The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[lalaland]

I'm getting Pm that are not addressed to me. Anyone else?

hmm, I just pm'd you and delisha this morning about a sick hen. I'll repeat it:

about 5 months ago I culled a bo hen who stopped eating, and pretty much wasted away. This morning, a wellie that has taken to hanging out in the coop until I shoo her out was in the sick hen posture - fluffed out, head down a bit, not eating . I brought her in, she is thin, feathers are gorgeous, crop is deflated. I can feel grit in it, and little soft mushy stuff, but it is pretty empty. I do not think she is eggbound, she has the wrong posture and I can't feel anything. Her vent is very pale, pretty clean.
I can get two fingers between her pelvic bones and don't believe she is laying.

I got her to drink a little, and take about half a crushed garlic clove in a little bit of yogurt. She should have scarfed the whole thing up. She is warm, not chilled.
Wondering if this could be related to the wormy poop from a week or two ago.

I did apply some of that rooster booster no pick lotion to her back where there has been a bit of feather eating. It has coal tar in it, aloe, and some sort of stupid fragrance.

I don't think that is related to her . Her comb is paler that others, but she isn't laying...and I don't think she has layed since her moult. Not positive, though.

 

[aoxa]

Question on rooster behavior... and a pretty funny (and yucky) story go to with it!!

All of our chickens are 18 weeks old and I had mentioned a short while back that my EE roo is constantly going after my RIR girl.She spends most of her time in hiding these days. While lately he has been trying some of the other girls, they seem to fight back more so the RIR gets all the constant abuse. We notice that sometimes it actually seems worse when we're outside, near or in the coop. It makes me feel bad to come out as it seems that he abuses her more when we're around. Well, someone told me that you shouldn't allow your roosters to mount when you're around to show them that you are the boss. So, I decided to try it today to see if he would settle down instead of being more abusive when we're there. I was in the duck pen and my 12-year-old daughter was in the chicken pen when he tried it again! I told my daughter to grab him up and show him who's boss and give poor Esther (the RIR) a break. Well, she did grab him up and then yelled "Ewwwww!, Mom!!! I have chicken sperm running all down the front of my jacket!!!" Sure enough, she did. I was laughing of course while she was totally grossing out, holding the rooster at arm's length at this point.
Anyway, my question is, do I just let him continue to mount the hens right in front of me several times over just while we're out feeding, etc. or is it a good thing to not allow him to do this? What are your thoughts, opinions, and experience? This rooster is very nice so far, don't want to do anything that would cause him to become mean or anything.

I let them mate as long as it wasn't in my close proximity. I don't want to have to chase him down.

But that was probably urate down her arm. Rooster sperm is very unlikely - as the amount they give off is very minimal. I watched a video about chicken AI so that's where I'm getting that info from.

I'd post the video but.. yeah.. not going to lol.

 

[delisha]

If your cockerel is sexually aggressive to the hen BECAUSE you are there..I might agree with your decision...I would have to see other behaviors to intervene though.

Poor daughter..she is probably grossed out..it happens. Funny stuff though

 

[arkansaschicks]

12 weeks should be OK. Your boys will be delighted.,...8 week old with some bachelors and it will not be pretty. More like scary.

Thanks! Do you think 12-15 hens to 3 roosters is an ok number or should I get a few more?

 

[Mumsy]

hmm, I just pm'd you and delisha this morning about a sick hen. I'll repeat it:

I got that one. I only saw it addressed to del. Could be my eye sight not catching some stuff. Thanks for clarifying.

 

[Bulldogma]

My PM box was filled with four messages not intended for me. It was quite disconcerting to say the least. I'm glad they were nothing personal but now I'm leary of using this feature on BYC.

If you got five of that mix, your are a lucky duck! I saw each of those breeding pens that the eggs she sells come out of. You would keel over if you saw those roos and hens! Some pens had six hens to a roo and some had twelve hens. That barn was my favorite. Those birds were so lovely.
Yes, you can ask Karen anything about your eggs or chicks. She is a very nice lady. Personally speaking from my experience with White Silkies...Both yellow and silver down will give you white birds. The silver chick should turn out to be a brilliant white Silkie. DESIRABLE. Let us know what she says.

Mumsy - first off - so excited you got to go to visit Catdance yesterday... and brought home 3 beautiful Silkies and all your eggs. I can't wait to see what you hatch!

Also - at the very top of the PM, you can see who has been copied on the email in blue. Folks will copy you if they think you might be interested in the subject. Once you are copied on a PM, anyone who replies will automatically send it to all the original recipients. (It just means you are popular and people want to share stuff with you - LOL!)

 

[Mumsy]

Mumsy - first off - so excited you got to go to visit Catdance yesterday... and brought home 3 beautiful Silkies and all your eggs. I can't wait to see what you hatch!

Also - at the very top of the PM, you can see who has been copied on the email in blue. Folks will copy you if they think you might be interested in the subject. Once you are copied on a PM, anyone who replies will automatically send it to all the original recipients. (It just means you are popular and people want to share stuff with you - LOL!)

Hah! I am so relieved! and my eyesight gets me in trouble a lot! Thanks for setting me straight BDM. I can be such a noob on forums.

My Catdance farm visit blew me away. I am still trying to digest all I saw and learned.




I must tell all of my friends here about my first impressions of Karens flocks. I think I saw over 300 silkies! Maybe more maybe less. But there were a lot of beautiful breeding pens. I think she broods and keeps chicks else where. I never saw one single chick on that entire farm while there. Another first impression. How quiet and gentle all the birds were. My husband and I remarked many times that there was so little noise from so many roosters and hens. It was remarkable and something I have never experienced on a farm with that many birds. She laughed and told me, "I can stir them up if you want." Hah! She then explained that was her breeding. Her birds are gentle and get along. In the last pen in the last barn the flash from my camera set off a black pen. They were riled up and carried on a few minutes. Karen said, "This pen is excitable. These birds are not of my lines."
I want to do what she has done masterfully. Breeding disposition and excellence into her strain. Awesomeness!

Took first portraits of the trio today.


Fluffy Dragon named by my two and half year old grandson. Ten months old. Sweet boy. Easily handled and gentle. His condition is bad because he's been in a cockerel pen. Karen critqued him for me at her farm. He has too many hard feathers in his cushion and his feet aren't perfect. Not terrible though. I love his beak and comb. Love this guy.



His tail and cushion is lacking but he is not finished maturing either.


Karen hand chose Bonney to compliment the cockerel. Her crest is huge like a bonnet. She has a great cushion. At only six months old she will only get better in my judgement.

Bonney's bum shows her lovely cushion. She is a good match for Fluffy Dragon.

Karen had this little crippled hen as a pet. She gave her to me to give her a 'forever' home. The most sweet little girl. She was kept with the other pullets and gets around scooting on her tummy. She can neither stand nor walk. Karen told me she missed seeing her in the brooder with her crooked toes and didn't tape them in time. She is a lovely hen in type and dispositon. She is also six months old I think and will be part of the trio when they are laying. I keep my silkies in spacious breeding pens with thick shavings.

 

[delisha]

Quote: I would be guessing....... If you have heavy predators..you will need all of those roosters for that many hens. So it depends on your situation. It sounds like a good number to me.

 

[delisha]

Mumsy!

I am so excited for you!! And green with envy!! I would have loved to been there. I will have to live vicariously threw all of your stories of your visit. Your trio is beautiful. I love white. So what does she use for bedding? What is she feeding? What are her secrets? How many dozens of eggs does she sell a week? How are her coops set up? Do they roost at night?

 

[Sally8]

Mumsy!

I am so excited for you!! And green with envy!! I would have loved to been there. I will have to live vicariously threw all of your stories of your visit. Your trio is beautiful. I love white. So what does she use for bedding? What is she feeding? What are her secrets? How many dozens of eggs does she sell a week? How are her coops set up? Do they roost at night?

Chicken envy at it's best. lol