The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[TeaChick]

monster maul was bought. don't remember where, maybe tsc, lowes or home depot... I know it was one of the 3.

as for the babies, they don't 'get' it, as in they don't understand it's food and good for them. they like to play with the crumbles, so I've got plenty of those in there for them. once they're another day or 2 older i'll add an older chick in to show them how it's done. LOL

I see. I'm glad you posted this; I'll know what's going on if the peeps I hope to hatch in the spring (or maybe before if I can do a homemade incubator) don't know what it is.

 

[TeaChick]

Delisha and others who replied - Thank you so much for your kind and helpful advice. My thought was to generally spread the seeds in places that they might have a chance to grow for a little while before my six girls scarf them down. I'm thinking I might make some sort of mesh frame to give the seeds time to grow a bit, then move the screening on to another area as time passes.

For now we are being buffetted with high winds and temps in the twenties. It is hard, as a first year owner, not to install a toasty heater for the coop. Truth is my roost is barely large enough for the six of them, and if you reach a hand between them, they are warm as can be. I still wish I could bring them in the house. OK, not really. Hypothetically, I wish I could bring them in the house - my hypothetical chickens would not poop all over my warm, hypothetical house. snort.

I like that idea and intend to copy you!

I would have hypothetical, non-pooping chickens all over my house if DH would let me.

 

[TeaChick]

So how come they pick this time of year to molt! I got two with bald heads and necks and it's going down into single digits this week.........

This is what I'm wondering. Mine are too young to truly molt, but they looked and acted funny and didn't lay for over a week.

 

[Leahs Mom]

I got my Natural Chicken Keeping calendar, today. It's fabulous!

I'm still waiting for mine.

 

[TeaChick]

X2...nice shape

Pallets will help too...the greens can grow up between the slats and the birds will not get all of them.

Ooooo, I like this idea!!!
I'm stealing this idea too.

 

[TeaChick]

As these are 1st year chickens they shouldnt be slowing down yet . they will normally slow down the 2nd year .
Are these all hens ? When I had just hens they wouldnt always want to go to bed . My rooster takes care of it now ..They are all in bed before dark .
No, I have one roo (just lost my junior roo last Monday).

Chickens sometimes stop temporally when moved to a new location .. Yes, I had just switched them from the old coop to the new hen house; they all laid for a little while, slowly grinding to a halt and now they're back to laying, although not at full production. Could they be hiding eggs ? Possible, but highly unlikely b/c I'm finding "all" their eggs; I found four eggs (four comets) and I have been finding 2-3 eggs in the same two locations everyday since they started back to laying. Like in the old coop ? No, they didn't like much laying in there and used to lay everywhere else when I let them out: back porch, behind the lawn mower, middle of the flower bed, you name it, anywhere but in the coop. Are you giving them layer ? No, they're free range, and for now I'm fermenting deer corn I bought them before I knew it wasn't good food for chickens, but I think that as a snack in the mornings before I let them out isn't bad enough for them to have a great effect on their health or laying; I figure they can adjust how much protein they need by eating more bugs and stuff.
Heres some tips .
Put fake eggs / plastic easter eggs / golf balls in the spot you want them to lay ... I don't have fake eggs of any kind, and my chickens think that golf balls are Please don't lay your eggs here signs. Currently, I'm leaving one egg of each color in each level (top and bottom) of the nesting corner (dating them and rotating them out, so none of them goes bad).

To get them in a night . Feed them at night... in the run / coop . By some miracle that God built into chickens, I was able to get them all in the hen house tonight using the corn that they're actually supposed to eat in the morning; they kind of follow it in there and then it's darker in there and they decide it's time to sleep. do they have food during the day ? They free range. give them just a little in the morning I put feed in the hen house in the evenings b/c I can't let them out to free range until the dogs have run around; that means they end up in the hen house until nine-ish most mornings.
Or give them a treat at that time . Call them ..put the treat inside I'll try this; they think my compost pile is a chicken candy store and act like kids in a candy store when we put the kitchen scraps in there. I'm working on a chicken-proof composting setup, so these \/ will be great treats for them. Thanks. =)
Here is my flock last year at snack time ..they know they are getting a treat ( they love bread )
To make it better for them ..I sometimes mix in some yogurt , Veggies , fruit pieces , leftovers , garlic or onions , what ever is available
This video makes me laugh every time I see it

 

[TeaChick]

As these are 1st year chickens they shouldnt be slowing down yet . they will normally slow down the 2nd year .
Are these all hens ? When I had just hens they wouldnt always want to go to bed . My rooster takes care of it now ..They are all in bed before dark .

Chickens sometimes stop temporally when moved to a new location ..Could they be hiding eggs ? Like in the old coop ? Are you giving them layer ?
Heres some tips .
Put fake eggs / plastic easter eggs / golf balls in the spot you want them to lay ...

To get them in a night . Feed them at night... in the run / coop . do they have food during the day ? give them just a little in the morning
Or give them a treat at that time . Call them ..put the treat inside
Here is my flock last year at snack time ..they know they are getting a treat ( they love bread )
To make it better for them ..I sometimes mix in some yogurt , Veggies , fruit pieces , leftovers , garlic or onions , what ever is available
This video makes me laugh every time I see it

The video was so funny I watched it twice!!

 

[TeaChick]

this is Weeble... about 1/4 silkie 3/4 bbs ameraucana. (and made it to the NCK calendar that Leigh's putting together!)
passes his crest along about half the time, the fuzzy legs also about half, but not always to the same chicks. LOL he hatched from a blue green egg, and his daughters also are laying blue-green as well (some more blue, depending on who the momma is).

Pretty bird!
All your birds are pretty.

 

[TeaChick]

I'm curious to know how many people are feeding the following ... (fermented, sprouted or "as is")

Nothing (they forage)

Traditional poultry rations (layer or all purpose)

Organic commercial rations

Soy free rations

Corn free rations

Home-mixed rations (details please)

Some combination of the above

What am I forgetting.

I ask because I sell eggs and my biggest customer has just found a source for eggs from chickens fed "organic" and "Corn & Soy Free" feed (I have no other details about what the feed DOES contain, just what it doesn't). I'm sure my customer will be switching away from my eggs in a dizzying hurry.

I currently feed traditional poultry rations, with some supplements. I've looked into something more "special," but it seems that replacing corn and soy in a ration introduces various problems that need to be solved with nutritional counter-measures. I'd LOVE to avoid soy for various reasons related to MY health, but not if it compromises the health of the birds or the flavor of the poultry products. Also, the feed experts I've spoken to tell me there simply is no such thing as truly organic feed choices, especially with the GMO ingredients. So I'm reluctant to pay a premium for those products until I can find one I can "trust."

It's a big topic, too big for me to include every nuance in this one post, but I am interested in knowing what this group thinks about the "corn and soy free" movement in particular.

Currently:
Free range with access to fermented whole dry corn in the mornings.
The fermented corn will be replaced with dry or fermented layer rations, preferably soy/corn free.

 

[armorfirelady]

I got my Natural Chicken Keeping calendar, today. It's fabulous!

Me to!!! My mom was oohing & ahhing over all the pictures