The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[Leahs Mom]

BTW...my broody that you see above never pecked me...nor was she mean or threatening toward me. I think it depends on the personality of the bird.

 

[jockeyeba]

I think my "little yellow" may turn out to have the same coloring as your Ginger?? What do you think..this is Little Yellow today at 3 weeks: And this is today too...just for the "ahhhhhh" factor

adorable picture

 

[jockeyeba]

Thanks, all! Snow is almost completely gone now. We probably won't get any more this winter - LOL.

Are you kidding me BDM?  You really won't get any more? I think I have to move to Virginia....home of the great Secretariat!

.  one of my favorite pictures of him.. rarely seen, with Eddie,,, his devoted groom Barn10, in the back walking ring.. Belmont Park, NY

p.s.  Talk about Standard of Perfection, this is about as good as it gets.

that picture of Secretariat

 

[Pullet Surprise]

Quote: My favorite from my family is Hepzibah....not sure I could do that to a hen...lol..doesn't "call" very easily either

 

[Melabella]

My favorite from my family is Hepzibah....not sure I could do that to a hen...lol..doesn't "call" very easily either

I love one from my family too,, I named one of my barred rocks Elizabetta, ,, my cousin in Italy,,, of course,, Elizabeth. I call her Betta

 

[jockeyeba]

   when you have a broody you know it. I can see a few days before they sit that they are getting ready to go broody. They sit longer and longer each day after laying until they sit. I never remove dummy eggs. But with that said, yes I'm sure you can. She will take every egg you want to give her. 

Thanks for explaining that!  I'll leave the dummy eggs,,good idea.. If a broody jumps off a nest mid way through, can one intervene, and try to continue to hatch them?

My AG girls lay 12-14 eggs then go broody, stay on the nest

The ol towel trick...lol... I just did that to clip my rabbits nails...she wanted to kill me.  Wrappedher in a towel, and she couldn't move, and grabbed each leg out at a time.  She still got even with me, and peed in my lap.  I think I have to walk deep into the woods, and turn her loose!  jk...well,,,maybe not.....

MB

how can you even think of doing that What kind of rabbit? Haven't had rabbits since I was a kid

 

[Bulldogma]

Are you kidding me BDM? You really won't get any more? I think I have to move to Virginia....home of the great Secretariat!

one of my favorite pictures of him.. rarely seen, with Eddie,,, his devoted groom Barn10, in the back walking ring.. Belmont Park, NY

p.s. Talk about Standard of Perfection, this is about as good as it gets.

Amazing picture of an even more amazing horse! He was perfection!

I think my "little yellow" may turn out to have the same coloring as your Ginger?? What do you think..this is Little Yellow today at 3 weeks:

I think she will end up looking a lot like Ginger! And those pictures with mama... Awwwwwwwwwwww!!

 

[aoxa]

When we made a 6' high pen around the Bantam coop they just flew out & across the yard like it was nothing. Had to put poultry netting across the entire top of their pen Now the AG's can really fly

they're totally freerange & roost in the trees except for the original 6 hens will go into their coop at night, I lock them up & turn them loose every morning My 3 WR's can bearly climb over the 6" ledge in & out of their coop

Love this picture!

BTW...my broody that you see above never pecked me...nor was she mean or threatening toward me. I think it depends on the personality of the bird.

Only a few broodies peck me, but they all scream bloody murder. I want them to be protective. It's a good thing

how can you even think of doing that

What kind of rabbit? Haven't had rabbits since I was a kid

I let loose my two bunnies but they don't leave. lol Not that I want them to! Actually they escaped their pen and I can't catch them, and I don't really care to. They get fed, and are cute to look at.

 

[chickiemomy]

BROODY -- I'm too new to chicks -- here's what's now happening with my bunch - 2 buckeyes, 2 australorps, 1 GSL. born early May - so let's see about 8 mos old - all pullets, no boys. Laying well into the winter - as many as one per day per chick on good days. Now I'm seeing a little slow down, but it's cold, and dark (leave flood lights on in their run into the early evening - more for me than for them, but may be extending their daylight??)

both my BA's are now taking turns, one one day, the other the next -- sitting on a nest for hours - one has pulled the down feathers from her breast, which I understand is another sign of wanting to sit. I've been pulling them off the nest & taking the eggs, when I think they've been sitting long enough. - for example - it's time to roost, get off that nest and have a snack before bedtime. this has been going on about a week, no complaints from the hens - will this break them?? I've also now taken all the fake eggs out of the nest. -I had been lazy & not removed them from when they were being trained to use the nest last fall. When I move the hen (s) - I'm finding at least 3 eggs under them - so was thinking that if I keep the number of eggs down, they'd be less likely to sit???

Am I doing the right thing??


HERBICIDES -- I know many are hesitant to use, I'm not -- but understand concerns some have -- BUT -- there are those here that are using straight vinegar to kill weeds, selectively in their yard -- not the good stuff - the cheap, by the gallon stuff. 'they' claim it will kill the weeds directly sprayed on, without harming the rest of the environment. It is espoused by our local 'celebrity' TV organic gardener. I have not used it, but he claims it works -

found a link on ehow --http://www.ehow.com/how_4762568_make-weed-killer-vinegar.html

offering in case it's of interest to those of you who want to use more natural means, but have weeds to kill -I do not personally use...

 

[delisha]

I think any breed can be broody..most are not birds that set well.

If your bird is broody, they simply will not get off the nest, or they go off somewhere and lay eggs away from where they normally lay.

My birds usually do not bite me. But I have been bitten by broodys. Even my broody now who sounds like she will take off my face does not bite me. I think she is going to bite me when I mess with her cause she sure is loud.

To test if a hen is broody and will stick, take them off the nest a few times. I just had a pullet go broody on me, she is too young and I worry that she is not mentally ready to raise chicks. I tossed her off the nest and she did not go back. It is too early in the season in my thinking, but, not in the cchicken world, because, I have my rir making broody sounds..sheesh. frustrating. Her I will let set if she decides she wants to. She does not always set a nest. She goes broody and sometimes does not set the first nest. If she finds a nest with a larger amount of eggs, you can't get her off. She was trying to dislodge the other broody today. That bird is not getting off. So I do not expect her to set until next month or later.