The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[Melabella]

yes!

about how old then stoney? aprox.

 

[stonykill]

about how old then stoney? aprox.

meat birds...2 to 3 months depending on how you raise and feed them. You can go longer if you free range, but mine won't.

 

[atmaclean]

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

Hi MB! Yes, they free range with all the others all day, but he is the only rooster that goes out with the hens because they (Desi & Lucy) are the only ones I am trying to breed. He went through a stage of trying to be rude to us but I guess he has decided it wasn't worth the effort as he got picked up and held like a baby when he did it. My husband booted him a few times when he tried it with him. His bad behavior seems to have passed now. He doesn't run at me anymore. He is the one rooster I have who crows throughout the day (and night). I've heard him crow at 3am if I turn on the front porch light to let the dogs out. Luckily we don't have any close neighbors! He does stay with the hens very reliably. His wife, Lucy, is rather friendly but she is the one hen I have that went broody and I had to separate her and Desi from the flock for a couple weeks to get her over it. She was VERY determined. They will eat outs out of my hand and always come for treats (they all do). I can tell Lucy's egg from the araucanas because it is such a pretty, smooth texture and color. It is also a much larger egg than the araucanas. I have been trying to get a fertile egg from them for over a month with no luck. I'm not sure if they are hard to breed or if Desi is sterile! They are 10 months old. Here is a pic of Desi.



Angela

 

[Melabella]

Hi MB! Yes, they free range with all the others all day, but he is the only rooster that goes out with the hens because they (Desi & Lucy) are the only ones I am trying to breed. He went through a stage of trying to be rude to us but I guess he has decided it wasn't worth the effort as he got picked up and held like a baby when he did it. My husband booted him a few times when he tried it with him. His bad behavior seems to have passed now. He doesn't run at me anymore. He is the one rooster I have who crows throughout the day (and night). I've heard him crow at 3am if I turn on the front porch light to let the dogs out. Luckily we don't have any close neighbors! He does stay with the hens very reliably. His wife, Lucy, is rather friendly but she is the one hen I have that went broody and I had to separate her and Desi from the flock for a couple weeks to get her over it. She was VERY determined. They will eat outs out of my hand and always come for treats (they all do). I can tell Lucy's egg from the araucanas because it is such a pretty, smooth texture and color. It is also a much larger egg than the araucanas. I have been trying to get a fertile egg from them for over a month with no luck. I'm not sure if they are hard to breed or if Desi is sterile! They are 10 months old. Here is a pic of Desi.



Angela

Wow, he is a looker now isn't he? So handsome! He looks bigger than i imagined, they are mid sized birds no? Them and rhodebars are simply stunning... what eye candy. i hope for your sake he isn't sterile, maybe they just need some time! what color amerucana's do you have?

Love your website,,, and question...

What eggs are these? Guinea nest?

 

[atmaclean]

Wow, he is a looker now isn't he? So handsome! He looks bigger than i imagined, they are mid sized birds no? Them and rhodebars are simply stunning... what eye candy. i hope for your sake he isn't sterile, maybe they just need some time! what color amerucana's do you have?

This is Zippy my araucana rooster.

Smokey

Kelly

Fancy

These are my pure Araucanas. I only have two ameracauans and they are a brow/black color and lay a green egg. One is a crossbeak but she lays pretty green eggs and gets fed in a special deep feeder. I have some pure blue ameracauna hatching eggs coming this week. Their parents have the beards/muffs and are just gorgeous! I can't wait to get them. From what I understand, they lay a blue egg.
Angela

 

[atmaclean]

Wow, he is a looker now isn't he? So handsome! He looks bigger than i imagined, they are mid sized birds no? Them and rhodebars are simply stunning... what eye candy. i hope for your sake he isn't sterile, maybe they just need some time! what color amerucana's do you have?

Love your website,,, and question...

What eggs are these? Guinea nest?

Yes! It was a guinea nest my son found out in one of our pastures when he was golfing! LOL! I mistakenly let a lady take them to put under her silkie and only one of them hatched and died. I was really frustrated because when I went to get the one baby that hatched, I realized the hen was way too small to possibly cover all those eggs! I have successfully incubated dozens and dozens of guinea eggs that I found in nests and should have just kept them and put them in the incubator. I just thought I'd try it with a hen since it would be so much easier. Live and learn! I have a wachful eye out for my guineas now to try and catch them when they start laying. I may try to keep them up in their pen so I can gather the eggs and incubate them. I desperately want more guineas. I started with 29 last year and by the Fall I was down to just 15! These 15 have been around all winter so they must be pretty savvy about foraging and watching out for predators. I think the addition of our guardian dog has also helped tremendously

Angela

 

[atmaclean]

Oh, and thank you for the compliments on the website

. I need to get a few more chicken pics up on there. I have been thinking about adding a page just for the chickens and the eggs I sell....

Angela

 

[Leahs Mom]

Angela

I LOVE the look of the cream legbars. Next time I purchase for colored eggs, that's what I'm getting. I have someone within driving distance all ready to hatch for me. I love that they can be sexed at hatch (not sex link). I love the egg color; love the "look" of the birds; love that they can be sexed at hatch. I don't put in many just for the color of the eggs, but I do plan to keep a couple colored egg layers all the time and these are where I'm going next!

 

[atmaclean]

You are lucky to have a breeder that close. We had to buy mine and paid too much! My husband about keeled over when he found out! LOL! I got them for all the reasons you mentioned. I love the colored eggs. My wheaten maran just started laying and I am always thrilled when I see her chocolate/burgundy colored eggs - just beautiful!
Angela

 

[Leahs Mom]

You are lucky to have a breeder that close. We had to buy mine and paid too much! My husband about keeled over when he found out! LOL! I got them for all the reasons you mentioned. I love the colored eggs. My wheaten maran just started laying and I am always thrilled when I see her chocolate/burgundy colored eggs - just beautiful!
Angela

Ohhhh can you post a photo of one of those marans eggs!!!