The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[Leahs Mom]

Me too! I'll have to try one sometime (coconut) and see if the birds will pay any attention to it. Mine LOVE coconut oil...if I put it in solid state on a plate, they stand and eat it right up!


In other news...got my first top bar hive yesterday.... getting ready for some bees in the spring

 

[tjo804]

Me too! I'll have to try one sometime (coconut) and see if the birds will pay any attention to it. Mine LOVE coconut oil...if I put it in solid state on a plate, they stand and eat it right up!


In other news...got my first top bar hive yesterday.... getting ready for some bees in the spring

Congratulations on the bees Leahs Mom
I cant talk DH into a hive he is afraid of bees.

 

[lalaland]

Leahs mom, you lucky duck! Can't wait to follow along how the top bar hive goes - it is very tempting. If I win the lottery I might go for it!

 

[Leahs Mom]

@lalaland

I'm almost embarassed to say that he sold the hive to me for $50. Seriously.

He made it according to the "Golden mean" hive plan at this site: http://www.backyardhive.com/backyardhive_beekeeping_shop/ And it was made very well.

Never thought I'd be able to find one for that kind of price. I was a real gift. Now to get the bees!

 

[lalaland]

wow, that is wonderful! the top bar hives sound so bee friendly and practical for those of us who don't want to handle 70lb comb/frame combos

 

[armorfirelady]

Me too! I'll have to try one sometime (coconut) and see if the birds will pay any attention to it. Mine LOVE coconut oil...if I put it in solid state on a plate, they stand and eat it right up!


In other news...got my first top bar hive yesterday.... getting ready for some bees in the spring

@lalaland

I'm almost embarassed to say that he sold the hive to me for $50. Seriously.

He made it according to the "Golden mean" hive plan at this site: http://www.backyardhive.com/backyardhive_beekeeping_shop/ And it was made very well.

Never thought I'd be able to find one for that kind of price. I was a real gift. Now to get the bees!

Congrats !!!! I would love for some day to be able to have bees

 

[slordaz]

Planting a garden,vegetable or fruit near it they should start making their own home there if you have a place set up for them. Out at the farm when we put the fruit trees and berries in we had a bunch show up, they will travel if I remember right about a mile from their home area. So logically they find they have a good food source they will set up close to it. We unfortunately don't have one set up there and the fruit trees are still small yet. Was very impressed when all we had ever seen out there were wasps and yellow jackets before. We have to get netting to put over it not to keep our chickens out but to keep the wild birds from running off with everything lol

 

[smokie]

Another interesting way to feed Cambodian chickens is to lay planks of wood on ground and lift then up in about two weeks time they have lots of insects underneath the chickens now what's coming and they will be waiting to mob what's underneath the planks when you lift them

 

[smokie]

Next thing is to try and breed maggots for them

 

[hellbender]

Next thing is to try and breed maggots for them

Maggot buckets are simple. We don't have even one Oriental bird but we do put up at least 3 or 4 buckets yearly and keep them going with road kill or whatever comes along. Fish guts are hard to beat.