The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[islafarm]

Hi lalaland,
Thanks so much for your quick response! I read the link. I took her away from the others this morning and will keep her quarantined. At this moment I don't know if it is Mareks. So confusing and frustrating with the symptoms - may or may not show etc.,. The 2 clear symptoms are tiredness and missing the food. Yet she is eating. She did have a preen and her poops seem normal. She is favoring the yogurt over the FF.
Thanks again, I will continue researching the Mareks - that would be disastrous. All my birds came from the same breeder, all at the same time. I was going to go there next week and pick up some more, now I think I'd better call and ask how his flock is. Thanks.

 

[islafarm]

Yes, I've heard them purr when on the perch at night. I especially love the little sing-song trill the chicks do when they are contentedly tucked under their Mama broody heating pad. I never heard chicks do that under a heat lamp!! Yes, Isla... same feed dry as fermented. Egg count up with fermented. Did I mention for sustainable feed in the run: elderberry, juneberry, raspberry, siberian pea, comfrey? Add some deer fodder mix, both the brassicas and the grains, with a rotating paddock system, and I bet you'd have a good start to a self sustaining flock. If so, forgive my senior moments!

Like the sound of the deer fodder and the fruits you mention - sounds like a fabulous field, I wouldn't mind grazing it myself

I don't know juneberry, but raspberry used to be my favourite fruit and we would make elderberry cordial in spring, and syrup in autumn.

My climate is different: in my 'paddock' I have sissoo spinach, brazilian spinach, pumpkin, katuk, chaya, 3 types of tradescantia (wandering jew family), mulberry, pidgeon pea, madera negra, gavilana, moringa, and for fruits araza, akee, carambola, pitanga, tangerine, pineapple and cacao. I don't think they'll eat the cacao, but those trees sure do attract termite nests.

Senior moments

all my moments run together these days

 

[lazy gardener]

Juneberries similar in size to blueberries, a bit softer and not as astringent, have a very soft little seed in the middle. I actually like the taste of them, find them to be downright pleasant. Yes, pumpkins would be great in that paddock. Any plants that attract J. beetles would be welcome.

 

[mlowen]

Juneberries similar in size to blueberries, a bit softer and not as astringent, have a very soft little seed in the middle.  I actually like the taste of them, find them to be downright pleasant.  Yes, pumpkins would be great in that paddock.  Any plants that attract J. beetles would be welcome.

Japanese beetles seem to love my asparagus fronds and green bean leaves along with rugosa and blueberries.

 

[slordaz]

The goofy changed rooster is the one doing the purring, any time the hens get upset or are laying. Now the goodball gets up in a nest above the brooding pen and does it, while acting like he is gonna lay an egg lol.

At least he's not terrorizing anybody, them leghorns schooled him good.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I find my roosters in the nest boxes once in a while, I think they are jealous.

 

[hellbender]

The goofy changed rooster is the one doing the purring, any time the hens get upset or are laying. Now the goodball gets up in a nest above the brooding pen and does it, while acting like he is gonna lay an egg lol.

At least he's not terrorizing anybody, them leghorns schooled him good.

Perhaps a new way for females to control the males....forcing them into Lamaze birthing procedures.

 

[hellbender]

I find my roosters in the nest boxes once in a while, I think they are jealous.

Might just be taking a snooze...His 'career' is very taxing.

EDIT: Sorry...I couldn't help myself!!!!!!!!

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Once I went to get eggs, and I was confused for a while, I didn't recognize the hen, dang rooster , scared me, I suppose it is taxing to shag 80 times a day, then run away.

 

[islafarm]

Once I went to get eggs, and I was confused for a while, I didn't recognize the hen, dang rooster , scared me, I suppose it is taxing to shag 80 times a day, then run away.