The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[Leahs Mom]

I can't resist a broody with chicks for sure.

 

[misbhaven]

this is adorable hatching

yes it is adorable and better than any incubator..but with 5 kids..3 under 3 the easiest way for me to get a new breed is to get some eggs and hatch......even getting to the farm store is a pain..and hubby went a couple weeks ago came back with some chicks and proudly said when they grow up we can just hatch some more...me "you bought straight run then" hims "umm the bin said pullets he said proudly " he had good intentions ..i got some EE's but i love little fuzzies even meaties are cute for a few days..and I have some true ameracauna's in the bator right now i had just set the day before....guess i will have lots of colorful eggs...

 

[Shan30]

I completely agree Stony, all my early spring broodies adandoned ship when we had a serious cold snap. Of course the day that I put eggs in the incubator one of my Ameraucanas turned into a nest bound, egg protecting, hand biter. So maybe I won't have to brood these little ones. If I'm successful of course!

 

[stonykill]

I completely agree Stony, all my early spring broodies adandoned ship when we had a serious cold snap. Of course the day that I put eggs in the incubator one of my Ameraucanas turned into a nest bound, egg protecting, hand biter. So maybe I won't have to brood these little ones. If I'm successful of course!

Last years pics.
mine usually don't start the broodiness till sometime next month. THEN all heck breaks loose as during the summer 20 or so go broody

. I AM an enabler

 

[delisha]

Quote: Those are the two herbs i would not do with out for my chickens. I firmly believe it is the foundation to my *prevention* and good health of my flock. Oregano is one of the best herbs to use for natural immunities in young chicks (in conjunction with FF) t have a good healthy gut flora and prevent cocci. It is a natural anti biotic.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/26/s...ibiotic-substitute.html?pagewanted%3Dall&_r=0
http://www.nutrition-and-you.com/oregano.html
http://www.greenprophet.com/2012/12/simple-oregano-keeps-chickens-disease-free/

I have a question for all you veteran incubators out there...

I'm trying it for my first time. Nerve wracking! Think its going ok though temps are ranging in between 99-100 (more commonly around 99) and the humidity has been sitting around 40%. (Any advice/comments on this are welcome of course)

Only on day 3 so probably getting a bit ahead of myself but here goes! In a nest situation the eggs would not be free to roll around on a flat surface bumping into but they would not be propped upright in a carton either. Obviously mechanical incubation is not natural and no replacement for the real thing but I would like to give these little ones the best start possible. I would think that while trying to escape an egg it wouldn't be all that helpful if the egg just rolled when pecked rather than cracking. As the nest material would slow the egg movement, I am considering placing a towel or something under the eggs during lockdown. They are currently in a turner.

Any thoughts? Being my first time perhaps I should not try to improve the incubator...?

It would be better at 100-101. That 99 in the beginning of egg development can cause all kinds of issue. It is important to have the incubator running smooth and perfect before the eggs go in. If its not..you need to return it and get another incubator. Add at least another day to your incubation.

I would leave them in the turner..just unplug them after internal pip. Your internal pip will probably be around day 20.

They will be fine..just take longer and cause you to want to mess with them more..
I would get it regulated to 100.


Quote:

I completely agree Stony, all my early spring broodies adandoned ship when we had a serious cold snap. Of course the day that I put eggs in the incubator one of my Ameraucanas turned into a nest bound, egg protecting, hand biter. So maybe I won't have to brood these little ones. If I'm successful of course!

If she is broody..give her the eggs..she will get them hatched..or at least part of them.

 

[texasmomma]

I'm going to screw up my place in reading, but that's the way it has to be. I am so very excited. Dh is taking our greenhouse, turned garage, and making it into a chicken coop. He has taken 2 sides of sheet metal off. We are now working on a door for the chickens to go in and out of the coop. We've always had chicken tractors or coops that were inside the run, so this door thing is new to us. We'd like to get something that is electronic or works via the sun. We do have electricity in the coop. We are sometimes gone for a few days and it would be really nice to have a door that let the chickens in and out of the coop into the run during the day, so that our chicken keepers only had to come and check for eggs. Any suggestions on doors that are economical, work well, and will do a good job?

 

[Leahs Mom]

@stonykill and anyone else that wants to chime in:

I have a situation that is very disturbing to me. What would you do?

-My oldest 6 girls are 2 years old. All hatchery. 2 BR, 2 RED, 2 EE
-Rooster SFH: 1 yo
-1 SFH Girl2 : 1 yo
-3 Pullets (2 mix, 1 SFH)


When the rooster is mating any one of the 4 lowest on the pecking order, 2 of the older girls (1 Red, 1 BR) run over and look to see who he's mating. If it's one of the 4 lowest, they begin to attack her from the face end while the rooster has her pinned down. Like a gang attack. This attack behavior was originally aimed at one single lowest pullet. It has now spread to all 4 lowest (one of which is one of the original EEs)

I just noticed tonight that when the rooster was mating the lowest EE, the other EE joined the 2 attackers and really were just beating the ....out of her face and head mercilessly.


The other notes:
-They've been in too close of quarters all winter not being able to go out and run freely. (Outdoor pen is 20x20). Being able to get out and range may change some of the dynamics.
-The 2 original attackers are very good layers.

I could do a variety of things... If you were in my situation, how would you handle this?

 

[Leahs Mom]

I'm going to screw up my place in reading, but that's the way it has to be. I am so very excited. Dh is taking our greenhouse, turned garage, and making it into a chicken coop. He has taken 2 sides of sheet metal off. We are now working on a door for the chickens to go in and out of the coop. We've always had chicken tractors or coops that were inside the run, so this door thing is new to us. We'd like to get something that is electronic or works via the sun. We do have electricity in the coop. We are sometimes gone for a few days and it would be really nice to have a door that let the chickens in and out of the coop into the run during the day, so that our chicken keepers only had to come and check for eggs. Any suggestions on doors that are economical, work well, and will do a good job?

I got my door here. http://www.automaticchickencoopdoor.com/
They have a couple different things available here.

There are lots of others out there if you want to purchase a ready-made one. I wanted one that runs on a timer rather than dusk to dawn.

 

[stonykill]

@stonykill and anyone else that wants to chime in:

I have a situation that is very disturbing to me. What would you do?

-My oldest 6 girls are 2 years old. All hatchery. 2 BR, 2 RED, 2 EE
-Rooster SFH: 1 yo
-1 SFH Girl2 : 1 yo
-3 Pullets (2 mix, 1 SFH)


When the rooster is mating any one of the 4 lowest on the pecking order, 2 of the older girls (1 Red, 1 BR) run over and look to see who he's mating. If it's one of the 4 lowest, they begin to attack her from the face end while the rooster has her pinned down. Like a gang attack. This attack behavior was originally aimed at one single lowest pullet. It has now spread to all 4 lowest (one of which is one of the original EEs)

I just noticed tonight that when the rooster was mating the lowest EE, the other EE joined the 2 attackers and really were just beating the ....out of her face and head mercilessly.


The other notes:
-They've been in too close of quarters all winter not being able to go out and run freely. (Outdoor pen is 20x20). Being able to get out and range may change some of the dynamics.
-The 2 original attackers are very good layers.

I could do a variety of things... If you were in my situation, how would you handle this?

me, I would 1st try putting the 2 girls who are highest on the pecking order in "jail". I usually use it for roosters and call it rooster jail. A dog crate in my workshop away from all other chickens for a week. When you return them they will be at the bottom of the pecking order. And hopefully the behavior will stop without them starting it. While they are in jail

 

[Leahs Mom]

Do you let them go outside at all (in an isolated pen) or just stuck in the crate?