The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[Leahs Mom]

My bantam cochins go broody every year and i put them to work hatching, they are hardy and adorable. Can you tell I like them. There's some d'uccle mixed in.

They are pretty little girls! They have feathered feet, right? I'm concerned about feathered feet in free-range situation. I have a good amount of wooded area they will be running through.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

All my bantam have feathered feet, I haven't had any troubles and I don't mess with them, they free range and can really get out there. We aren't in a chronically wet climate, but spring and fall are wet, and muddy, and winters can be brutal around here. I have had silkies too and didn't have a problem with them being hardy. I do read that people say that feather footed birds don't do well but that hasn't been my experiences, so I don't know why some say that. I do keep them in a separate coop from my large fowl, but all free range together and some extra roosters go over to the large shed to live.

 

[Leahs Mom]

@oldhenlikesdogs
Did you get yours through regular hatchery or are they from a breeder (heritage), etc.?

 

[armorfirelady]

Hello all,

I have been lurking around. All the hens are well.

I put up my electric fence the 2nd week in March & just put the 2nd half out Sunday. I think this is the earliest I have ever put it out. What a weird winter it was.

I'm eagerly awaiting to see some chick pics once they start hatching. I still have 6 hens & thats the town limit, so no broodies or new chicks for me this year.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

@oldhenlikesdogs

Did you get yours through regular hatchery or are they from a breeder (heritage), etc.?

Some are from a 4H show breeder, others are hatchery, most bantam breeds haven't had the broody bred out since egg production isn't important. My little d'uccle hen that I got from the tractor supply was a great broody, unfortunately my dog got a hold of her two months ago, she was 8 years old, still a bit upset about that one, she was a co momma to a single chick last year, she latched herself on to the pair and confused the chick for quite a while. Though she could only sit two large eggs at a time.

 

[curious chickee]

My bantam brahmas (Exhibition stock) are constantly going broody. I have one 1st year layer, sitting on eggs now. And I had to break my breeding stock 1st year layer a couple times.

 

[barksy]

Hello,
I am getting chicks for the first time in a couple days.
I am trying to raise them naturally. I have read you can prevent coccidiosis by putting soil from the chicken run in to the brooder if you have perviously had chickens. What if I have never had chickens, is there preventative measures?
I have corid incase but I am feeding them unmedicated chick feed.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I always feed non medicated feed. Keep them clean and dry in the brooder. After they are a week or two old I go out with a shovel and dig up clumps of sod, around 4-6 inches in diameter, about 4 inches deep, pick a clean spot with some good vegetation attached, dandelions come in handy, and put these in the corner of the brooder for them to pick and dig at, replace as necessary.

As soon as your weather allows I than take my outside for the day if it's warm enough in a temporary pen, with food, water and shade. By the time mine are 8 weeks I either move them out to the shed if they are large fowl or they begin to spend the day in the bantam run if they are bantam, in their confinement pen for a week or so than I start letting them out. Usually by this time the ground has dried out and the risk of them getting cocidiosis is zero. They have been exposed in small doses to what's in my soil when the stress on them is low. I personally have never had cocidiosis in my chicks.

 

[barksy]

Thank you,
Will this still work even if I have never had chickens in my yard before.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Cocidiosis is in your soil and will breed in wet weather, so either you have it or you don't, but you will inoculate your chicks with whatever organisms that are present in it, your chick than slowly build up immunity. I take soil from places chickens don't go, you don't want to overwhelm them. The medicated feed works by keeping cocidiosis numbers lower so the chicks can develop a natural immunity too, I just like the soil technique better, who needs chemicals, I feed my bantam non medicated starter year round for the higher protein content, so I always have it around, and have never used the medicated.