The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[maidenwolfx80]

Australorps. I have 3 and love them lots. Great birds and a great addition

 

[Leahs Mom]

I know this isn't the coop thread but we put an addition on my coop today with a large window in the front. The light is on for the pic but is shut off normally. I leave for work by 6am and it gets dark pretty early this time of year. I love the window and have to give credit to someone on BYC where I got the idea from. I have 4 more chickens still in the older part of the coop wondering where the roosts have gone. Sue

Very nice!

 

[Bulldogma]

First eggs!!! So exciting! Our RIR's are approx. 24 week old!

Congrats on two beautiful eggs!

Where is bulldogma and aoxa? Are they gone for the holidays?

Just got back - We didn't leave until 2:00 pm, but I was staying quiet this morning with so much going on. Sometimes the best response is none at all.

Miss Lydia.....where do you go to read the rules......can't find it.....

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...tone-locked-topics-freedom-of-speech-trolling

I know this isn't the coop thread but we put an addition on my coop today with a large window in the front. The light is on for the pic but is shut off normally. I leave for work by 6am and it gets dark pretty early this time of year. I love the window and have to give credit to someone on BYC where I got the idea from. I have 4 more chickens still in the older part of the coop wondering where the roosts have gone. Sue

LOVE the window! I'll bet your chooks will too!

Australorps. I have 3 and love them lots. Great birds and a great addition

After Bee's writeup on BA's, they're on my list of must-haves for the spring. They sound like good all-around birds! I'm also thinking about White Rocks. I'd love to hear opinions on those, too.

*******

Brought home 2 Silkies - 1 black, 1 white. Both are retired show birds and both are 18 months old. The place we got them was well run and clean, but they didn't have roosts for the chickens, no outdoor runs for the Silkies. Both girls are now roosting for the first time in my quarantine coop... when they wake up tomorrow they'll think they are in a little bit of heaven with their own outdoor run, sunshine and grass! I'm looking forward to seeing their reaction.

I'll take pictures, but both are finishing up a molt, and the white one was broody. (We'll see if she's still broody or if the change throws her out of it.) Otherwise, healthy birds. We had told our 9-year-old we were driving down to see Christmas lights and boy was she surprised when she got out of the truck, followed us into a barn and was confronted with hundreds of Silkies! LOL. Yeah - she's a happy camper!

 

[delisha]

Quote: That place is crazy..I am excited for my Heritage RIR's to have a good hatch.

 

[delisha]

I am looking forward to the pictures of the silkies..I showed pictures of aoxia's silkies to my DH and now he wants a pair..sheesh

 

[Bulldogma]

I am looking forward to the pictures of the silkies..I showed pictures of aoxia's silkies to my DH and now he wants a pair..sheesh

LOL! There's a 9-year-old inside every man!

Never would have gotten them myself if it weren't for this whole motherhood thing.

The LF just aren't interested in being loved on by a young girlie-girl. I was always a tomboy myself... I've had a bit of a learning curve with a kid who likes dolls and the color pink! At least she loves horses and chickens too. I'd go nuts if she didn't!!!!

 

[delisha]

She sounds so cute, glad she loves her birds

A few pictures of RIR
These are the base to the eggs I am hatching

 

[KPenley]

Hey Everybody! I have a question about wood ashes. My wonderful husband just gave me a wheelbarrow full of them, but they're kind of coarse. Do you grind them into powder? And if you do, what do you use? TIA

 

[Sally8]

Hey Everybody! I have a question about wood ashes. My wonderful husband just gave me a wheelbarrow full of them, but they're kind of coarse. Do you grind them into powder? And if you do, what do you use? TIA

I use my colander from the kitchen and just shake them through. It will become a soft powder and all the coarseness left from the coals will be in the colander, It goes very fast, you only have to do it once and it works very well. You'll like it.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I know this isn't the coop thread but we put an addition on my coop today with a large window in the front. The light is on for the pic but is shut off normally. I leave for work by 6am and it gets dark pretty early this time of year. I love the window and have to give credit to someone on BYC where I got the idea from. I have 4 more chickens still in the older part of the coop wondering where the roosts have gone. Sue

Nice pic.