The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[Melabella]

I rejuvenated the indoor dust box with a bit of new peat moss and a small amount of ash this morning. Just went out there and found mom teaching the kids how to dust! All the chickens LOVE the peat moss!

Oh my goodness... baby chick dusting pictures! I love the little yellow one on it's side. Precious!

 

[jlynnet]

Oh my goodness... baby chick dusting pictures!  I love the little yellow one on it's side.  Precious!

I just love these pictures. She is such a happy momma. I swear she's smiling sometimes. She's doing great for her first time.

 

[jendodd79]

x2 on the installation and maintenance nightmare.

Woven wire will conduct effectively for short distances. I know from experience when my fence came in contact with the hardware cloth on one of my tractors. I just wish it wasn't my forehead that some same in contact with the hardware cloth while I was doing repairs.

I also have the ground from the charger connected directly to the woven wire around the chicken pen - with wire rope suspended a couple inches away. If anything tries to climb up the woven wire pen, they get the full force that the charger can deliver.

Island Roo! You're in my neck of the world! (Well close anyway!)

 

[Melabella]

I just love these pictures. She is such a happy momma. I swear she's smiling sometimes. She's doing great for her first time.

and a hatchery bird at that!

 

[jendodd79]

Good morning! I had early morning team yoga, and just came back. Put some piles of leaves from our yard in the run for the chickens to play with. I'm so happy to have a use for those leaves! We are surrounded by forest, and every fall we get piles and piles of needles and leaves that come down. Mixed up the DL - it really seems like it's starting to work now. Thank goodness!

 

[TurtlePowerTrav]

Good morning! I had early morning team yoga, and just came back. Put some piles of leaves from our yard in the run for the chickens to play with. I'm so happy to have a use for those leaves! We are surrounded by forest, and every fall we get piles and piles of needles and leaves that come down. Mixed up the DL - it really seems like it's starting to work now. Thank goodness!

Not trying to be funny, but what may I ask is team yoga?

 

[Leahs Mom]

Good morning! I had early morning team yoga, and just came back. Put some piles of leaves from our yard in the run for the chickens to play with. I'm so happy to have a use for those leaves! We are surrounded by forest, and every fall we get piles and piles of needles and leaves that come down. Mixed up the DL - it really seems like it's starting to work now. Thank goodness!

 

[Leahs Mom]

Quote:
Those hatchery birds DO get a bad reputation, don't they

 

[Melabella]

Quote: Hello Angela,

Do you free range your cream legbars? I have heard they are excellent foragers, and quite adept at suviving as such. Is your rooster friendly? I read they are doting "husbands" and quite protective. How are their personalities overall, hens and roo's?

Thank you,
MB

 

[Melabella]

Those hatchery birds DO get a bad reputation, don't they

yes, they do! lol.... I actually posted a picture on the BA thread of one of my girls,, and one of the posters who is quite the authority said she actually had some quality. I can see all the SOP faults in the other breeds I have, but I must say my two Australorp girls are quite regal looking,.. I am trying to educate myself as to what is good confimation, and what is not as to the SOP guidelines, and I thought they were fairly good examples.

I have to try and get better pictures. Here is Dahila, I think she is my last holdout with the laying... developing far slower than Adele her breed partner. I love my hatchery girls, I wonder if any of them will go broody. Time will tell.