The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[gal_amy]

To each their own but I could not eat a bird (cornish X) that spends it's life in gobs of poop and looks to be nearly terminal with Polio.

I love your avatar

 

[Lacy Blues]

I always thought opinions were allowed to be expressed on these threads. You've expressed yours..... and birds do not wash their feet, even if they feel the need. Even if they did, they would drink the water. How yummy would that be and I wonder if I would be thinking about that while trying to eat one of those blobs and wondering too if that's why it tasted just a bit strange. Those cornish crosses DO lay around constantly and in their own watery, gross poops too... unless you have lots of wonderful yummy pasture and force them to go out and find their own food. Most of them just lay around the feed trough.

 

[EastNashChick]

I always thought opinions were allowed to be expressed on these threads.  You've expressed yours..... and birds do not wash their feet, even if they feel the need.  Even if they did, they would drink the water.  How yummy would that be and I wonder if I would be thinking about that while trying to eat one of those blobs and wondering too if that's why it tasted just a bit strange.  Those cornish crosses DO lay around constantly and in their own watery, gross poops too... unless you have lots of wonderful yummy pasture and force them to go out and find their own food.  Most of them just lay around the feed trough.

I

I always thought opinions were allowed to be expressed on these threads.  You've expressed yours..... and birds do not wash their feet, even if they feel the need.  Even if they did, they would drink the water.  How yummy would that be and I wonder if I would be thinking about that while trying to eat one of those blobs and wondering too if that's why it tasted just a bit strange.  Those cornish crosses DO lay around constantly and in their own watery, gross poops too... unless you have lots of wonderful yummy pasture and force them to go out and find their own food.  Most of them just lay around the feed trough.

slordaz what type of meat birds do you keep exactly? I was trying to read back through the thread to see and maybe missed it. I have no experience with meat birds and have heard about their heavy chests which can cause behavioral differences between that and other birds which contribute to a shorter lifespan (and what they are specifically bred for).

I have only raised dual purpose but would not be opposed to a meat breed with interesting qualities. I'd love to hear how yours are different from most and why you chose them.

Other posters may have their opinions but my mind is always open to expanding into different types of birds. Can you tell us more?

 

[slordaz]

I didn't say anything about their opinion, I said to not make assumptions about the birds as they do not know me or know know my set up.

Here is our set up for 2 ducks, 6 egg laying pullets, and friends 6 meat birds:

they have the coop to roost/sleep in, good run that is enclosed they are turned out into during the day if we aren't going to be around, and yes they free range when we are home they have 2 acres of yard and 5 of pasture they get to forage in

coop is cleaned and sanitized daily when they are turned out and closed up until they roost for the night unless it's really nasty weather
waters are all cleaned out and fresh water put back in
run is cleaned out
waters in run is cleaned and fresh water put back in

feed is available but they aren't using a whole lot of that.

Anything else I am missing?

Eats I have egg layers BR, RIR but my friend added in 6 cornish crosses

 

[Lacy Blues]

Your set up actually has very little to do with the habits of this particular "breed" particularly if you have to confine them... even in a very large pen.

It was your snapping at hellbender that set me off. He wasn't being rude to you at all so I didn't see the need.

 

[slordaz]

"Hell bender as you said to each their own, but you have no idea what my set up is for one, so please keep your supposed facts to yourself. Jumping to conclusions is not a valid form of exercise." is what I said

I don't see where I snapped but, I will just stick to finish up reading the OT thread and not post here again. Sorry you took that as me snapping, and sorry to have ruffled feathers here I will leave you in peace.

 

[armorfirelady]

ok, I've been having problems with eggs showing up in the middle of the coop floor. Yesterday figured it out:


thats 3 in the nest, and then along comes another wanting in:



hmmm......the eggs are on the floor below..... and yesterday one was broken from the fall. What you can't see is behind the big sulmtaler hen, is a corner occupied by 3 more hens. Now, these aren't the nest boxes. There are 5 nest boxes in the other portion of the coop, but the hens decided the shelf made the perfect spot. The corner is an oil pan! and they gradually removed the stuff I had in the apple crate to make room for themselves.


always something interesting happening with chickens!

Quote:
My hens do the same thing. I took the old nesting boxes from the old coop out & took the separator out so know they have one large nesting box. They still all want to lay on one side........and I have found more than once one hen sitting on the top of the other. I have chalked it up tp once they have their mind set on something they become stubborn.

I made up new hawk covers for out in the yard. The large one I have had for years broke under the 7 ft of snow we got in November. I just took the old one apart and reused everything on it to make 2 smaller ones. They will be much easier to move when I mow. I would post pics but my phone is being dumb :/

I had several hens who were escaping their area. So last night my Mom helped me & we trimmed wings & poopy butts. It was very weird to find several of the hens with what looked like trimmed feathers already. They didn't look chewed on or broken. Clean cut off. Maybe I have a fairy hen mother? lol

 

[slordaz]

eats sorry back had to take my son to therapy.

we are doing a cooperative style farm , my friend has the land and there are 3 of us so we all usually discuss things before doing this, but she added the cornish crosses in with our mixed flock including a couple of ducks and I do only really have experience with dual purpose or egg layers. They seem to get along well as the Blue Swedish duck(think it's crossed with Godzilla or something like that lol) went from playing momma to our BR's and the Americana she got, and is now playing roll of rooster basically, she breaks up anything that gets to out of hand and makes em behave.

Coop/run and free ranging so far haven't had any problems with the different breeds other than the little mallard wants all the attention it was used to getting as had a pullet that took care of it and defended it from the older duckling until they became swim buddies and the older one accepted it as was only one that would go swimming.

 

[JulesChicks]

Hi everyone. I have a question that in my limited experience and exhaustive google searching can't figure out. I just brought 6 new chicks home from a breeder last night (he breeds for vigor and resistance and does not vaccinate). Chicks were exhausted and a bit stressed from travel and getting them situated (2-3 hours total). Some were too hot in the car so I turned down the heat. Four chicks are one week olds (on the weekend) and 2 are just hatched (Saturday or Sunday). They are purebred Welsummer and Ameraucana. This morning they all looked good, all were drinking but none would touch the fermented food. I have electrolytes and probiotics in the water. I switched out the food this afternoon to a mixture of chick crumbles and Scratch and Peck starter. One of the week old Ameraucana chicks was standing with its wings looking droopy and making rotations (almost like dance moves) with it's head. It's was almost sleeping while standing there. It seems to be walking normally. I think it is drinking and eating but I'm not sure. I don't know what to call the movement the chick is making so I really don't how to search about this. If any of you can offer me any insight and maybe how to support this chick and whether or not I should separate it I would much appreciate it. Should I add garlic and/or ACV to the water? Diffuse essential oils in the bathroom where they are? If so, which ones are safe (or not safe for chickens).
Thanks in advance!

 

[slordaz]

hey there Jules, I am newer too but hopefully someone will be able to answer the majority of the questions.

but from bringing home chicks not such a long distance I noticed the younger ones doing that for about a day, after plenty of fresh water and settling in they have been fine. I also put the reg feeder with starter food and a plate with FF that I took out after about 30 minutes and disposed of to give them options and they eventually started eating the FF.