The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[stonykill]

Loved the article on that other thing! I would love to have hen raised chicks, but I really don't need more chickens!

thanks! I don't understand "don't need more chickens"? Is that Latin? I see the words but they don't make sense to me.....

 

[ssterling1776]

Thanks to everyone who liked my FB page. Without even getting a link You guys are awesome.

So many friends and family support what we do, and it's amazing. 

Also just watched this documentary called Farmageddon. If you guys haven't seen it, it's very interesting. Joel Salatin is in it.

I have seen it! It's very informative!

 

[Melabella]

I like this picture! Yes, I actually got an incredible up close chance to observe a mating the other day, but walked away scratching my head thinking...what did I just see? After working on a horse breeding facility for many years, one sort of is used to concrete things that just can't be missed

, if you know what I mean...lol.

 

[off-grid hen]

It's going to be bitter cold this week where I am, highs in the single digits during the day. Wednesday they are calling for high of -5F. I am thinking of going back to free feeding for this week, until the temps climb a bit. I think the chickens will need all the calories they can get to keep warm. Do any of you not free feed when it's that cold?

 

[armorfirelady]

We are having temps in the low 20s during the day & single digits at night with wind chills in the minus. I still feed my FF to them everyday. The heated dog bowl keeps the food warm and I keep thinking it must be like warm oatmeal is to people. Help warm them up?

Put in some extra pine shaving in coop & run so they have something to keep them busy as they dig thru it. Snow is coming down heavy and I am doubtful they will be out in it.

(Got a great deal on pine shavings via Craig's list. Not big chunks this stuff is smaller & break down easier)

 

[midnightroo]

Chickens are not agressive animals. At night time go out to the coop and pick them up. They will be fine.They enjoy being stroked on the back of the neck and on the chest. They might squack and flap until you get comfortable handling them.

Do you know how to pick up a chicken?

I don't even think about handling a chicken, so, I might not explain it right. It just comes second nature.

Yep, we know how. They just aren't very cooperative so we try not to so we don't stress them out. I have been wanting to go out at night to check on them, but I have a long list of not so good excuses of why I haven't.

My daughter did say she noticed they calmed down when she stroked them. She is a natural with them. I will be signing her up 4h this year since she is old enough.

 

[Mumsy]

So yesterday morning I watched the three five week old Silkie boys going bonkers in the chick house. Out of no where the biggest alpha boy jumps straight up and does a body slam on the smallest little female Miss Peggy! That's enough of that! I took the three male Silkie chicks and moved them into the barn into the bachelor condo. Funny how quickly that subdued them! Hah!

Very interesting to observe the behavior of the three bantam RIR chicks I still think are female. They fretted and chirped quite upset. Looking for those boys! After a few hours I took a glance through the window and they were following the little female Silkie around like it was their momma. Snuggling and cuddling. Those little red chicks are becoming more and more dear to my heart.

So back to Silkies...I would like to add more to my flock but I don't want to order shipped eggs or chicks. Then I remember delisha talking about her Catdance Silkie eggs and the good feedback about this breeder in general. I did a little research for the first time and what do you know? Catdance farm is with in a few hours drive of where I live!

Sent an email for an appointment so I can visit her farm and maybe pick up some eggs or chicks next month. I had no idea Washington State was so rich with awesome poultry breeders until I started researching on BYC!

 

[armorfirelady]

Blustery cold here today with heavy snow falling. I shoveled early this morning when I fed the hens tho u can't tell now 2 hours later.. Came out later with veggies & yogurt mixed with pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds & almonds (to cold for Johnny cakes they stay frozen)

Hens in enclosed run all morning and this was their response to me putting food outside:

Can u move this a little cloooooser ...2 hens can't fit through pop door........

Hey what are u guys eating......can u move so I can have some please

Oh I tried a pomagrate today for the hens. Had a coupon . Seems they like them as well

 

[off-grid hen]

It's not so much the snow, but the temps are going to stay at or below zero for about 4 days. My chickens are pretty good in the snow and will walk around in about an inch of the stuff as long as the temps are at or above 15 degrees and not too windy. I don't heat my coop, and I do not worry about frostbite. Just more curious as to what people do in the prolonged zero (or below) temps. I have learned that "bitter cold" is a relative term. . When it's this cold, the light fluffy snow just sweeps out of the way with a broom.

 

[Bulldogma]

So

This is about the most intresting thing I didn't know that I read this week......

"

Fascinating fact - when a rooster mates with a hen, he mounts her and, standing on her back, lowers his cloaca (vent) and the hen inverts her own cloaca to meet with his.​

There is no penetration​

, but the sperm packet released by the male is taken into the hen's cloaca or vent. From there the sperm makes its way to the infundibulum where it awaits the release of an ovum. Sperm can live in the infundibulum for more than 2 weeks."​

Keep up the good work BDM!

This kind of learning fascinates me. I always wondered how birds... you know.
LOL

So back to Silkies...I would like to add more to my flock but I don't want to order shipped eggs or chicks. Then I remember delisha talking about her Catdance Silkie eggs and the good feedback about this breeder in general. I did a little research for the first time and what do you know? Catdance farm is with in a few hours drive of where I live!

Sent an email for an appointment so I can visit her farm and maybe pick up some eggs or chicks next month. I had no idea Washington State was so rich with awesome poultry breeders until I started researching on BYC!

Ooo - I'm jealous - especially after hearing such great things! Our two little Silkies are a blast - I'm sold on the breed.