The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[lalaland]

Oh my you get up way to early for work.
I agree something must of put the rooster on alert. Perhaps your coming out scared it away? I have seen more neighborhood cats around with this cold & frigid temps. I am guessing that other predators are around as well with all this cold weather that I am sure is making finding food harder.

Putting hardware cloth around the coop is top on my list when it warms up. I need to wait for a warm day so I can pull off old tarp & put the hardware cloth up then put the new billboard tarp on over it.

I know I hate the early mornings but it lets me have a 4 day work week, and saves me 3-5 hours of commuting time and maybe $30 in gas....and I get a whole free day!

 

[lalaland]

This is the time of year for rats, mink, and all kind of things..my birds have been doing some night warnings too..scares me a bit..I need to do some night prowling..I found a hole in my fencing I need to repair in the morning.

yeah, I know, and the coop (old construction trailer) has kind of settled, so the people door isn't square with the doorway opening. Which means, a weasel could get in there. There is a small deck and stairs to get to the door, and the snow lets me see if there are any tracks at the doorway. There haven't been. And I did look to see if I could see any tracks in the snow around the coop, but there was some sun which gave the snow a nice crust, so only bigger things would leave tracks.

keeping my fingers crossed.

 

[Leahs Mom]

LG - on the bucket thing I always worried that the chickens might fall in! I guess if you only set it out at night and took it up before light that would keep that from happening.

How would you keep the water from freezing at this time of year?

 

[LoveChickens123]

have any of you bought chick or ducks online like on efowl, or any other hatchery??

If so did you like they way they came

what site did you order off of??

What types of ducks go broody??
thanks, Lovechickens123

 

[delisha]

have any of you bought chick or ducks online like on efowl, or any other hatchery??

If so did you like they way they came

what site did you order off of??

What types of ducks go broody??
thanks, Lovechickens123

My Muscoveys went broody as soon as they layed enough eggs to fill a nest..I would make sure I took the eggs out so they would no go broody unless I wanted them too.

I have not ordered from a hatchery for quite some time, but I have chicks sent here often and I send chicks out often.
BYC has a rating page I think for different hatchery's.

I think you are going about finding good birds the right way by asking people...
Have you considered going to your state page and find small back yard hatchery where you could drive and pick up?

 

[aoxa]

This is the time of year for rats, mink, and all kind of things..my birds have been doing some night warnings too..scares me a bit..I need to do some night prowling..I found a hole in my fencing I need to repair in the morning.

Had a mouse in my car. Little poops on the dashboard. Opened the trunk and it scurried out. Ugh...

 

[aoxa]

My Muscoveys went broody as soon as they layed enough eggs to fill a nest..I would make sure I took the eggs out so they would no go broody unless I wanted them too.

I have not ordered from a hatchery for quite some time, but I have chicks sent here often and I send chicks out often.
BYC has a rating page I think for different hatchery's.

I think you are going about finding good birds the right way by asking people...
Have you considered going to your state page and find small back yard hatchery where you could drive and pick up?

I soooo miss my muscovy. Favourite duck breed.. They are so quiet, and make wonderful mothers and awesome meat ducks.

 

[LoveChickens123]

have any of you bought chick or ducks online like on efowl, or any other hatchery??

If so did you like they way they came

what site did you order off of??

What types of ducks go broody??
thanks, Lovechickens123

My Muscoveys went broody as soon as they layed enough eggs to fill a nest..I would make sure I took the eggs out so they would no go broody unless I wanted them too.

I have not ordered from a hatchery for quite some time, but I have chicks sent here often and I send chicks out often.
BYC has a rating page I think for different hatchery's.

I think you are going about finding good birds the right way by asking people...
Have you considered going to your state page and find small back yard hatchery where you could drive and pick up?

Oh okay i never though of going to the state page.

do you know what other ducks good broody??

do u know if silkies are good layers??

 

[aoxa]

Oh okay i never though of going to the state page.

do you know what other ducks good broody??

do u know if silkies are good layers??

Silkies are good layers when they are not setting. They set so much their egg count goes way down.

It also takes them longer to reach POL.

Celtic Oaks on here raises so many ducks. She would know exactly what to tell you for a good broody duck Miss Lydia too.

 

[delisha]

Quote: x2..your best two places to go for duck advise..I just loved my Muscovey's for dual purpose. Great mousers too. I have mice in my coop now that they are gone..I hate that.
I do not miss the mess at all. I love my clean waters..
Silkies are good layers once they start to lay. I have a little girl here who has been laying for a year with out going broody. Unusual, but true. She has never gone broody. She lays an average of 5 eggs a week.