The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[vpatt]

Hope everyone had a great thanksgiving. I think my hens are going to be in a turkey coma later. My stepmom gave me her carcass which had a lot of meat left on it. I put half of it in the freezer. Girls were happily cleaning the bones. I even got the peepers to eat off a drumstick I was holding. They rarely get that close to me but apparently decided the turkey was worth it. My mom & friend are saving me their carcasses also. So nice I can toss them in the freezer to pull out whenever they need some meat protein Girls are going to be well fed this winter btw turkey carcasses and venison.

Oh and if anyone needs some snow let me know, we got another 6 inches overnight. I have a feeling it's going to be a snowy winter

My chickens ate a few bites of turkey that I pulled off the bone for them....but they would not pick at the bones themselves. And there is a lot of meat on them. I finally sprinkled some laying mash over the bones to see if that would give them the idea.....


And I could hear peeping from eggs that are due to hatch Sunday......so I am wondering if they will hatch sooner. First time egg hatching for me.

 

[lazy gardener]

Congrats on the hatch, Vpatt. Hope you get a good hatch. I'm looking forward to hatching in the spring. Hatching is addictive. I think I'll be doing it every year even if I don't need more chicks.

 

[vpatt]

Congrats on the hatch, Vpatt.  Hope you get a good hatch.  I'm looking forward to hatching in the spring.  Hatching is addictive.  I think I'll be doing it every year even if I don't need more chicks.  

Ikr? I want to do better in the spring.....I will be more knowledgeable at least...I hope.

So here is a question for all you. If you want to hatch eggs and you are buying eggs how do you coordinate the egg buying with the broodiness? What I mean is when a hen is broody you may not find eggs to buy. If you find eggs but don't have a broody then what? I don't really want to use an incubator....it sounds difficult to me.

 

[Leahs Mom]

And I could hear peeping from eggs that are due to hatch Sunday......so I am wondering if they will hatch sooner. First time egg hatching for me.

Keep us updated!!!!

What kind of incubator are you using? I've never used one yet (broody 2x) but I've been looking at a couple and hoping the one I'm inclined toward goes on some kind of extremely great sale after Christmas.

 

[armorfirelady]

Quote: Mine don't actually eat the bones they just pick them clean like little vultures

I then toss them in the compost pile or the garden & they break down to feed the plants

 

[vpatt]

Keep us updated!!!! 



What kind of incubator are you using?  I've never used one yet (broody 2x) but I've been looking at a couple and hoping the one I'm inclined toward goes on some kind of extremely great sale after Christmas.

I have a broody....no incubator.

 

[Leahs Mom]

Quote:
Oh! Better yet

(But, of course, I don't get an incubator review

)

 

[SallyinIndiana]

My DH was told that people don't eat roosters they only eat the chickens by his one of his coworkers. The coworker then went on to explain that ALL roosters are to be used as breeders.

 

[Shan30]

My DH was told that people don't eat roosters they only eat the chickens by his one of his coworkers.  The coworker then went on to explain that ALL roosters are to be used as breeders.

 

Hahaha! Was this co-worker male by chance?

I took a dozen eggs to my mom on Tuesday that had a few huge eggs in it. When I was showing them to my aunts husband he said "oh wow, do you have lots of roosters?" When I said yes he said "oh that will be why then."

 

[lazy gardener]

Now, THAT was funny.