The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[Lacy Blues]

Just wondering... does he eat the straw?

 

[chicalot]

His crop was never full. I think he's just picking the seeds from it. Never have seen him eat a piece.

 

[vpatt]

@vpatt. .. a cage within the larger group or nearby should work well. My 6 weekers have been in cages for a few days near the bigger chickens and today they were able to stay out with them all day. So funny seeing a 6 week roo try to go toe to toe with an old hen and gets his tail feathers handed to him so to speak. He learned pretty quick to keep his hackles down

I woke up today thinking the rooster would be dead or the event for the day would be a culling. I didn't even get to check on him yesterday and my husband had no good reports. However, I kept seeing movement in his cage today. When I got to go out at lunch to check him he was more energetic. I gave him fresh food and water and didn't have to coax him. He's eating and drinking. Go figure! Normal poops too. I gave him fresh straw and he picked through it off and on through the rest of the day. He has hope now. I think his beak needs a trim.

Thanks chic and I'm glad the rooster seems to be doing better...that's great.

 

[Leahs Mom]

Just wondering... does he eat the straw?

I think they mean "hay" rather than straw.

 

[chicalot]

I think they mean "hay" rather than straw.

I assume both are talking bout my rooster? It's straw. He doesn't eat it just picks through it.

Just wondering... does he eat the straw?

 

[armorfirelady]

today I'm going to clear out the winter debris around the fence line and get the electric fence up and running. I think I have a pair of skunks under a shed and am hoping to get them to move on before there is a litter, but just in case...better get that going. Hah, see I said it was to0 early for chores, but guess thats dreaming.

SO jealous to hear the snow melted enough you could put you electric fence up. While we did have enough snow melt to see grass the side yard is still white. I actually thought of shoveling to put the fence in. But I am not that ambitous. They are enjoying the fact that there is more garnde available to them to scratch around in. Stella found a worm the other day when I was digging a hole to put the fish guts in. She was ecstatic !!

I have to say that it worked out really well for them to have a 16x12 area indoors since there was snow on the ground for most of the winter that was way deeper than they'd have gone out in. The shed is really too small for 9 birds to be stuck indoors during the winter and some would have been bullied to the outside run whether they chose to go out or not. I liked that I didn't have to shovel anything also.

You know with the peepers new this winter I have to say the close quarters of the coop & old run seemed to help work out the differences. 2 months into winter & the peepers were in the old run with the big girls instead of being in the coop all day. I guess they learned there is warmth in having all of them in the same area

 

[lalaland]

AFL, have you ever thought of giving your chickens the fish guts? My friends who fish throw theirs to the chickens - once in a while if something seems infested they don't give it to the chickens. There chickens go nuts for them...

 

[Leahs Mom]

@armorfirelady
That's good to hear on yours getting along. I still have one of the oldest girls that is just a pain when it comes to the youngers.

@lalaland
Fish guts.... what do they do about bones? Maybe there aren't any bones in fish guts

 

[Leahs Mom]

Oh.... and the oldest birds here are having their 3 year old "happy hatch day" on March 26!

 

[armorfirelady]

AFL, have you ever thought of giving your chickens the fish guts? My friends who fish throw theirs to the chickens - once in a while if something seems infested they don't give it to the chickens. There chickens go nuts for them...

Yes they got them. I was just burying what they had left. I figured it will be good for the garden

@armorfirelady
That's good to hear on yours getting along. I still have one of the oldest girls that is just a pain when it comes to the youngers.

@lalaland
Fish guts.... what do they do about bones? Maybe there aren't any bones in fish guts

Honestly I didnt worry about the bones. I think they just pick around them like they do on chicken or turkey carcasses.

Oh.... and the oldest birds here are having their 3 year old "happy hatch day" on March 26!

My oldest girls are 3 this year as well and have started laying again. They have never been daily layers but an egg is an egg & they help keep Stella in line