The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[TeaChick]

ROFL!
LM, you come up with the most hysterical emotions. I can't quit laughing.
It's nothing special here, just a farm with cattle, sheep, poultry, bees, and a big garden. And the Maremma of course. Ya'll are welcome any time. We have a king size guest room. A few warnings though... 1) the guestroom is currently occupied with chicks and bators, 2) bring boots, we tend to be the mud hole in the US these days, and 3) watch out, i may put you to work. Lol

That sounds pretty special to me!!!
I accept all your warnings, especially #3. =)

LaLa, it's time to bring out the flip flops and shorts!

I wish!!! I'm way south of you all, and I'm not breaking out the shorts anytime soon!!!
(although, there were a few days last week and I started pulling out the kids' summer clothes....now it's cold again

)

 

[TeaChick]

I think it might make it to zero today!! On a sad note my chicks have not made it to the sorting office yet..the made it to cleveland mon night and tracking disappeared. I will be suprised if any make it

Off the top of your head!!!!!

I can't even remember how old I am w/o going back to my birth year and counting forward!!!!!!!

I have to stop and think about how old I am too,
but ask me anything about my kids' pregnancies, labors, deliveries, births, etc. and I can rattle off statistics like RR did on her head count.
I only have....>thinking<.....ten chickens and one that I'm giving to a friend, so I'm not counting her b/c she's not mine. And I still have to stop and think.

 

[TeaChick]

Haven't they increased shipping costs for chicks and hatching eggs there recently as well? You'd think service would improve if their rates went up.. I like DHL for shipping. I wonder if they do chicks...

Nothing improves anymore; we're lucky if the price only goes up and the product doesn't get more cheaply made too!!!

 

[TeaChick]

Anyone need a great BLRW rooster? He is 20 weeks old but I need to rehome him.

I would take him, but I can't get to Indiana and I don't think you're gonna want to ship him. =(

 

[Scott H]

This is one thread I was talking about..

..https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/819024/egg-bound-calcium-dosage

 

[ki4got]

Quote: Did your eggs arrive?

yes they did, but I haven't been able to get to the PO yet... she's got them on the shelf waiting for me. my shipment of chicks from mcmurray got here yesterday, all dead. 8/

 

[fenwickchic]

@delisha ,
What you said about Charlie makes a lot of sense. He was all over the girls today and tonight he attacked me too. I must say that I did not go in talking to them and happy. I was furious at Comcast (so maybe he sensed anger?) Anyway, I guess we will ALL have to take a stick and run him around the yard to a goal, but it will have to wait until our massive snow storm passes and snow goes away. Would you tell me what the stick and running purpose is? In the meantime, I decided to be the "alpha" rooster and gave him a good swat. I did not hurt him but he backed way off. I have to go into that tractor to feed them all and I will NOT be attacked by Charlie. If that will make matters worse, please tell me ASAP!! I went back in about 15 minutes later with BOSS for them and to see how Charlie would react to me after I had swatted him but had calmed down. He didn't attack me this time.
@Leahs Mom ,
About the Sun Oven, just search "Sun Oven" and you will find it. They have an improved American model since I bought mine that supposedly will get to higher temperatures. I really love using it. I feel so good about saving on electric too. It does take a little practice but we have loved most of the food that I've cooked. It doesn't work so well on days where the sun goes in and out behind clouds. I've had to finish the casserole in the oven on days like that. But I do love it. It works best if you are around all day to adjust it to the sun periodically, but I have just set it out in the morning and our dinner out at 5 p.m. I've done stew, baked potatoes, roasts, cookies and other stuff. Is hasn't worked well in winter in spite of what they say though.

 

[SallyinIndiana]

Quote: I would but it is not cost effective, unless you are really really wanting to get a breeding program on. And I would wait till warmer weather.

My shipment does not have its tracking updated but it is supposed to be here tomorrow morning. I'm hoping for a good loud live box. If not I wonder if I have to go and get it so early. Maybe they could just dispose of the box for me.

 

[misbhaven]

good luck with your chicks mine were DOA again (i suspect it anyway hubby went the 90 min to pick up the box said it was quite..The sad thing is he took 4 of our 5 kids with him because i am a den mother and had a scout meeting to run.)... chicks shipped 500 miles due west ended up in Saint louis then back to Peoria via Truck...poor little fuzzies never had a chance.. and the USPS tracking still shows that they departed cleveland MONDAY and just stops there i think they lost the poor chicks..

 

[armorfirelady]

I have one girl that has been pale ever since she decided to molt in December.  Feathers are back but comb and wattle has never regained color.  I'm also watching her but today she's not her feisty self.

Your girl has been laying?  Or not started yet?  What age is she?

Stella will be a year in march I think? I need to look up their hatch date. She has been laying all winter. I think she has been laying right along since she first started. I just checked in her again and she is pinker. So maybe it was just the wood ash? She def has some missing feather in top of her head. But no mites or lice (I checked again tonight) I think its from the big girls putting her in her place.