The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[armorfirelady]

CAST IRON CORN NUTS GRAIN MILL grinder HEAVY-DUTY NEW hand crank manual. adjustable from course to fine milling for dry grains, oats, corn, wheat, etc. hand grinder grinds corn, coffee, soybeans, nuts and more!

I've been wanting one, but my research has been messy. Where can a person buy one? Does it do super coarse? As in just cracking corn, not grinding it? And ... about how much should a person expect to pay?

My first choice was an attachment for my mixer but they were over $100 so I searched eBay & amazon and found this. I needed something to crack the Canadian peas. The hens pick over those until they are last thing. But when I grind them up they eat everything. I should be able to clamp this on my island and crank away into a bucket below. It says course to fine grinding so I will have to play with it and see what works best.

Yesterday my blue heeler so,show made it into the kitchen and back into the living room in 2 hours. There's a gate across that's chest high on me. I have no idea how she got back in the living room. Anyways she ate a large bowl of the hens grains my mom had mixed up when she first stopped. I think it holds 2 quarts of food. Then she ate the pumpkin seeds I dried. Needless to say she vomited up all the pumpkin seeds and alfalfa. Poor thing was outside every two hours to go potty. You would think she would learn it gives her an upset tummy. But maybe she deformed herself with the pumpkin seeds lol
So today I bought one of those giant glass containers with a lid for the FF. Hopefully its Lily proof :/ she will be in her crate when no one is home for the Unforeseeable future

 

[Scott H]

I've seen a Blue Heeler load up into the back of a dump truck. ...

I've got 5 coons in the last 2 weeks. .. still 2 out there. .I don't lock down during the day. .. giant black poodle hates them!

 

[LeslieDJoyce]

My first choice was an attachment for my mixer but they were over $100 so I searched eBay & amazon and found this. I needed something to crack the Canadian peas. The hens pick over those until they are last thing. But when I grind them up they eat everything. I should be able to clamp this on my island and crank away into a bucket below. It says course to fine grinding so I will have to play with it and see what works best.

Yesterday my blue heeler so,show made it into the kitchen and back into the living room in 2 hours. There's a gate across that's chest high on me. I have no idea how she got back in the living room. Anyways she ate a large bowl of the hens grains my mom had mixed up when she first stopped. I think it holds 2 quarts of food. Then she ate the pumpkin seeds I dried. Needless to say she vomited up all the pumpkin seeds and alfalfa. Poor thing was outside every two hours to go potty. You would think she would learn it gives her an upset tummy. But maybe she deformed herself with the pumpkin seeds lol
So today I bought one of those giant glass containers with a lid for the FF. Hopefully its Lily proof

she will be in her crate when no one is home for the Unforeseeable future

I feel your pain. My dog Gust recently turned into a butter licker. I need to adjust my habits.

We had a boxer once get into a large tub of fermented prunes. Someone had stashed on top of the fridge at harvest time, then forgotten about for a couple months, then ran them to the back yard when we discovered them. Duke ate the whole vat, then lay there next to the empty vat for a few days spewing prune pits and moaning. This was back before we knew about taking animals to the vet or feeding them peroxide to make them vomit ... though that dog had an iron stomach so it was probably best to just let him suffer in peace.

I'm fermenting feed in one of those big glass pickle jars. It is heavy with the stuff in it, so I don't think Gust can knock it over. "Think" being the operative word. The dog outsmarts me every single day.

 

[lindz8504]

no, Dorkings are the 'original' meat bird that many meaties can trace some of their lineage back to... it's an exceptional table bird with a long broad breast, short legs and well developed thighs. the bones tend to be finer than other comparably sized birds (more meat per pound). they are an ok layer, better than the average in winter in my experience, and can be very broody and protective mothers.

the breed has suffered neglect over the last 50+ years (since the advent of the commercial meat birds) and is nowhere near what they used to be. the girl pictured currently weighs in around 6 pounds, tho the SOP calls for 7+. (roos 9 pounds +/-) that pic was taken not long after she started laying, so 6 months or so... usually they start for me between 4-5 months old, but don't reach their full size until well over a year. closer to 2 for roos. but even at 2 years old, the roo is still tenderer IMO than some other breeds slaughtered at 16 weeks old.

here's a pic of a mixed group of birds, for size comparissons...

the buffs are hatchery orps (weighing in at just under 5 pounds - they're all fluff). and a 3-4 month old bantam cochin near the buffs... and a couple nice LF blrw hens off to the left

Is the White/black rooster a dorking as well?

EDITED:
Oops... replied before I caught up on the reading! Saw that someone else asked and was answered. Sorry for repeating!

 

[lazy gardener]

Shan 30: I think your predator is a mink or a weasel. Weasels are known to behead their prey, and can squeeze through any hole 1" or less.

 

[armorfirelady]

Moved the hay bales to block wind from other day and moved their roost to far south end of coop today. Just came back in and while there is a breeze coming in half open north end it's not blowing on girls now and they are still toasty warm. Roosting time was comical. Lucy walked over he top of Sophie to get in her favorite spot in the line up. I was laughing so hard I couldn't get my phone out quick enough to get the picture.medie on the other hand tries to crawl under her sister for her spot between Sophie and Lucy. She is the smallest and smartest since she sleeps between the 2 bigger girls. It's hard to see her when everyone fluffs up she is under Their feathers as well.

Here's Edie trying to crawl under Lucy so she can be between the 2 of them. The big girls are at the other end of the roost huddled together. It's a cool 20 degrees tonight but those girls are little hot potatoes in their coop with their feathers

 

[Scott H]

Shan 30:  I think your predator is a mink or a weasel.  Weasels are known to behead their prey, and can squeeze through any hole 1" or less.

+1

 

[Scott H]

I've noticed Boxer's have the worst gas ever. ..can't imagine fermented prunes.

 

[Pozees]

Moved the hay bales to block wind from other day and moved their roost to far south end of coop today. Just came back in and while there is a breeze coming in half open north end it's not blowing on girls now and they are still toasty warm. Roosting time was comical. Lucy walked over he top of Sophie to get in her favorite spot in the line up. I was laughing so hard I couldn't get my phone out quick enough to get the picture.medie on the other hand tries to crawl under her sister for her spot between Sophie and Lucy. She is the smallest and smartest since she sleeps between the 2 bigger girls. It's hard to see her when everyone fluffs up she is under Their feathers as well.

Here's Edie trying to crawl under Lucy so she can be between the 2 of them. The big girls are at the other end of the roost huddled together. It's a cool 20 degrees tonight but those girls are little hot potatoes in their coop with their feathers

LOL I love how your coop lets in enough light to see bedtime antics

 

[Highcotton]

Soon.

I'm just starting to get eggs from my May chicks, but they are silkies - so that's even more surprising. 

Chickens in their first year should lay with or without added light. It may delay them some though. I found when I hatched my chicks in December/January I had them laying around 20-22 weeks. 

What are your breeds now? What are their combs looking like? Does it look close?

I have been getting eggs from Red Stars, White Leghorns, and Australorp that were hatched the first of April for several weeks. I know our climates are different but yours should be laying by now.