The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[lalaland]

OK folks... due to a really strange turn of events over the last 2 months, I am considering placing my 6 SFH.
I have 2 trios... I love them dearly, but... employment layoffs are requiring a serious prewinter reduction in livestock.
I've already sold a bull, a steer, a heifer, 8 ewes (bred ugh!), and... placing the SFH just makes sense since they are likely the most valuable... and the easiest to find homes for.
I anyone is interested, PM me... they are just now at POL and are beautiful... you can see some recent pics on the SFH... but I wanted to mention it hear first cuz everyone here feels like family.

Hey, I'm sorry to hear that. Hang in there

 

[Leahs Mom]

An EYE WORM! Crazy!!!

That's a new one to me!

 

[lindz8504]

I think she has an eye worm

That was gross.

 

[Leahs Mom]

Very cute! I love the egg shelf too!

 

[LeslieDJoyce]

I love it! I could use a little "love shack" like this for the breeding trio.

Not to call all your hard work "little" cuz it represents way more building than I've done for my birds ...

 

[Leahs Mom]

Okay... no more worms for a minute....

How 'bout some 8 week olds...


We were thinking these were all girls. However, the Blue (Gray) SFH has started running around and bumping chests with the larger black kid. The way she hunkers down then runs and gets upright right in front of larger black is just like her dad did when he was little.



Here's the dad at 7 weeks and the mom at 9 weeks:


(The stuff on the front of these kids is ff and dirt/wood chip debris from being in the run.)
And the baby at 8 weeks:
Do we still think it's a girl?







And the black chicks...

Here is the mom at 9 weeks and the dad at 9 weeks in front on the second photo w/mom in back. (Same dad as above.)










Here is the larger black baby. Jury still out for me. This is the one that gray bumps chests with.







And the smaller black which I think is for sure a lady.

Smaller black in front; larger in back.



Okay, have at it...whatdayathink?

 

[ki4got]

I said 1/2 cup per bird and that was for adult birds on FF who free range on good grasses.

I do not want people to think 1/2 cup per bird covers all birds in all situations and I apologize if you think that is what I was doing. Adult laying chickens consume vastly different amounts of feed. Factors influencing feed consumption include, but are not limited to, breed type, how much they exercise, climate (including variations in temperature, wind, humidity and precipitation), the caloric and nutritional density of the feed, and how much natural feed supplementation they obtain.
Also, rodents and wild birds can greatly reduce the feed supply. This can be reduced by removing or sealing off the feed at night and fermenting the feed.

It is important, and enjoyable, to determine how much feed your flock is consuming. Begin keeping records of amount, type and price of all feed you purchase. Be sure to record both the measured amount of feed as well as its weight. Include the number and ages of chickens you have, right in the same page as the feed records.
This way you simply know. Good records makes good chickens.

I hate to have to clarify everything..but..

Ill birds and chicks are fed different than adults. If you are trying to put weight weight on a skinny or emaciated chicken you would not consider a normal feeding schedule or amount.
bantams and Large fowl are also fed different more for LF and less for BF.

above all else my measurements are suggestions and nutritionally based on free range birds and NOT caged birds. I do not have caged birds. All of my birds have grass between there toes even in breeding pens. Chicks are on grass after three or four days no matter the weather.
Nothing I say is concrete and what i say works for my birds and might not work for your birds. I have planted my yards full of nutritional greens like collards, clovers, wheat, herbs. I do not remove weeds because most are good for chickens..like dandelions, thistles and chickweed.

oh no, you didn't need to clarify for me. sorry I didn't clarify myself. you weren't the only one but several had pm'd me that was a good place to start in how much per bird... and I am fully aware requirements are going to vary, between size, breed, penned or free, etc. even in the same breed some birds will just naturally eat more than others. I have 4 horses. 2 miniature (father and son) and 2 Morgans (mother and daughter)- all purebred & registered. my older 2 (blind morgan mare - 27, mini stallion - 16) are both hard keepers, while the other 2 (younger mare - 18, younger stallion - 8) can get fat just LOOKING at hay.

Quote: depending on the part of the country, a lot of places use old drill pipe from natural gas and oil drilling (cleaned of course) because it's readily available and CHEAP! spot welded together makes a nice sturdy fence for nearly anything.

 

[Leahs Mom]

The fence pipes they used here are a fiberglass composite pipe. I'll go take a photo.

 

[lalaland]

An EYE WORM! Crazy!!!

That's a new one to me!

I can't even look. I am wormed out, grossed out, and out of sorts.

 

[aaggjg]

I think she has an eye worm

OMG WHAT $^&% IS THAT???!!!!