The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[Mumsy]

As long as you call your spouse by the proper name, that's all that matters.

HAH!

 

[Miss Lydia]

I am done hatching!!

I am delighted I have 6 RIR.. 7 barnyards. It is a nice hatch out.

Congrats again!!!!

 

[Leahs Mom]

I am done hatching!!

I am delighted I have 6 RIR.. 7 barnyards. It is a nice hatch out.

 

[zinia8]

I am done hatching!!

I am delighted I have 6 RIR.. 7 barnyards. It is a nice hatch out. e

 

Congrats.
All this talk of hatching and pics of peeps just makes me want to get more. Maybe in the spring. I would like to get some nice DP birds.Just have to make up my mind on what breed then build another coop.......

 

[Pullet Surprise]

I am done hatching!!

I am delighted I have 6 RIR.. 7 barnyards. It is a nice hatch out.

YAY!!!! Happy new "family"

 

[IttyBiddyRedHen]

Re; Removing hen spurs.

Well, that didn't work. I was out observing the hen just now, and thought maybe I might try to see about them. I had watched you-tubes about spur removal and it appeared pretty straight forward.
One even showed how to twist them off.
I tried the twist method. It seemed to cause her pain. So I then tried to trim them with the wire cutter. That was worse. I put her back in the coop. That's when I saw she had blood dripping off of the tip of the spur. I guess the quick in hers goes pretty far out to the tip. I was just attempting to cut the last third of the tip off.
Has anybody else removed spurs?
I even researched here on BYC about the process.
I just worked on that one spur, not both of them.

PS: I'll try the file on the other one tomorrow.

 

[delisha]

I sometimes laugh so hard tears run down my leg too..funny stuff..

It is even funnier in a store and you are a long way from the bathroom and can't stop laughing on the way. You feel like a 4 year old holding it and laughing as you run, purse swinging off your arm..reticules..


OK guys..last posting for a while..

I know you are sick of me bragging about the chicks..I mean showing the chicks.


This is my first brooder set up..It is a cheap greenhouse I bought at a rummage sale for .50. It is old as dirt and it still works. I usually keep them in here for three days.

These sable delights make my RIR chicks look almost yellow.

 

[delisha]

sorry

 

[Mtn Laurel]

I did a little reading on this. I think that, again, this is one of those things that mostly affects folks with compromised immune systems. Just my opinion but, as I'm reading about it, I think being afraid of this is similar to how folks worry about their children out playing in the dirt and try to keep them germ free. I think that most of us have healthy immune systems and the exposure we get every day as we're working around our flocks helps us to build immunity.

I did a good bit of reading on it prior to getting the girls, too. It's my understanding that it's the dust from dried poo that carries the disease. Piles of manure that has been sun dried or is so old that there's no moisture in it and just crumbles when touched. I doubt that many of us have large deposits of poo in that state as our manure is either composted or is mixed in with litter and still retains some moisture. I have a feeling that he was delivering to an area that didn't get much attention in the way of clean-up and was disturbing piles of old, dried chicken poo.

 

[delisha]

good lord how did that happen?

I promiss it was not me. I do not keep my brooder hot or even that warm. It starts at 75. They do have access to a heating pad too if they are to cold. My DH ordered that Brinsea brooder for me. It should be here on Tuesday. He thinks I keep them too cold. We live in WI. It is -13. If they were under a hen they would not be at 75. One on my hens went broody this morning. She puffed up like a rabid dog and attacked me when I took her eggs, silly thing its January.