The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[aoxa]

Well I'm bored. Who wants some pictures of last spring to help you think about the warm weather ahead of us? It's going to be REALLy cold tonight. 34 today and -16 tonight. What a drop in temp.







Member of the SSA
"Stick Inspection Agency"


This has always been a favourite picture. Not sure why. These two sisters are very unique. Some of the very limited mixed breeds I keep around. All the other mixes are sold off.. not these two.

 

[aoxa]

I think Cochin and Bar Rock would make cute chicks. They might be better foragers. I think the Cochins are like my Orpingtons. They are great foragers, but, they do not go very far into the woods. I can always see them and that is OK with me. The rest of the group is invisable most of the day.

My RIR and Bar crosses do very well foraging. They have a lot of Cornish in the blood so they have a hard feed drive. As the weather gets better and better, cut back food,,,.If you are over feeding the desire for foraging in some breeds is non existant. They just hang out by the water cooler gossiping waiting till the head honcho drops off the next feed.

My eggs are still not here. I might give her some of the eggs. She is so young. She is a July hatch. Makes me a bit nervous.I might try a few. It is a good suggestion.

Have you hatched shipped eggs before?

I've never hatched anything other than my own.

Oh and the cochin x BR are much better foragers.

 

[IttyBiddyRedHen]

Can BDM possibly edit the OP and show what these acronyms stand for?

It took me a while to get DH and DW. I like to guess them myself. I figured it out eventually

How about a refresher course/newbie acronym intro post? I still get stumped by so many of them.

 

[aoxa]

How about a refresher course/newbie acronym intro post? I still get stumped by so many of them.

We should work on an article on here about common acronyms found on BYC.

ETA: https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/acronym-list-for-byc
I started it. Left breeds out of it. I can do a separate one for chicken breed acronyms

 

[featherfriender]

Re:natural antibiotic alternative. Just read about oregano oil & cinnamon being tried successfully. I'll see if can find link,online. Probiotics & allowing access to weeds & soil & sun is good,too

 

[armorfirelady]

Ok guys. I took all your advice about ventilating the coop and turning off the lamp. I tore out the eve covers on one whole side of the coop and covered them with just hardware cloth. I took off plexiglass on the top half of one of the windows and covered it with cloth. AND I unplugged the heat lamp. Hopefully that will clear the humidity out. It's so cold out there! Do you guys promise me chickens won't turn into Popsicles????

This is my first winter with chickens. I was also worried with the very cold temps & snow & wind chill we have here that my chickens would not fare well. I watched them closely but didnt add any heat. Do you know how I convinced myself the chickens would be fine? I went out at night when the wind was howling & snow was blowing and while the hens were roosting stuck my fingers in their feather down by their skin. Needless to say they werent happy it was snowing on them as I was checking

They were like little toaster ovens they were so warm !!! And then I checked their feet......they were so warm I know if it was me I would have one foot stuck out to cool me down

Mind you I have a small doll house coop but one end is 3/4 way open & also has ventilation at the top and bottom so its just as cold in there as it is outside just not drafty.

 

[featherfriender]

Re:natural antibiotic alternative. Just read about oregano oil & cinnamon being tried successfully. . http://mobile.nytimes.com/2012/12/26/science/chicken-farms-try-oregano-as-antibiotic-substitute.xml Probiotics & allowing access to weeds & soil & sun is good,too

 

[aoxa]

Bulldogma;delisha;stonykill;Leahs Mom;Melabella;Sally8;Mumsy;Ashdoes

All of you guys can edit the article to add anything I missed. If you have some you want to add, or if I missed your name - I can add you to the people allowed to edit article.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/acronym-list-for-byc

 

[armorfirelady]

I like when you are bored Aoxa since that means MORE PICTURES

Any ways I clicked on your link & got this:

The URI you submitted has disallowed characters.
There Seems to be a Problem

We're sorry, but there's been an error in our system, and we can't complete your request. Please report this error to us, using our feedback system. Thanks!


Is it because you are still editing it?

 

[delisha]

Quote: My new Years hatch was my very first shipped hatch. I was sent 12 eggs, 3 were duds, 2 quit around day 7. 7 went into lock down. I have 5 healthy chicks. 1 was underdeveloped, and one was dropped on its head to many times during shipping I think. I culled the one, the other never made an exterior pip.