The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[Leahs Mom]

@curious chickee

I would encourage you to take a look at the housing and husbandry for the sake of future chicks.

Here are a few questions:

-Are these birds confined or free-range?
-If confined, do they have an outdoor run?
-Is the outdoor run deep littered with wood shavings/chips or is it compacted hard soil?

 

[curious chickee]

@curious chickee

I would encourage you to take a look at the housing and husbandry for the sake of future chicks.

Here are a few questions:

-Are these birds confined or free-range?
-If confined, do they have an outdoor run?
-Is the outdoor run deep littered with wood shavings/chips or is it compacted hard soil?

They have a 22 X 24 enclosed run, with deep litter.

 

[Nutcup]

This would be really sad and frustrating for me, CC. I feel for you and your daughter, wish I had some some advice.

 

[curious chickee]

This would be really sad and frustrating for me, CC. I feel for you and your daughter, wish I had some some advice.

Thanks, I just needed to vent my frustrations. It is a risk with showing in 4H, but a great learning experience for what we need for our flock. We learned for us personally we will now vaccinate for mareks and fowl pox, continue to feed fermented. (it seems to have started this down ward spiral while we were on vacation and had pet sitter feed dry feed with temperatures at 109) (coincidence? maybe)

 

[Ballerina Bird]

Culling a lot of my flock over the last couple months is taking its emotional toll. My flock tested positive for marek's so I have been culling all birds with symptoms. I now have 1 turkey poult, only one of shipped eggs to make it. I know what I am doing is best in the long run, but man is it hard.

I am sorry -- that sounds incredibly hard.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Thanks, I just needed to vent my frustrations. It is a risk with showing in 4H, but a great learning experience for what we need for our flock.  We learned for us personally we will now vaccinate for mareks and fowl pox, continue to feed fermented.  (it seems to have started this down ward spiral while we were on vacation and had pet sitter feed dry feed with temperatures at 109) (coincidence? maybe)

Don't feel bad about vaccinating I would too if that was my situation. I have no experience with FF, so I can't comment on that, but I do know stress will often trigger Mareks symptoms, so it's possible all the changes with a new person coming in to care for them was enough. Most birds develop symptoms around the time of sexual maturity because of all the stress that goes along with that age as far as integration and pecking orders, and often little roosters.

I have seen the dry fowl pox a few times in my turkeys but haven't seen the wet version thankfully. It has been a wet year with lots of mosquitoes to spread illnesses.

 

[curious chickee]

thanks

 

[Leahs Mom]

Sigh. That is upsetting especially with the kids.

 

[Leahs Mom]

@lalaland and @armorfirelady

That is a great idea to put citronella in a large pot. I picked up some of those plant "coaster" things that have wheels on them to be able to move large plants around for a really great price ($1) at a clearance sale. I can use those to move the large pots around.....

I think I'll try that this year.

Hey @lalaland and @armorfirelady ... I did plant a citronella in a big pot by the door to the barn where the chickens go in and out. It got HUGE! Just before it rains, I can smell it very strongly. Not sure if that has something to do with atmospheric pressure or what. But it smells great.

It's so nice I'm thinking I might try bringing it in for the winter.

Has anyone tried dehydrating it?

 

[Elemes]

Good morning

I've been reading through this thread some in the wee hours, particularly about the selection of cockerels and flock members in addition to introducing new chicks into the group. Here's my current situation for your pro-feedback:
I have 2 cockerels, a BCM and an Ameraucana that were raised together. Both also were raised with a sister so they're all about 15 weeks now. I also just introduced 3 Java pullets last week, about 17 weeks now but the same size as everyone else.
I also have one lone chick hatched from a stressful August incubation that is an unsexed, mixed breed.

My current concerns: picking a cockerel, flock dynamics in young chickens and the process of introducing a lone chick.
I'm observing them each day, watching for behavior I don't want; aggression, in particular. I have no issues at this time with human aggression but my BCM cockerel chased and topped a Java pullet once, and now doesn't seem to mind them that much. The Ameraucana pullet, however likes to peck at them and give them an absolute-no to getting food/treats in her area of interest. The BCM pullet is more tolerant of their presence but doesn't hesitate to chase them away if she wants something, like food, as well. She has been the more docile of the 2.

The BCMs and Ameraucanas forage together, roost together, etc. The Javas stay in their own coop and forage in their group, sometimes very near the others but safely removed- I did not move anyone this way, it's just where they go at night. I would like to have all my hens in one location, eventually, but I'm curious about the dynamic changing if removed from the presence of one or both cockerels. I have room, obviously, for separate pens.
I also have the little chick, who, when getting his penned outside time, was pecked through the crate by the BCM cockerel and even his sister, today. I don't have experience introducing young ones to youngish ones so any foreshadowing here?

My goal is to get a docile flock capable of protecting and alerting one another with a caretaker mentality toward the young. This may seem obvious, but with that in mind, I expect to only keep one of these cockerels. I've been holding out to see who reveals them self. The BCM is obviously first to arrive, most curious, and does a raised wing/back display occasionally at anything new, and sometimes has done it to me though I believe we have an understanding now that it won't be tolerated.
He's going through some stuff, today starting clucking and is the more crow-y cockerel.

So all that being out there (and thank you for reading) what questions do you have or wisdom to impart while I structure my dream flock?