The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[Scott H]

Hey Leah's Mom, was it you who wanted to be updated on my open air coop experiment?
Well, frigid cold the last two nights here. .. no frost and no frostbite. .. however. .. tonight the were only two on the roost as Oprah opted for a nesting box. .. this is unheard of. The nesting boxes are right next to the open window so I covered most of it to keep any drafts of her neked body, poor girl.

 

[delisha]

@ Delisha:

Thank you very much for your answers!!!
I have been making plans to hatch sometime in February, so I'm right on track to have winter eggs next year. =D

You're a wealth of information; thank you so much for sharing it!!!

Also, how are your chickens? I haven't seen an update, but I might have missed it. (I haven't been feeling super wonderful and my kids interrupt my reading a lot, so I miss some posts; if I missed an update, I'm sorry; I've been trying to keep up.) =)

They seem to be doing well..all the adult are acting normal..I still worry about the chicks..I have not culled the male gold laced I should cull. I am making emotional decisions.

A question about broody hens, etc.

I'm expecting my JG (b/c she went broody two or three times last year for her previous owner) to go broody and my Cochin (unless someone corrects me about her going broody b/c of being Bantam or Frizzled, I can't imagine the Frizzled meaning she won't, anyway... I digress). So, I think I have a hatching capacity of at least a dozen and a half eggs; although, I intend to let them do whatever they want at least for their first brood.

Anyway, I've heard horror stories of hens getting pecked to death on the nest, other hens pecking a broody off the nest and then eating the chicks out of the shells, etc.
So, the general advice seems to be to remove a broody from the flock, etc. And that moving the nest, eggs, hen, and all at the same time after roost time, etc. is best.
So, I wanted to put something in the nesting corner and/or under the nesting material so I can do that.

But, before I go upsetting my nesting situation, I wanted to ask what all of you do?
Move them?
Leave them?

And any and all advice, suggestions, info, experience, etc. would be more than welcome. I know nothing; I've never done this before.

Thanks! =)

I leave them and let them work it out.

I need some help please- I currently have 21 baby chicks oldest a week old. They are locked up inside a pen ( wooden house) every night and I open door to a run every morning so mum can take them out and scratch etc. the last 2 mornings I have found 1 chick with its insides coming out!! Like something has had a go at it

I'm stumped as to how this can happen when they are locked up. Has anyone else heard of this? I don't want to loose anymore, what could it be, rats????
I saw 2 tiny holes under the edge of the coop, which I have now blocked off. It wouldn't be mum or other chicks doing this would it??

Thank you

check the chicks out..I suspect they have infected navels. Look at the tummys and see if they are swollen. Did you hatch these yourself?

 

[Pozees]

Broody hens amongst a flock are usually able to defend themselves and their chicks, but as pointed out, every flock has its own unique dynamics. I have a pen of Silkies that regularly raises chicks, and usually the first hen to decide to brood is joined by one or more of her pen mates. When the chicks hatch all take part in care, even the cock bird, and I have never seen one attacked once she decides to brood. These are Silkies, though, and not all breeds/strains will behave the same, so you have to monitor the dynamics in your own flock and determine the best course of action for each particular instance. If I saw a broody being attacked I would separate her and her clutch immediately.

 

[delisha]

I did not copy the question about *HOW CAN YOU TELL WHO IS TOP OF THE PECKING ORDER?*

The one with less scars.

 

[Kassaundra]

My mixed flock of EE and NN never bothered a broody or her chicks. I do seperate broodies w/ chicks now, but not b/c of the other chickens, but b/c of cats. I keep them in a covered run.

 

[Leahs Mom]

Hey Leah's Mom, was it you who wanted to be updated on my open air coop experiment?
Well, frigid cold the last two nights here. .. no frost and no frostbite. .. however. .. tonight the were only two on the roost as Oprah opted for a nesting box. .. this is unheard of. The nesting boxes are right next to the open window so I covered most of it to keep any drafts of her neked body, poor girl.

Yes, it was me! Thanks for the update. Sounds like it's working well for you

 

[Pozees]

I did not copy the question about *HOW CAN YOU TELL WHO IS TOP OF THE PECKING ORDER?*

The one with less scars.

 

[Leahs Mom]

I do put my broody girl in a separate part of the coop until she hatches but not for her protection.

I have 3 next boxes right next to each other. The broody moms don't always return to the same box when they get up to eat and drink, so I want to be sure that when she goes back to the nest, she doesn't mistakenly go to a different nest and have the eggs get cold and lose a hatch. That's my only reason for moving her.

I wait until it's night time and move her into a box on a side where I can close a door and the others can't get in and she won't get up and go back to the other side and the regular nests. The door between is frame w/hardware cloth. She can see the flock and the flock can see her. She has her own food and water supply.

After the kiddos hatch, I give them about 2-3 days on their side, then I open the door between them and let them work things out.

The first time was nerve-racking as I didn't know what to expect but I had some good advice from Stony and some others here (Stony is the Broody King).

If I had the ability, I'd always separate during setting just to keep her on the right nest.

 

[ChickChickChicky]

Ok I have a question about deep litter. I cleaned out my coop about 6 weeks ago and threw a couple of feed bucket fulls of dirt out of the woods onto the floor of my coop. It is 5x8 wooden floor with linoleum... nest boxes at ground level and lowest roost about 15inches from floor. Anyway.... I used pine needles and leaves that we raked out of our yard and my moms. I have been turning them at least once a week and adding a little more. Today when I turned them it was pretty wet and had a little ammonia smell. I didnt add anymore and left the big door open to help air it out and dry it out. Do I need to just clean it all out and rebed it?

Turning it was a good thing,but from now on let your chickens do the work of keeping it all stirred up by throwing a couple handfuls of black oil sunflower seeds onto the litter a couple times a week (be sure to call them and let them know you're throwing it down!). They will do a great job of keeping it all mixed up and it will keep them occupied for quite a while. Also, add some Sweet PDZ http://www.sweetpdz.com/ to the litter, it works GREAT at absorbing moisture and eliminating odor. It won't hurt the chickens a bit. I use it not only in my chicken coop but also in my cat's litter box... by doing so I can buy the cheapest cat litter available. Sweet PDZ is pretty inexpensive and available at most all farm-type stores like Tractor Supply, etc.

 

[Scott H]

I use the granulated Sweet PDZ in the poop hammock....instantly dries poo.....