The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[aoxa]

Yeah I'm finally caught up!!!!! Whoo-hoo. Ok I cheated I couldnt read 200 pages but i did read most of it and eventually I'll get back to the pages I missed. I am soooo exicted by this thread. I want to raise chickens as naturally as possible. I've re-thought how I'm setting up my flock. I'm going to try to get a couple of adult hens and then order teenage pullets and when I discover broodiness (which I will encourage) I'll order chicks and let the broody's raise them.

But something I read that I found to be a little disturbing: if the hens won't go back to the same box where they hatched the eggs how does one get them to raise multiple clutches? Or do they only stay out of the nest box while raising their chicks?

It sounds disgusting but I'm starting wrap my mind around FF. Is FF only for meat birds or would you feed it to egg layers as well? My dream flock would be 4 broody hens and 12 - 15 egglayers with 1 or 2 roosters to keep everyone nice and fertilzed. But I'll start with a couple of broodies if I can find them and grow from there. Quick question should roosters be given free access to breed at will or should he only be turned out every other day?

Ideals, thoughts, opinions, tweats, bubble bursting (lol) ?

2 roosters for 12-15 hens is fine to let them breed freely year round.

I feed my FF to everyone. Chicks. Broodies. Layers. Roosters. Everyone. They all benefit from it

 

[Bulldogma]

A drop to 98 is fine, a spike to 102 is definitely not. That will be really hard on the embryos, and you'll lose a lot if it stays that temp for a modest amount of time. A few minutes, sure it will be fine, but I would try to keep it from getting that high. Room temp fluctuations are not great with those styrofoam incubators. Mine is terrible with it - and we heat by fire, so temps re never consistent.

I'm going to move the 'bator into a really small closet with a space heater set on 70F and see how it does over the next day. Thank you for your input!

BTW for 2 bucks I would be buying everything she had. I sell my eggs for 3 a dozen at the feed store

$2 doz eggs are one advantage to living in the sticks of southern VA. I also found (on CL) a breeder of Cornish - not cross, but regular Cornish - who seems to be selling eggs for $3 a dozen. I'm waiting to hear back, but if this wasn't a typo, I'll be driving 2 hours each way to go pick some up! I would like to start a small flock of Cornish for meat!

I also use a "cheapie". My last hatch, last spring sounded like what you've been going through. WE also heat with wood and because I have indoor cats, I had to keep it shut up in the smaller bathroom, door closed. One of the OT's suggested that I put the whole incubator in a cardboard box (no top) to help keep temps stabilized. I set mine up today, (no box yet). I've done everything wrong keeping my own eggs but if I don't try, I'll never know. It's only my 4th or 5th time incubating. I had excellent luck with dry incubating or hatch, not sure what it's called. No funny legs or toes. My temps ranged from 99-100 and occasionally reached 102. By the time the eggs hatched I had 4 different thermometers and they all were different. Someone suggested to me to screw a milk cap on the temp control and I would have better luck regulating. It works. I'm excited. I'm not sure what I'll end up with.

Thank you to everyone who gave me cheap-o incubator care & feeding advice! I have copied it all into a Word document for quick reference. Your suggestions and information are invaluable to me!

One more...This is "little gray"...every time food is announced this baby is right on it! I had put out a "mom size" piece of liver for mom and this kiddo took it and was trying valiantly to eat it!

And see the spectators behind there??

I LOVE all your pictures! The gray one should mature to look a bit like my Inga did - mostly blue. They are beautiful birds!

Here are some images of some of my boodies in 2012. My favourite is when they co-parent. The only two mom's that fought were the last two. That silkie whooped the BR often. They hadn't known each other before this. Hehehe

Hi everyone! New here...learning a lot. Keep it up

Thanks!

Welcome!

New chick picks..coming up
I have internal pips on my shipped eggs!! woo hoo
finally............

lol...you can barely see them

One black????????????? I don't have a black anything...

My hen must have visited the neighbors roo..that hussy!

Delisha - I'm so thrilled you have more pips and a few more healthy hatches! The pictures are adorable!! Can't wait to hatch a few myself - provided I get the incubator figured out - LOL! The $2 eggs are about half pure RIR (I'm guessing production - the folks got them at Tractor Supply - LOL) and the other half will be either red or black sex link - they have a RIR roo and some RIR and barred hens. They also have a couple older SLW hens that aren't laying as much, but its possible I got an egg or two from them.

 

[Toast n Jelly]

Just for a smile....

 

[Miss Lydia]

New chick picks..coming up
I have internal pips on my shipped eggs!! woo hoo
finally............



lol...you can barely see them


One black????????????? I don't have a black anything...

My hen must have visited the neighbors roo..that hussy!

Adorable!!

 

[armorfirelady]

Well the Nustock only lasted a few hours on her comb but her sisters seem to have blobs on them :/ . I will reapply tonight after they roost and hope it lasts longer. I'm guessing she will be roosted in back where I can't get to her easily (I can't wait till warmer weather when I can make my hoop coop and walk into coop)

Will find out if it freezes then to since temps will be in teens/20s overnight.


I do have say there is no more dried blood on her comb so I guess that's a good thing

Maybe the stuff will train your other birds to play nice!

It seems its just bossy hen that picks on this one hen. The picked on hen is also last one to roost so she was still out when I went out to put some Nustock on her. She does roost with the others but usually by herself some nights. I'm hoping the new coop will fix that problem since the doll house coop makes more than 2 hens roosting together impossible. But I put in 6 roosts so there is enough roost space just not everyone on the same roost. But they are all still toasty warm in these very cold temps. Did I mention I hate my doll house coop? Lol. Thinking of selling it in the spring but don't think I could sell it knowing its 2 small for LF. Maybe I could find someone with silkies who could use it

 

[Miss Lydia]

Yeah I'm finally caught up!!!!! Whoo-hoo. Ok I cheated I couldnt read 200 pages but i did read most of it and eventually I'll get back to the pages I missed. I am soooo exicted by this thread. I want to raise chickens as naturally as possible. I've re-thought how I'm setting up my flock. I'm going to try to get a couple of adult hens and then order teenage pullets and when I discover broodiness (which I will encourage) I'll order chicks and let the broody's raise them.

But something I read that I found to be a little disturbing: if the hens won't go back to the same box where they hatched the eggs how does one get them to raise multiple clutches? Or do they only stay out of the nest box while raising their chicks?

It sounds disgusting but I'm starting wrap my mind around FF. Is FF only for meat birds or would you feed it to egg layers as well? My dream flock would be 4 broody hens and 12 - 15 egglayers with 1 or 2 roosters to keep everyone nice and fertilzed. But I'll start with a couple of broodies if I can find them and grow from there. Quick question should roosters be given free access to breed at will or should he only be turned out every other day?

Ideals, thoughts, opinions, tweats, bubble bursting (lol) ?

You don't get them to raise multiple clutches it's their decision

you give them a nice secure place to brood and leave some eggs and you may get you a broody. They will brood, hatch, raise start laying again and then decide if they want to brood again, it's all up to them. You can encourage by leaving eggs in the nest but it's still their decision. FF is good for all flock I feed it to my chickens, ducks and geese. and it' s not disgusting at all. Just some feed, grains warm water and ACV. Why would you order chicks and not let your girls raise their own? well unless you were wanting a specific breed, but remember it takes 2-3 days for chicks to arrive and by that time hens or chicks may not bond. Most of us let our roos stay with the girls 24/7 they not only fertilize eggs but warn and protect. . Another thing to remember do your homework when looking for breeds that will still brood, alot have had it bred out of them. So do your homework and ask questions on this thread and on the threads that have the breeds your interested in. All the best !

 

[delisha]

Just for a smile....

 

[Miss Lydia]

It seems its just bossy hen that picks on this one hen. The picked on hen is also last one to roost so she was still out when I went out to put some Nustock on her. She does roost with the others but usually by herself some nights. I'm hoping the new coop will fix that problem since the doll house coop makes more than 2 hens roosting together impossible. But I put in 6 roosts so there is enough roost space just not everyone on the same roost. But they are all still toasty warm in these very cold temps. Did I mention I hate my doll house coop? Lol. Thinking of selling it in the spring but don't think I could sell it knowing its 2 small for LF. Maybe I could find someone with silkies who could use it

Silkies and bantams

I have 4 roosts in my big coop 6 ft long each one and my chickens all want to pile on top of each other on the 2 highest ones. it's not so bad now that we got the extra roos processed and culled our one non thriving hen that makes it only 16 trying to sleep on 2 roosts.

 

[delisha]

Yeah I'm finally caught up!!!!! Whoo-hoo. Ok I cheated I couldnt read 200 pages but i did read most of it and eventually I'll get back to the pages I missed. I am soooo exicted by this thread. I want to raise chickens as naturally as possible. I've re-thought how I'm setting up my flock. I'm going to try to get a couple of adult hens and then order teenage pullets and when I discover broodiness (which I will encourage) I'll order chicks and let the broody's raise them.

But something I read that I found to be a little disturbing: if the hens won't go back to the same box where they hatched the eggs how does one get them to raise multiple clutches? Or do they only stay out of the nest box while raising their chicks?

It sounds disgusting but I'm starting wrap my mind around FF. Is FF only for meat birds or would you feed it to egg layers as well? My dream flock would be 4 broody hens and 12 - 15 egglayers with 1 or 2 roosters to keep everyone nice and fertilzed. But I'll start with a couple of broodies if I can find them and grow from there. Quick question should roosters be given free access to breed at will or should he only be turned out every other day?

Ideals, thoughts, opinions, tweats, bubble bursting (lol) ?

First..
Welcome to the group! we have so many knowledgeable people who visit this sight, you will be very happy you found it!

We all love FF..most of us feed our whole flock with it. I just started new hatches with it.
Please don't let what people do with chickens disturb you, or you are in for a ruff ride.
Of course Aoxia is a bit disturbed but that has nothing to do with chickens.

How large is your coop?
Free Range or Cage contained? Or a bit of both?

The breed of birds you choose need to be cohisive with your environment, weather, housing, desires, and first and for most, the good of the chicken.


For example:

If you have an old dog house and dog run ..
It would be perfect for...

a trio of game cocks or bantums, and even a pair of ducks with a kiddy pool.

So please..post some pictures so we can get a feel of the land!
Tell us how many eggs a day you would like
Are you going to sell them?
How many chickens a year is your family going to need for food?
How large of a meal do you need? (feed 6)

When we spoke about the hen not returning back to the broody box, we were speaking about the hen taking her chicks out of the broody box. Once she takes them out, she does not take them back in the broody box at night. She is actually teaching the chicks not to poop in the nesting box. If a chick is forced to sleep and eat in the same area when young ..as hens they are than messy lil buggars and poop all over the eggs. You usually have one or two hens who will lay an egg and not leave till she poops all over every dang egg in there. I am so grateful I do not have any of those. Most of the people in here have *roosts* and provide them at a very young age. I think Aoxia provides them at day old.

 

[delisha]

The feed store informed me the only turkey poults they carry are Heritage Bronze. They expect them to arrive end of Feb. Not knowing a whole lot about raising turkeys except by hearing horror stories locally I have been studying. There is so much good information (and bad) on this subject here on BYC but I did find good information on this thread. https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/725829/turkeys-for-2013
The member named Treebird has suggested wire bottom cage for babies until around 3 weeks. His reasoning is sound and I usually go with that kind of advice when I'm unsure what to do. After three weeks he puts his on dirt floor. Then at eight weeks they can go outside.
So this is what I'm going to do. I know others do it many different ways and are successful but I'm sticking to this and if it doesn't work, next time I'll try something new. That's just the way I roll.


I took my large fowl show training pen that has an open bottom. Cut a piece of 1/4" hardware cloth to fit and bent up the over hanging edges. Then I took a fistful of zip ties and secured the floor.




About enough room for four poults for a couple weeks. I've read the pros and cons of doing it this way. There are no sharp edges within the pen. I'm going to suspend the cage in the chick house. I have power in there and it's secure and draft free.
Bronze turkeys are sure beautiful in the pictures and it seems they are the easiest to sight sex at around 10 weeks. Although I'm raising these for food so their sex is of no concern.

I have question please


How does the poop get through the tiny holes?