The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[Leahs Mom]

@aoxa
Thank you. Very helpful.

 

[chicalot]

I have videos of my chickens this morning. I didn't hear sneezing. The white rock is still wheezing. I put the phone close to her but you probably cannot hear it. As you can see, I have a skinny door fat chicken issue going on also. These white rocks/probably cornish should probably be culled but 2 are laying huge eggs. The fattest most likely will never lay. My DH is slacking on cull duties and just says not to worry so much. I don't feed in the coop unless weather is extreme. The black bowl has the yogurt/egg/spice/feed mix. Sorry for my craptastic video skills. As you can see, they're no worse off and I'm feeling better about the sneezing. I'll keep an eye on the rattling white but my DH says he thinks the coop conditions were dry and she has a harder time because she's fat and sleeps in the floor. He's working on low roosts for them this weekend. Not roosting is a new thing for them and I suspect it's to keep their feet warm and hard on their fat bodies to come off roost.

Here is my roo competing with cat for his feed.

and yesterday crunching in the leaves

 

[Scott H]

Snowing here today....haven't had snow since before Xmas. Ladies have been spoiled being able to scratch around like normal but not finding much unless I threw it out. One of their favorite spots to scratch became, not surprisingly, under the wild bird feeder so I mixed their scratch in with the BOSS the wild birds get.They would much rather eat BOSS than scratch so they kick it out to the chickens a little at a time during the day while we're at work. Keeps the girls busy.

 

[Leahs Mom]

Scott - have you set those traps yet?

 

[chick rookie]

what is " OT's welcome " can I get in on this too?

 

[Scott H]

Scott - have you set those traps yet?

Yes..didn't like the oysters...WTH...I thought they were delicious! I went with cat food last night but with the snow nothing was moving. They sell a cap for them to keep rodents out. I think I'll keep an eye out for jar lids the right size to keep the rain and snow out. They are full of snow right now and will need to be cleaned, I think. Coons will be able to easily flip the lids off.

 

[Scott H]

what is " OT's welcome " can I get in on this too?

Of course!

 

[Leahs Mom]

what is " OT's welcome " can I get in on this too?

Glad to see you

Whoops Edited because I forgot to say that the "OT" stands for "Old Timers"...as in people who have had chickens for many years to give us advice and experience.

 

[TeaChick]

Don't be sorry. I'd be *#@ too!

I think you'll find that you can integrate them better when they can get outside and have plenty of space in the warmer weather. In the meantime, it seems we're all having to make adjustments during the winter when they're under closer quarters.

It's very upsetting and I'm sorry you had to go out and find that. :|

Okay, thanks.

Thank you.

 

[chick rookie]

Glad to see you

Whoops Edited because I forgot to say that the "OT" stands for "Old Timers"...as in people who have had chickens for many years to give us advice and experience.

o ok cool, well I'm most defiantly not an OT, I have had chickens for 2 years but for some reason I never had any problems till this winter, which is y I was looking for answers and found BYC, thank God... have learned so much, now I'm looking into fermented feeds and other ways to lessen my feed bill... lol chicken math went overboard... lol birds not going hungry... just looking to save a little.
A member on the Ind. thread sent me cause I am having a problem with my hens beating up on a Roo and she said you were just talking about this so I'm checking that out.
Thanks for the welcome hope I don't drive ya nuts... lol