The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[armorfirelady]

Quote: Congrats to both of you. <y pullet teased me today by being in the nesting box but she didnt lay an egg. They will be 28 weeks tomorrow but I am not in a rush (well not a big one lol)

 

[Lacy Blues]

My pullets were trying out their next box the last two days and last night, I found a first egg too! I'm sure your girls are not far from laying.

 

[ronott1]

My pullets were trying out their next box the last two days and last night, I found a first egg too! I'm sure your girls are not far from laying.

We are past the winter solstice, so the increased light will get them laying now.

I can't wait! I have 16 pullets that need to start laying eggs.

 

[vpatt]

My Chickie and China look like they should be embarrassed to not be laying yet. They are my biggest two, are really red on the head and I heard one of them yodeling the egg song. I search every day and have not found an egg from either one of them yet.....can they really look so ready and not be laying? There is a new egg this week.....but it does not look like the other dom eggs so I dont think it is either of the big girls. It is between the partridge rock and the phoenix. My money is on the rock cause there have been three of the the new eggs this week and I don't think the phoenix would lay that many.....but maybe.

 

[lalaland]

must be time for new egg layers - I found what I thought was a hidden nest with 5 dark brown eggs like the ones jenny lays. She hadn't layed in a week, so I figured she had been laying in this hidden nest. I cleared it out, and...the next day there were 4 more eggs there. So at least three other hens have started to lay. I have no idea who...some guesses but!

Its below freezing again finally, but that means no more wet mash for the girls. They eat a ton more when it is moistened with water or milk or yogurt or whatever.

Does anyone feed wet food in a heated dog bowl?

 

[armorfirelady]

must be time for new egg layers - I found what I thought was a hidden nest with 5 dark brown eggs like the ones jenny lays.  She hadn't layed in a week, so I figured she had been laying in this hidden nest.  I cleared it out, and...the next day there were 4 more eggs there.  So at least three other hens have started to lay.  I have no idea who...some guesses but!

Its below freezing again finally, but that means no more wet mash for the girls.  They eat a ton more when it is moistened with water or milk or yogurt or whatever.   

Does anyone feed wet food in a heated dog bowl?

I feed FFMin a heated dog bowl. It's wet when I put it in there, but since they are not eating much FF I find it dries out in the dog bowl so I add a little more water to keep it moist. I'm guessing the temps in the 50s all week has been good for them. They have been busily scratching up the veggie garden. And since the ground has not froze yet I'm guessing they are finding a lot of bigs under the layer of leaves.

I'm sure when I go out later to dig a hole to put my live Christmas tree in for the winter I will have a lot of helpers

 

[Leahs Mom]

@lalaland
How is your flock doing health-wise?

 

[ThePRfan]

I saw meat birds at a Tractor supply.Lil chickies too.Wondering,could I take them and expect good eggs?

 

[ronott1]

I saw meat birds at a Tractor supply.Lil chickies too.Wondering,could I take them and expect good eggs?

Meat birds are usually a 4 way hybrid cross and are meant to be processed at about6 to 8 weeks old. They often do not do well as they get older and are not known to be good egg layers.

 

[lazy gardener]

It depends on what kind of meat birds they are. The meat birds that ronott1 refers to are the Cornish X Rocks. And, as he stated, they are a heavy bird, and will not do well past their intended "harvest date". However, the Freedom Ranger and the Pioneer meat birds are a slower growing meat bird which reach market weight around 12 weeks. They do well in a free range situation, and can be held over to join the layer flock. I have a Pioneer who charmed me this summer, and she avoided the axe. She's a respectable little layer. In fact, she was the first of my spring chicks to lay an egg. So, unless the employees at TSC are able to tell you exactly what those cute little meaties are, don't buy them, unless you intend to eat them.