for Silkies.

I am a model builder and specialize in 1:25 scale. This little tudor building I built two years ago is the inspiration for the new chick house. Lot's of ideas floating in my head for it.

How exciting !!! You are very blessed your husband is so handy....I love how your coops are born from fairy tales & stories........though it might be a tight fit in that little one you are using as your model even for your new silkies

is it going to have pumpkins on the sides as well? lol

 

[MumsyII]

A couple of questions on selling your birds.

-How did folks find out about you? Do you advertise somehow?
-You don't sell newly hatched chicks? Can you elaborate on the "whys" of that?



Wow...

I have not advertised. My husband is an electrician and meets lots of people locally. When he tells people we raise quality poultry, they always ask if we are selling any. He takes their names and preferences and I put them on a list.

I won't sell chicks because I'm trying to build my stock up into superior flocks. This is my first year with these strains. (HRIR and top tier Silkies) I will keep all chicks for evaluation before letting any go. When I sell eggs, it will be from my top breeding pens. It's the reason I'm hatching everything I can as soon as I can. I need to know which are my top type and SOP birds and how they reproduce before I offer them to the public.

The Silkies are going to get a break starting next month and then the push will be on my HRIR to start laying so I can plan hatches starting in January.

 

[bbdal]

Is anyone here in Alabama? I have a hard time finding reasonably priced grains that are non-gmo and chemcal free and was wondering if anyone knows of somewhere maybe just in Southeast where I can find such. Thanks!

 

[delisha]

Is anyone here in Alabama? I have a hard time finding reasonably priced grains that are non-gmo and chemcal free and was wondering if anyone knows of somewhere maybe just in Southeast where I can find such. Thanks!

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  Including Organic options
• Address: 2301 Finley Blvd Map
• City, State: Birmingham, Alabama Country: United States Postal Code: 35234
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• WebSite: http://www.growalabama.com
• Email: Grow Alabama Contact: Jerry Spencer
• Description:
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Jerry will point you in the right direction..