The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[Leahs Mom]

Leah's Mom, I know this was quite a while ago now that you wrote this, but I'm still working my way through the thread. I feel the same way, and I was wondering if you would care to share your experiences since you posted that? Did it work out the way you had hoped or did you need to make some compromises? (Apologies if you've already written about this and I just haven't read it yet.)

@Amanita
Sorry so long in reply!

I think you're asking if I was ever able to produce my own from my flock. I have not been totally successful with that as of yet. I did have a broody hatch a few of our eggs, but since haven't been successful in finding a great rooster. Currently I'm "roosterless".

I love the SFH since they're all different colors - a "landrace" and very pretty. But I just sent my last sfh to a new home a couple weeks ago. I may have someone hatch some for me in the spring along with a couple other breeds. They are definitely not "dual purpose" though they are marketed that way. If you get them, don't buy from the hatcheries. Not sure what they are but they're not sfh.

I'm going to wait until spring and try these:
I want to try Dominiques as one of my breeds. I've met some and they were a vary enjoyable personality. It seems that they were likely the chickens our great grandparents would have had. They should definitely be dual purpose, but I'm to the point that it would be hard to butcher my layers. I don't mind raising meat birds just for meat, but my flock is small enough the I know each bird. (I still have some 5 yos from my original flock that lay almost every day.)

I have wanted a broody breed. That has made me want to try a couple of Buff Orpingtons. They would also be dual as they are large enough. I mostly want them because of the possible broodiness.

Then I read about bantam Dominiques...and true to the bantam legend, they are supposed to be broodies as well. I may possibly skip the buff O's and just get a few bantam Dominiques but the jury is still out for me on that. I like a varied color flock rather than a bunch of birds that all look alike (Thus, one reason I like the sfh.)

I currently have 2 Buckeye girls that are 1 yo. They are a great personality and also dual purpose breed. I was going to keep one of the cockerels but personality was bad on that boy and I don't put up with that anymore. Nor do I put up with mean hens anymore. I used to try to work with them but decided that there are enough birds with a good personality in the world that chicken soup sounds much better than the whole flock suffering with the meanness of one.

Anyhow...Not sure if I'll ever be at a place where I'll be hatching all my own but it would be wonderful if it could happen!

 

[Leahs Mom]

As far as floors, I have decided that I like a floor better than the dirt in my situation. I do still use the wood shavings inside, but put the litter/deep litter in the run or their outdoor area. I still keep wood chips from tree cutting and also put all litter out in the run if I'm using one for more healthy ground. No mud, no slime, no breeding ground for disease. It is a wonderful thing in the outdoor run.

The reason I like floors is what @Lauravonsmurf said. I think it is more secure from digging predators.

I still let the litter build up under the roosts, but do shovel it outside to the run for deep litter our there when it's needed. I don't recommend using sand (though I know some folks that use it.) For various reasons (which I don't have time to write about right now) I believe that it can create an unhealthy situation. It's also more work to maintain.

I think the idea of a dirt floor inside the coop is great if they don't get outside much. It they do get outside, it's not as critical to have the deep litter inside.

 

[lazy gardener]

Quoting Leah's Mom:
I want to try Dominiques as one of my breeds. I've met some and they were a vary enjoyable personality.

I have wanted a broody breed. That has made me want to try a couple of Buff Orpingtons. They would also be dual as they are large enough. I mostly want them because of the possible broodiness.

Then I read about bantam Dominiques...and true to the bantam legend, they are supposed to be broodies as well. I may possibly skip the buff O's and just get a few bantam Dominiques but the jury is still out for me on that. I like a varied color flock rather than a bunch of birds that all look alike (Thus, one reason I like the sfh.)

I currently have 2 Buckeye girls that are 1 yo. They are a great personality and also dual purpose breed. I was going to keep one of the cockerels but personality was bad on that boy and I don't put up with that anymore. Nor do I put up with mean hens anymore. I used to try to work with them but decided that there are enough birds with a good personality in the world that chicken soup sounds much better than the whole flock suffering with the meanness of one. (hen)

Anyhow...Not sure if I'll ever be at a place where I'll be hatching all my own but it would be wonderful if it could happen![/QUOTE]

As far as floors, I have decided that I like a floor better than the dirt in my situation. I do still use the wood shavings inside, but put the litter/deep litter in the run or their outdoor area. I still keep wood chips from tree cutting and also put all litter out in the run if I'm using one for more healthy ground. No mud, no slime, no breeding ground for disease. It is a wonderful thing in the outdoor run.

The reason I like floors is what @Lauravonsmurf said. I think it is more secure from digging predators.

I still let the litter build up under the roosts, but do shovel it outside to the run for deep litter our there when it's needed. I don't recommend using sand (though I know some folks that use it.) For various reasons (which I don't have time to write about right now) I believe that it can create an unhealthy situation. It's also more work to maintain.

I think the idea of a dirt floor inside the coop is great if they don't get outside much. It they do get outside, it's not as critical to have the deep litter inside.

LM, Dominique is one of my favorite breeds. I absolutely love their personalities. If any breed could have the personality of an other breed grafted into it's make up, I'd choose the personality of a Dominique. And the LF Dom also has a rep for being a good broody, though not excessively so. You might get by using just LF Dom for your broody purposes.

I got LF Buck Eyes this spring. They are growing out to be real nice birds with pleasing coloring and size. As they mature, the pullets are becoming more friendly. I kept 2 cockerels. Hoping that one of them can stay in the flock. But, if he's hard on the girls, or does not get along with my #1 roo, he's got to go.

Many of your management styles (highlighted) match mine. Though I've not bought shavings for the coop in a long time. I still do use them in the brooder. I use leaves and grass clippings, plus the occasional bale of hay for bedding in the coop, then shovel it out through the clean out door into the run. Generally, clean the area under the perches about 3 x per year. I also can't fathom the use of sand. Visited a friend who raises pigeons. He took me in to see his flock. Yes, his coop looked very neat with freshly raked sand. But the dust and the stench played a number on my lungs. It took me 24 hours to recover from that visit that was less than 3 minutes!

 

[Leahs Mom]

@lazy gardener
Glad you're liking your Buckeyes! My girls were very shy when they were younger but they have turned out to be very enjoyable. They're very "laid back" and have a very different way of handling disputes than my SFH did.


Also on the Doms ... glad to hear another person say they like the personality. I hear that consistently from folks and the ones I met were delightful. I was visiting another byc member who has them and one of her Doms would come up to me - a stranger - and peck at my pant leg until I picked her up! If I put her down she'd come back to be picked up again shortly. I've never had a chicken do that!

 

[Leahs Mom]

And....yes, very stinky sand. Besides being a vector for disease in many cases unfortunately.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I use sand in my turkey shed due to the amount of poop made overnight by such big birds. I go in daily with a kitty litter scoop taped to a shovel handle to pick up the droppings. It gets topped off yearly. I found it to be the cleanest for turkeys. I would never use it with my chickens though. We use shaving, deep litter, and gravel for them.

The turkey shed can get dusty so ventilation is very important. Just my 5 cents on sand.

 

[lazy gardener]

@lazy gardener
Glad you're liking your Buckeyes! My girls were very shy when they were younger but they have turned out to be very enjoyable. They're very "laid back" and have a very different way of handling disputes than my SFH did.


Also on the Doms ... glad to hear another person say they like the personality. I hear that consistently from folks and the ones I met were delightful. I was visiting another byc member who has them and one of her Doms would come up to me - a stranger - and peck at my pant leg until I picked her up! If I put her down she'd come back to be picked up again shortly. I've never had a chicken do that!

My first group of Doms were very friendly. They would always be between my feet if I was out in the yard. They LOVED a facial massage. When ever I was in the coop, one would jump up on the perch, and lean into me for a facial massage.

I'm finding that one of my PBR pullets is equally friendly, actually, she's more friendly than this group of Dom pullets.

Where did you get your BE's??? My shipped birds all came from Cackle this spring. Aside from a shipping nightmare, I've been pleased with all of the breeds received.

 

[Leahs Mom]

Got my bucks from Bill Dyke in the Indianapolis area.

 

[Lauravonsmurf]

I thought a picture might help on floor topic... I need to run bricks around the outside next. See the gap in front, my floor is not as flat as I would like, though when I scrub the bricks down every now and then this makes a natural drainage spot.

 

[Eckielady]

Oh no, is this thread dead? I need help with a hen that isn't acting right. She's hunkered down sitting around but still has an appetite and I'm wondering what I should give her? Anyone still around?