The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[Kassaundra]

Luckily, I get my eggs from a woman who raises chickens (not free range in the sense that mine are, but still better than store bought - they have a coop and a run), but I'd sure like to just be eating the eggs my own chickens lay! So far, I've had four of those. One a day, so once all nine chickens start to lay, I should have plenty. Here are the ones I've gotten so far (besides the one "practice egg"), in the cool spiral egg holder I got for Christmas. I'm pretty sure they're all from Dina, one of my Welsummers.



These pictures are a bit misleading (OK, a LOT misleading) about the cleanliness of my kitchen counters. Actually, every square inch is taken up with clutter - I had to move stuff to clear off a space to take the pictures. I backed up and took a picture of the whole kitchen, but my husband begged me not to post it. Lets just say that if I did, you all would understand my username!

That is the beauty of close up photography and cropping, you can control the amount of info the world sees.

From the pics I post I bet people think I live in a botanical garden!!!! Instead of the over grown weed patch it really is.

 

[Mr MKK FARMS]

Quote: Haha! That is funny about you kitchen!

That is far better then from the supermarket. How many chickens do you have? I have 26 hens (and some roos) and I am getting 3-9 eggs a day. I seem to be getting more white eggs then usual so maybe its the faverolles doing all the work. Common Barred rocks get to work.

lol

 

[SallyinIndiana]

Quote:
those flat metal ones are the wing bands... there are a few types, some you just push thru the skin others you use a tool to crimp them. but they go on chicks anywhere from a day old and up.

I tend to wing band my own chicks when they're a couple weeks old, because I can see where it needs to go much easier then.
Is there a link to the best place to buy the good wing bands and info in how to put them on the chicken. The leg rings I can figure out but those bands bust be almost as big as a chicks wing or super tiny.


as for the kitchen, I like leaving stuff I use at least once a week out where I can see it. So there is clutter in my DH's opinion. He did not grow up eating made from scratch home cooked meals, so he is more used to the grab a box from the pantry dump in pot, cook and eat. If a paper plate is used there is basically no cleanup and no clutter. It is harder for him to understand about a stack of clean dishtowels next to 5 or more kitchen appliances including 2 crockpots. We did finally get rid of the 2 person indoor grill. It was not worth the cleanup. I still have a blender I need to rehome.
Then there is stuff for the children to do while I'm in the kitchen and just can't have them helping. So markers, paper, a wipe off board, other misc stuff just to keep them busy and happy.
and of course the plants that must be in the south kitchen window. I need to get some sprouting started soon for the chickens, I must make space first. Thankfully we have a nice large kitchen.

 

[ki4got]

Quote:
those flat metal ones are the wing bands... there are a few types, some you just push thru the skin others you use a tool to crimp them. but they go on chicks anywhere from a day old and up.

I tend to wing band my own chicks when they're a couple weeks old, because I can see where it needs to go much easier then.
Is there a link to the best place to buy the good wing bands and info in how to put them on the chicken. The leg rings I can figure out but those bands bust be almost as big as a chicks wing or super tiny.


as for the kitchen, I like leaving stuff I use at least once a week out where I can see it. So there is clutter in my DH's opinion. He did not grow up eating made from scratch home cooked meals, so he is more used to the grab a box from the pantry dump in pot, cook and eat. If a paper plate is used there is basically no cleanup and no clutter. It is harder for him to understand about a stack of clean dishtowels next to 5 or more kitchen appliances including 2 crockpots. We did finally get rid of the 2 person indoor grill. It was not worth the cleanup. I still have a blender I need to rehome.
Then there is stuff for the children to do while I'm in the kitchen and just can't have them helping. So markers, paper, a wipe off board, other misc stuff just to keep them busy and happy.
and of course the plants that must be in the south kitchen window. I need to get some sprouting started soon for the chickens, I must make space first. Thankfully we have a nice large kitchen.
I get mine from the national band & tag co. easy to work with and the prices aren't bad... the jiffy bands are maybe 3/4" long.

 

[Jewelwing]

Haha! That is funny about you kitchen!

That is far better then from the supermarket. How many chickens do you have? I have 26 hens (and some roos) and I am getting 3-9 eggs a day. I seem to be getting more white eggs then usual so maybe its the faverolles doing all the work. Common Barred rocks get to work.

lol

I have nine chickens, all five months old, and I think all hens (well, mostly pullets, I guess). Only one has started laying, but she's laid an egg a day so far. No roos.

as for the kitchen, I like leaving stuff I use at least once a week out where I can see it. So there is clutter in my DH's opinion. He did not grow up eating made from scratch home cooked meals, so he is more used to the grab a box from the pantry dump in pot, cook and eat. If a paper plate is used there is basically no cleanup and no clutter. It is harder for him to understand about a stack of clean dishtowels next to 5 or more kitchen appliances including 2 crockpots. We did finally get rid of the 2 person indoor grill. It was not worth the cleanup. I still have a blender I need to rehome.
Then there is stuff for the children to do while I'm in the kitchen and just can't have them helping. So markers, paper, a wipe off board, other misc stuff just to keep them busy and happy.
and of course the plants that must be in the south kitchen window. I need to get some sprouting started soon for the chickens, I must make space first. Thankfully we have a nice large kitchen.

Well, you're way ahead of me. Our clutter isn't nearly as useful as yours! And I have the feeling there's way more of ours... I am going to have to clean it all off in a couple days, though, because we're having some friends come stay with us over the weekend. So it'll be clean for a little while, which is always so much nicer, but not generally worth the effort. Maybe once the kids are grown up it'll stay cleaner longer!

 

[Mr MKK FARMS]

Oh okay! Well, I hope the others start laying soon.

 

[lalaland]

well, the -65 windchills haven't materialized at all!

It was -28 degrees temp (not windchill, air temp) this morning, and -10 in the coop - I did plug in a heat lamp because of Booster's comb. I don't know if it makes any difference to the comb if it is -28 or -10, it is still well below freezing.
Kept the coop door shut today so he doesn't get chased outside. Keeping my fingers crossed he doesn't get worse.

 

[armorfirelady]

well, the -65 windchills haven't materialized at all!

It was -28 degrees temp (not windchill, air temp) this morning, and -10 in the coop - I did plug in a heat lamp because of Booster's comb.  I don't know if it makes any difference to the comb if it is -28 or -10, it is still well below freezing.
Kept the coop door shut today so he doesn't get chased outside.  Keeping my fingers crossed he doesn't get worse.

Glad to hear your temps are not so bad. It's almost a heat wave lol.
Poor booster I hope his comb doesn't get worse

 

[delisha]

Quote:

Quote:
those flat metal ones are the wing bands... there are a few types, some you just push thru the skin others you use a tool to crimp them. but they go on chicks anywhere from a day old and up.

I tend to wing band my own chicks when they're a couple weeks old, because I can see where it needs to go much easier then.
Is there a link to the best place to buy the good wing bands and info in how to put them on the chicken. The leg rings I can figure out but those bands bust be almost as big as a chicks wing or super tiny.


as for the kitchen, I like leaving stuff I use at least once a week out where I can see it. So there is clutter in my DH's opinion. He did not grow up eating made from scratch home cooked meals, so he is more used to the grab a box from the pantry dump in pot, cook and eat. If a paper plate is used there is basically no cleanup and no clutter. It is harder for him to understand about a stack of clean dishtowels next to 5 or more kitchen appliances including 2 crockpots. We did finally get rid of the 2 person indoor grill. It was not worth the cleanup. I still have a blender I need to rehome.
Then there is stuff for the children to do while I'm in the kitchen and just can't have them helping. So markers, paper, a wipe off board, other misc stuff just to keep them busy and happy.
and of course the plants that must be in the south kitchen window. I need to get some sprouting started soon for the chickens, I must make space first. Thankfully we have a nice large kitchen.

well, the -65 windchills haven't materialized at all!

It was -28 degrees temp (not windchill, air temp) this morning, and -10 in the coop - I did plug in a heat lamp because of Booster's comb. I don't know if it makes any difference to the comb if it is -28 or -10, it is still well below freezing.
Kept the coop door shut today so he doesn't get chased outside. Keeping my fingers crossed he doesn't get worse.

It is -17 here today. I am relieved it is not worse.

 

[lazy gardener]

Is there a link to the best place to buy the good wing bands and info in how to put them on the chicken. The leg rings I can figure out but those bands bust be almost as big as a chicks wing or super tiny.


as for the kitchen, I like leaving stuff I use at least once a week out where I can see it. So there is clutter in my DH's opinion. He did not grow up eating made from scratch home cooked meals, so he is more used to the grab a box from the pantry dump in pot, cook and eat. If a paper plate is used there is basically no cleanup and no clutter. It is harder for him to understand about a stack of clean dishtowels next to 5 or more kitchen appliances including 2 crockpots. We did finally get rid of the 2 person indoor grill. It was not worth the cleanup. I still have a blender I need to rehome.
Then there is stuff for the children to do while I'm in the kitchen and just can't have them helping. So markers, paper, a wipe off board, other misc stuff just to keep them busy and happy.
and of course the plants that must be in the south kitchen window. I need to get some sprouting started soon for the chickens, I must make space first. Thankfully we have a nice large kitchen.

Sally, I like your thinking. Plants, sprouts, kids, actual real honest cooking. As my hubby says, our home looks like a Better Homes and Gardens picture... the "before" pic! It would take a full time maid to make my countertops visible! Add to that the constant stream of garden seeds which are either being dried for future use, or seedlings getting started, depending on the season... then there's the incubator, compost bucket, eggs, and food scraps for the chickies. Then there's the baskets of veggies brought in from the garden that need to be processed. Real food is not only more labor intensive, it creates more clutter.