The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[Leahs Mom]

It's really good for me to know that some broodies don't kick their kids out. When my red was done, she actually would attack the kiddos. One day she was their mamma and the next day - the mom from h___.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

This morning two of d'uccle shipped chick were looking weak, they were probably the two that were desperately drinking. I decided to move the six shipped ones and the two hatched bantam to the hatching hen. I pulled out the two turkey eggs and stuffed them under another hen. Then i put the chicks down and put her on them. She started talking to them, I'm sure she was seeing if she recognized their voices, that's why i had her hatch two. She tried pecking one of the shipped chicks so i pushed it under her. After about a half hour i moved them into their pen. She's still sitting on them like they are still fresh. One of the d'uccle chicks was on it's back under her so I'm thinking it won't make it, but we'll see. She's still sitting, I'll give her a few hours than i will move the food closer and see if she takes them all. This hen is known not to want chicks that aren't hers, but hopefully i fooled her.






One of my broodies, one is outside so I'm down one.

It's interesting that my shipped chicks are acting like I'm Godzilla, but my hatched chicks are mellow and cool, i combined my large breed shipped and hatched chicked, the hatched ones were slightly overwhelmed.

 

[Leahs Mom]

Hope those babies revive and do well! Thanks for the photos. I love seeing the photos.

When I added chicks under a broody that had only 1 of the eggs hatch that were under her, I put them it in the dark of night. They were under her at least 6 hours before morning then of course I went out to be sure she would take them. I was hoping that having them under her most the night would help them take on the smell and get her used to hearing them before she could see them.

For this broody it worked. Only done it once, though.

 

[CuzChickens]

OMG!! So glad to have found this thread!!! I am natural everything including chickens!!! Has anyone here read her books or heard of Lisa Steele? She wrote the book Fresh Eggs Daily and Duck eggs daily. She is all into natural chicken keeping with herbs.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

OMG!! So glad to have found this thread!!! I am natural everything including chickens!!! Has anyone here read her books or heard of Lisa Steele?  She wrote the book Fresh Eggs Daily and Duck eggs daily. She is all into natural chicken keeping with herbs.

I have not heard of her. Welcome to the thread. I think we would all agree that we all have a slightly different take on what we consider natural chicken keeping. That's part of the fun. I personally approach it as a behavioral concept, as well as letting my bird exist in as natural of a way that I can, while still feeding and tending to them. I personally don't use herbs but many here do. Others like a more natural way of feeding. Either way, you are sure to learn some stuff and maybe find something that you can use on your own flock, as well as sharing some of your own ways. What things do you herbs for?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Hope those babies revive and do well!  Thanks for the photos.  I love seeing the photos.

When I added chicks under a broody that  had only 1 of the eggs hatch that were under her, I put them it in the dark of night.  They were under her at least 6 hours before morning then of course I went out to be sure she would take them.  I was hoping that having them under her most the night would help them take on the smell and get her used to hearing them before she could see them.

For this broody it worked.  Only done it once, though.

After a few hours of being under the hen, I lifted her up and they came out, the two d'uccle are a bit stronger, one went to eat and drink, the other went back under the mom. She has accepted all of them and is being a good mom. I don't want to say yet that they will make it, but I'm more hopeful for them. I will pat myself on the back for making the decision to give them to her, but I also have you, Leahs Mom, to thank for putting the idea back in my head. They are better off there than in the rowdy group of large chicks.

 

[16 paws]

Following along....

Thanks Leahs Mom

 

[slordaz]

It's really good for me to know that some broodies don't kick their kids out. When my red was done, she actually would attack the kiddos. One day she was their mamma and the next day - the mom from h___.

my broody left the chicks in the protected coop today, took the nest away from a sitting broody that wouldn't defend against her as she's kicked her seat end so bad with her chicks and won't get off

 

[Leahs Mom]

OMG!! So glad to have found this thread!!! I am natural everything including chickens!!! Has anyone here read her books or heard of Lisa Steele? She wrote the book Fresh Eggs Daily and Duck eggs daily. She is all into natural chicken keeping with herbs.

Yes, I have. I won a cc of her book on a blog. Has some good ideas in it.

Glad to have you! And as old hen said, people DO have different ideas of natural. We try to be civil here and learn from each other even if we disagree!

Following along....

Thanks Leahs Mom

@16 paws
Good to see you! I'm hoping you might post photos of your little "special needs" chick and let us know how he/she is doing.

 

[mlowen]

I wanted to report on an 'experiment' I've been conducting. There were conversations about layer feed vs all-flock with higher protein, the value of giving the chickens a choice, if possible, AND that feather eating and bullying might be related to not enough protein (I do give meat, sometimes.) So, I decided to use one of my free-feeders for layer feed and the other with "grower" or all-flock. Since the day I poured the higher protein feed into the feeder, they have not eaten ONE layer pellet. They are vacuuming down the higher protein feed!
I found the all-flock made my fermented feed too "sticky" in the troughs, and to encourage some more calcium intake, I make the fermented feed with layer pellets (and wheat, oats, & barley, with a dash of sunflower seeds. I give them their shells crushed and also have a container of oyster shell available, so I'm sure they are getting everything they need.
The layer feed will last me another 6 months at least--just using it for fermented. I'm so glad I tried this. (So are the girls!)