The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[LindaB220]

@Turk Raphael
Is daddy back from Brasil yet? Tell him to get his bottom back on here....there's more than 1 way to skin a cat.

x2 Missed him.

 

[armorfirelady]

So looking for some suggestions.

Chicks still won't roost at night. Ok that's false they do roost but outside on the plant boxes (I even moved the flamingo thinking they were using it as a surrogate mom lol) so every night I have to go out after dark & pick them up and put them in the nesting box where they stay till the morning. Tonight I finally decided to put them on the roost with the other hens. One got down and I was certain the others would follow but she flew back up, so they are all still on the roost. Thankfully Edie is on one some of them (hiding under Stella after I put the babies up there) and one of the PRs on the other side of the babies. Neither tend to pick on the chicks. Heck Edie jumped the gate to join the babies in the garden today :/

I've tried this before but the mommas and Stella would peck them till they got down. I'm hoping that after a couple nights of this they will do it on their own. Thoughts?

And no rain won't deter them from roosting outside,......it was raining last night and they still,went up on the plant boxes.

Turk let your dad know I miss him on here as well !!

 

[lalaland]

Trapping is virtually out of the question for them. Perhaps you could try that first...apples make great bait. They aren't the easiest animal to catch in a box trap but it can be done, if the trap is set using a really good pungent apple and have it set back away from the hole, about 6 or 8 feet. If it's too close to the opening, it will freak the thing. A thin trail of apple peelings leading to the trap could help entice it's movement.

They would bring YOUNG dogs...too young to be willing to really take hold of the beast but rather be far more likely to 'bay' it up. The guys would dig to it, catch it and haul it off but not before back-filling all holes and fixing any lawn they may have disturbed. Some will even seed the area and put down straw.

interesting!

I think it is too big for the live traps I have, I'll have to take a look.

there wouldn't be any worry about fixing the "lawn", lol. He's kind of in a meadowy area. It is mowed in front of the shed but not on the sides, which I should probably do in hopes of making him less comfortable.

 

[Leahs Mom]

Since winter is coming around again sooner that I'd like...

Does anyone have any plans/ideas to make winter easier this year? Water heat ideas or innovations for this year? Housing ideas? Etc.?

 

[hoosiercheetah]

Since winter is coming around again sooner that I'd like... 

Does anyone have any plans/ideas to make winter easier this year?  Water heat ideas or innovations for this year?  Housing ideas?  Etc.?

Not really an innovation it turns out, but I'm planning to use reptile terrarium under tank heater under my waterers this winter.

I'll also close the coops window and pop door at night. They've been open since may.

That's about it!

 

[armorfirelady]

Since winter is coming around again sooner that I'd like... 

Does anyone have any plans/ideas to make winter easier this year?  Water heat ideas or innovations for this year?  Housing ideas?  Etc.?

I'm going to splurge & buy a heated waterer. I've had enough of dragging water out and breakin ice.

 

[subhanalah]

I'm going to splurge & buy a heated waterer. I've had enough of dragging water out and breakin ice.

I have lots of aquarium heaters, maybe I'll make some heated wagerers out of those and 5 gallon buckets. (Nipple waterers so the ducks/chickens can't accidently break them.).anyone ever done this before?

 

[Leahs Mom]

I've used a submersible aquarium heater before. Not w/nipples however.

I'm going to try a different set-up this year with my aquarium heater and see if it will work. I'll report on it after I try it to see if it works first. I sure hope it does. I've tried 4 different kinds so far and I'm not happy with any of them.

@armorfirelady
You used a heated dog bowl last year didn't you?

 

[Leahs Mom]

I'm also hoping to fully enclose part of the kennel run area and add a permanent roof on that part so I don't have to shovel or get snow off of tarps on the top of the run this year. I refuse to do that again. Just too time consuming. I'd like to have a roofed outdoor area where I can put the food and water so they have more area to get out of the hen shed. I'm thinking about 10x10 or 10x8.

Just haven't got the specifics figured out yet.

 

[AKCharle]

I know this has been posted before but, just for us so we don't have to read millions of posts to find it, I have heard a 40 watt bulb inside a concrete foundation block with the waterer on top works great.