The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[Ashdoes]

Aoxa~Are your silkies roosting on their own? My two will not go up the ramp on their own, so every night I have to go out to the barn and put them into the coop. I have to put them on the side with shavings, because If I put them on the roosts, the next morning they under the roosts. With it being so cold I don't want to leave them on the ground. They keep picking the worst spots, right by a draft or gap between the ground and the bottom of the barn wall. The only thing we didn't get to before deployment was the perimeter of the barn. So there are a few places where the dirt was washed away a bit by rain, just enough for air and snow to get blown in.

Any chance you can put a 3 sided card board box there?

Oh yeah, we've decided to change the whole set-up. The cabinet coop is coming out, and we're going to do roost bars in the stall, and make a silkie nook under the roost bars, with a roof so they don't get pooped on. Right now the chickens are pretty free in the barn, walking around all three stalls, and it's making me crazy. So right after hubby gets home we have to get to work fixing the access area. We had planned for the middle stall to be storage for the chicken supplies, but now the nest box is over there because they kept hopping the gate to lay eggs on random items. I have the gate propped open now, and they're all hanging out where ever they want.
The silkies had a spot in the chick brooder we made for the run, but when I added straw to the barn they decided they didn't like it. It's been getting very cold here lately, and I'm worried they'll freeze on the ground. They are hubbies chickens, and we've already lost the one, so I have to try to keep the other two safe.

 

[mrsamplias]

Been blogging away this morning and now I'm about 5 pages behind - LOL!

Sometimes it's hard to get back on after falling off a horse... but now I'm ready to get back into the swing of posting regularly.

New Blog Post

And guest posts are more than welcome! If you have some good, natural chicken keeping information you want to share, feel free to PM me with your content!
(*All content shared on the Natural Chicken Keeping blog is subject to editing for grammar and spelling... because I'm just mean like that - LOL!)

Thank you all for your support!

 

[Ashdoes]

Here's the coop, in the barn. I changed the blue side just for the silkies, even though it was meant for the nest boxes. We'll take the coop out, and put roosting bars across right there. Just seems like it would make everything much easier, for DL and cleaning.

 

[Eggcessive]

I guess I have been lucky with my 2 silkies. They roost with all of the rest of my chickens (mostly large fowl.) I used to have ladder roosts starting at 1 foot off the ground, and they have always preferred the top rail just like everyone else. I had practice roosts in their brooder too. Now I am using the poop boards with Sweet PDZ with a continuous 2X4 roost board all the way around my coop. It is kind of an expense starting out with though, and I may use sand eventually. Takes my about 20 minutes each morning to clean out with a kitty litter shovel for 60 chickens. They have 40 Ft. of roosts and seem to have plenty of extra room. The dirt floor is still deep litter under the poop boards.

 

[Ashdoes]

They stayed in the garage brooder at night for a long time, because they were so little. I think not being taught to roost is where the problem comes in. They had a branch to roost on, but never used it.
I have the PDZ under the roost bars right now...I hate it. Lol. It was ok for a while, and now going out everyday and sifting poo makes me so mad. I chuck the poo under the coop, into shavings, so it's breaking down pretty well. But I can't wait to have just DL instead of two steps to DL.

 

[Eggcessive]

The PDZ roosts are a bit labor-intensive, but I just collect the droppings in 5 gallon buckets and collect for composting. You can't help but observe their droppings each day, LOL.

 

[JeffOeuf]

If you don't eat your own poultry, how do you propose to sell them? As pets?

I sell meat birds, both chickens and ducks. I occasionally will sell a POL or laying pullet. I ask serious money for my POL's $18.00 My birds are huge and healthy.

I said that I didn't want to eat my own birds, but I certainly don't have anything against a buyer eating them. But, that's not where I was going. If I wanted to turn this into a business, then meat birds might be one avenue. I'm looking more toward selling heritage birds for layers. Of course, most of the cockerels will go to stew pots, I get that, and don't care. I'm not interested in shipping anything. That's why I was asking about successful venues. Mostly, I'm wondering if I will be able to sell 50 or 60 chicks in the Spring if I hatch 65 or 70 and keep the best for my own flock.

 

[aoxa]

For you folks that brood and sell, I have a couple questions.

At what age are you selling your chicks? What venues do you find most successful? Are you raising and selling pure bred stock? Are you selling them sexed or straight run (guess that one combines with the first)? Do you find the market seasonal -- as in demand is only strong in the Spring?

And most importantly, are you making any money, or do you continue simply because you love to hatch chicks?

I like having my young layers puttering around the yard, but I must say that my favorite part of this past year's chicken adventure was the first couple of months watching them go from little puff balls to chickens.

I would really like this hobby to come close to paying for itself, but I'm afraid I'm just hypocritical enough to enjoy eating chicken, but really don't want to eat MY chickens unless circumstances force me to, and they're not -- yet. The egg market is so saturated in my area that it would be nearly impossible to make that a positive cash flow (free range, yard-bird eggs go for about $2.00 a dozen). That leaves my only market option as selling chicks, which happily coincides with my favorite part of raising chickens. That is, if it can actually provide a revenue stream.

I sell my chicks at all ages depends on time of year.

I do sell sexed birds after a certain age. And I guarantee the gender for mixed breed birds. I don't want anyone to end up with one of my mixed roosters. Thankfully they are easily sexed at 4 weeks. Sometimes sooner. Never had one sexed wrong except once for an EE. Crested breeds are not guaranteed. They are too hard to sex at 4 weeks. At 8-12 weeks I would feel more confident about it. People want sexed birds.

They do want purebred roosters too though. I try to sell in pairs to make sure the roosters go as well.

You are never going to get rich off of breeding chickens. You can make some money if you make a name for yourself. You will never be a wealthy farmer though. That's what Fred always says. Geese are where the money's at here. You can raise geese on pasture and feed them very little and make a pretty penny off of each one.

Unfortunately they are hard to sex. They have to be vent or DNA sexed.

Aoxa~Are your silkies roosting on their own? My two will not go up the ramp on their own, so every night I have to go out to the barn and put them into the coop. I have to put them on the side with shavings, because If I put them on the roosts, the next morning they under the roosts. With it being so cold I don't want to leave them on the ground. They keep picking the worst spots, right by a draft or gap between the ground and the bottom of the barn wall. The only thing we didn't get to before deployment was the perimeter of the barn. So there are a few places where the dirt was washed away a bit by rain, just enough for air and snow to get blown in.

Quote:

I don't it's a Silkies nature to roost.

Silkies do not roost unless shown how to by a parent in my experience. The silkies I have roosting can either see really well (my rooster roosts on the top of the ladder - as does 1 of my hens and the two cockerels I kept) The girls all pile on the floor (also known as the silkie pile) they keep one another warm by snuggling close together. Hopefully they aren't making their pile under the standard fowl's roost. That makes a mess.. Been there.. done that.. They still do it. So do my ducks.

However, my cochin has taught all 3 of her chicks to roost.



Silkie chick learning to roost.

You need to conduct a market survey. Go to your local poultry sales, barn auctions and find out why the market is so saturated. If eggs are $2 a dozen and you find them on every corner it would be tough. Have you asked your local feed store about selling your eggs? I drop off eggs in exchange for feed. See if that is an option. Run an add on Craig's list and track your responses. Find places you can sell your poultry before you make any plans. Selling shipped chicks is a huge endeavor, do some leg work on what is necessary for Local, Federal, and State laws. You will have to be tested, your birds all banded, all records sent in from every sale. Taxes paid on the sales if you do not acquire a farm sales license. Many things to look into before you even think about selling poultry. If you have good stock you might consider selling fertile eggs on here.
If you don't eat your own poultry, how do you propose to sell them? As pets?

I sell meat birds, both chickens and ducks. I occasionally will sell a POL or laying pullet. I ask serious money for my POL's $18.00 My birds are huge and healthy.

Chickens sell for good here as well. I sell POL pullets for $15 mixed breed or non-show quality pure. My silkies go for $25+ depending on quality for mature birds. Boys are not sold mixed, and pure (non-show quality) boys go for $10 and $15+ for silkie boys depending on quality.

There is definitely a year round market around here. I was building stock this year, so I did not make a profit. Won't make a profit next year either. I hope to get close to breaking even though.

 

[aoxa]

BDM.

Most common sign of Cocci is looking chilled and puffed up. Thought I'd throw that out there.

as well as the splay leg. That usually occurs before they even take a bite. Due to a slipped tendon while they struggle to walk in the incubator. I've seen it a lot before I put the shelf liner in the bottom of my bator.

 

[aoxa]

I guess I have been lucky with my 2 silkies. They roost with all of the rest of my chickens (mostly large fowl.) I used to have ladder roosts starting at 1 foot off the ground, and they have always preferred the top rail just like everyone else. I had practice roosts in their brooder too. Now I am using the poop boards with Sweet PDZ with a continuous 2X4 roost board all the way around my coop. It is kind of an expense starting out with though, and I may use sand eventually. Takes my about 20 minutes each morning to clean out with a kitty litter shovel for 60 chickens. They have 40 Ft. of roosts and seem to have plenty of extra room. The dirt floor is still deep litter under the poop boards.

Are your silkies from a hatchery? As hatchery silkies tend to see well enough to roost. Just my thoughts.