The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[Melabella]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/738823/genesis-hovabator

This is going back to the incubator topic about the genesis. Peeps and I aren't the only ones who value our Genesis Hovabators.

aoxa, I clicked that link, and after reading the other responses, it seems one still has to do a lot to figure out how to adjust humidity and such. It would be a fantasy of mine to try to hatch some chicks one day in the future, but reading all the variables with checking humidity and such, it doesn't seem as simple as plugging it in and go! I would be so nervous after spending some real money on desired hatching eggs, I would somehow mess it all up!

MB

 

[atmaclean]

Aoxa: I was sorry to hear about your bad night the other day. I hope things are going better and that your roo is healing..?? I cannot imagine the temps you live in! My hubby is from Alberta and the weather here in NC is balmy for him! LOL! They are calling for ice and snow here today and we are getting out of school 3 hours early - yeah!! You all would just laugh at how wimpy we are when it comes to winter weather. My hubby just shakes his head and I hear the "when I went to school, we never had snow days and it could snow 5 feet and we were still in school....." We are just not used to snow and ice and NO ONE around here can drive in it

Thanks for all the info you post - I've learned a lot!

Angela
www.naturallyequine.org

 

[Mumsy]

Mumsy, I am looking forward to your detailed information about show cages and how to make them ..I have only one..can you also talk about cage and show conditioning please..
Axoa..can you also give a step by step in show preperation

I probably need improvement in my training

The chickens I plan on showing, I pick them up at least once a day. I gradually start to stroke them, touch feet, open wings.I have a table I place them on. The cockerel is a freek show and i had to put food on the table to get him to stay. He still is a freek show about the table but is getting better. Right now i can't cage train because i am using it for a brooder. I will start putting them in the cage for a short time to longer and longer time.

Bath day before show..keep dry and off ground.

What do you pack?

Blow dryer..baby wipes..paper work..nail file..vasaline. clean bedding.. gloves..empty cages..

I would love to discuss this topic!
Add to the "What do you Pack?" list:

Electrolyte to put into their water cup when you coop. If birds are stressed (and they will be stressed) dip their beak. Some people withhold water and food before judgeing. I wouldn't do this personally. The last show I was at, the judging lasted nearly all day. If your birds are in the last row...Well, I would at least water my birds. Electrolytes sure wouldn't hurt. You can make your own mix. It's not difficult.

For feather foot breeds pack baby powder. Dust the bum and feet before leaving home. Keeps a lot of the poo from sticking. If you have a long ways to drive to the event or your birds are going to sit in their travel coops for some time, that baby powder is awesome! Go easy on it. My birds sneeze when I used it.

Your toe nail clippers or pet nail clippers. Just incase you need a quick clip on a raggedy toe.

If your birds like a special little treat that you use at home for show coop training be sure to bring some to the show. It is just a nice little gesture you can use to help your bird settle down.

I start cage coop training a few weeks before the show. I play the radio in the barn. I make lots of noise when I'm near their cage. Drop things, generaly get them used to the crazyness that happens. I don't do all that the first day or so but gradually build up their tolerence to sudden noise and motion.
Learn the correct way to place your birds into the cage and take them out. Judges will hold your bird upside down. Practice that. Judges will spread your birds wings and tail feathers. Practice that.
If your show bird has a favorite buddy, train them in side by side cages. Your show bird won't be so scared if they have company.

There is a lot more we can talk about.

I'll show you my training pens and give you some pointers on that.

I LOVE this topic! I'm so excited too! I won't have anything to show until next fall shows but there is no time like the NOW time to get prepared.

 

[stonykill]

Stony, don't give up on us here due to the "other stuff" we all value your input and love your stories and pictures. So many of us have "other stuff" we just have to share. In our minds, it just goes with chickens. lol

this thread is just hard to keep up with ....all the randomness to it. Example this morning. 6 pages to go through. Starts out chickens.... turns...I don't know...... bored..... off topic.... stop reading.... skim.... see if I see a question....nope....ok..... look for my name...... ugggg. It will e the same way tonight. 6 to 10 pages of randomness. About 5 real chicken related posts will be there...the rest will be random ramblings. So I skim and look to see if any one asks me anything.
Maybe it's a guy thing... I don't know.

 

[atmaclean]

aoxa, I clicked that link, and after reading the other responses, it seems one still has to do a lot to figure out how to adjust humidity and such. It would be a fantasy of mine to try to hatch some chicks one day in the future, but reading all the variables with checking humidity and such, it doesn't seem as simple as plugging it in and go! I would be so nervous after spending some real money on desired hatching eggs, I would somehow mess it all up!

MB

Believe me, MB, if I can do it, anyone can do it! LOL! I just have an LG styrofoam incubator and put the eggs in and go. I just this year got a digital thermometer/hygrometer and an automatic turner since I purchased some more expensive eggs. The past 5 years I have just had a regular glass thermometer in there and hand turned them. I add water into the holes every few days. I also bought a new Brinsea incubator in December and it is just about idiot proof (which I need!). It automatically keeps the temp at 99.5 F and all you do is check the water and occasionally add water to the water cup thing. It even turns them automatically and counts the days down for you. It also stops turning on the 18th day so you don't forget. I just put 7 Blue Ameracauna eggs in it last night and am anxious to see what I get. I've got 7 mille fleur d'uccles in my Little Giant incubator right now.

My first hatch in the Brinsea were my expensive Isbar eggs. I paid for 4 and she sent 5 eggs from up in NY all the way to NC. I have 4 healthy little chicks from those 5 eggs. The 5th one was totally developed in the eggs but for some reason just didn't hatch....?? Not sure why.... I thought that was pretty good for shipped eggs You should try it with just a few eggs - it really is fun and I always am fascinated watching them hatch even though I've seen it dozens of times.

Angela

 

[aoxa]

aoxa, I clicked that link, and after reading the other responses, it seems one still has to do a lot to figure out how to adjust humidity and such. It would be a fantasy of mine to try to hatch some chicks one day in the future, but reading all the variables with checking humidity and such, it doesn't seem as simple as plugging it in and go! I would be so nervous after spending some real money on desired hatching eggs, I would somehow mess it all up!

MB

Oh really? The only issue I've found is with the readout it gives on the digital. My humidity holds better than my thousand dollar cabinet incubator. Just saying

 

[aoxa]

this thread is just hard to keep up with ....all the randomness to it. Example this morning. 6 pages to go through. Starts out chickens.... turns...I don't know...... bored..... off topic.... stop reading.... skim.... see if I see a question....nope....ok..... look for my name...... ugggg. It will e the same way tonight. 6 to 10 pages of randomness. About 5 real chicken related posts will be there...the rest will be random ramblings. So I skim and look to see if any one asks me anything.
Maybe it's a guy thing... I don't know.

I could use your advice Stony. On the wild birds. Ever happen to you?

 

[off-grid hen]

For Leah's mom

 

[Melabella]

Morning everyone....

So in constantly assessing Duke and trying to learn here, read what qualities a good roo is about, I am always watching. I imagine the most important thing a roo can do for his flock is of course, keeping watch and protection. In this respect, Duke seems to be quite proficient, he is always on the lookout. On another front, I have noticed as Duke climbs aboard his ladies, he is using biting their necks seemingly to help in him getting them to submit, and also for balance. I notice a few times that some feathers come along with it, and a few of the girls have started this bare spot thing to the right of their combs, starting down their necks. One of my BA's Dahlia has really been getting a horrible bares spot, that in this weather, has been very cracked and red, and dry. I have been worried that blood would come, and then we'd have a real problem.
Here is not the greatest picture but it's the best I could do holding her and the camera at the same time.

I was able to get her away from Duke yesterday, and cleaned it up a bit, then covered the entire area with some NuStock.


I really tried to massage it on to the bare, dry cracked skin. I now noticed smaller similar spots starting on two other girls.

Question being, do all roosters do this kind of stuff when mounting hens. I remember discussion on the GB thread about a roo that does damage to his hens being a cullable offense. I have learned a lot since discovering that I had a missexed roo from my hatchery order, and now see a lot of the good points to having a roo, but in trying to figure out if Duke is indeed one I want to have around, if this keeps happening, should it be something I don't want to have around the girls?

Any thoughts are appreciated...off for another cup of joe...
MB

this thread is just hard to keep up with ....all the randomness to it. Example this morning. 6 pages to go through. Starts out chickens.... turns...I don't know...... bored..... off topic.... stop reading.... skim.... see if I see a question....nope....ok..... look for my name...... ugggg. It will e the same way tonight. 6 to 10 pages of randomness. About 5 real chicken related posts will be there...the rest will be random ramblings. So I skim and look to see if any one asks me anything.
Maybe it's a guy thing... I don't know.

I asked a question... would love your thoughts on the post above yours.... Thanks!

MB

 

[stonykill]

I could use your advice Stony. On the wild birds. Ever happen to you?

I don't know what you are asking