The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[Sally8]

[COLOR=4B0082]I free range my Silkies (no plans on showing, they are mostly pet quality anyway), but it's only when I am outside doing animal chores or out working in the garden and can check on them frequently. They are sometimes out 4 hours, sometimes 8, depends on what I have going on but I try to get them out every day weather permitting. They huddle together and move in a Silkie mob all over the pasture I let them loose in.[/COLOR] I also let some of my Guineas and Turkeys free range with them. Had some sort of dark brown hawk flying around today, so I had to put the Silkies away because I did not want to sit right there baby sitting... I left the Guineas and Turkeys to fend for themselves tho, lol (no losses, the hawk moved on, guess he didn't like all the noise, lol). [COLOR=4B0082]I like seeing my birds free ranging and happy too... and eating bugs, weeds, seeds etc. If I had to keep them only in a pen or inside, I wouldn't have them.[/COLOR]

This is so cute! It is a herd of Silkies! I've never seen a Silkie the color of the one just to the right of the white one. So pretty!

 

[delisha]

Peeps..I love your silkie tribe!

 

[chickiemomy]

Oh my gosh Peeps! A herd of Silkies! How cute.

x2 - how cute - that flock of silkies looks just adorable.-- from your signature - soiunds like you have quite a menagerie. what fun (&work!) How's the donkey working for you as guadian? Just found out a neighbor lost 14 chickens to the coyotes this past winter (one at a time, from a MUCH larger flock than I have) - makes my one loss not sound so bad.

Delisha - I'm with Sue - that coop/barn is beautiful.

 

[aoxa]

So, for those of you with Silkies, are you not free ranging because you're going to show them?
I know mine prefer, and do, spend a lot of their day in the barn together, but they're also very eager to get out of the run in the mornings with everyone else. Sometimes I look out a window and they'll be the only two out of the barn, which I wish they wouldn't do that, but they seem to enjoy being out alone. That's a big reason why I think we need a few more Silkies, safety in numbers and all.
While I'm not going to change what works for me, I am interested in how everyone treats different breeds of birds. I know the lady I got the Cochins and Silkies from keeps each breed in pretty small pens all the time, and they seemed happy enough. I just can't imagine looking out my window and not seeing birds wandering around, happy and scratching and pecking and digging holes all over the place.

The reason most do not free range silkies is because of hawks. They are hawk bait for sure.. They can't see above them, and sometimes not even in front of them - so they are the first a predator would pick off. It's sad, but true.

I will always allow mine to be outside if they want to be. All of the silkies will have access to a run that is covered for predator protection. If some can see well enough to be outside - they will be allowed out Especially the boys - as my girls were always having trouble with standard roosters..

Oh and Henry is home!!

 

[PeepsCA]

Quote: Yah, they are cute... 'til it's time to coop them up, then they all run/high step it as fast as they can in different directions cackling their fuzzy butts off as the get away, lol. They are so silly looking when they are running fast with all of those foot feathers, reminds me of little kids trying to run in footie pajamas that are too big, lol.

The donkey is a little noisy, but he does his job. I originally got him as a goat guardian right after I had a busy kidding season, but he's evolved into an all around livestock/pasture/property guardian. Never lost any of my goats, I haven't lost any birds to predators since I got him over 3 yrs years ago, nor have I seen any type of ground predator on my property. Not even a skunk, which is extra nice... no more reeking dogs, lol.

At first he did not like the Guineas, and would charge at them with his head down and ears laid back, but he got over it (because they are everywhere, all the time, lol) and they all learned real quick to stay out of his way and to read his body language. I don't let him in the Silkies' area while they are out tho, just in case he decides he doesn't like them too and they aren't smart/alert enough to get out of his way.

He also lets me know if there's any human activity anywhere along my property lines (people out in the road, neighbors 10 acres away doing fence work or tractor work etc, lol). He will start braying (and continue to bray, lol) if he sees anybody where he thinks they do not belong... almost better than a watch dog. And he lets me know when someone pulls up my driveway gates... he can see them driving down the hill from just about anywhere on my 10 acres before they even pull into my driveway. He brays more often than my dogs bark, lol.

 

[Leahs Mom]

YAY HENRY

 

[Leahs Mom]

Quote: Is the donkey full size?

I still want SOMETHING for a guard but don't want to drive the neighbors crazy w/too much noise. Do they eat grass? (Hay) Any idea of what the cost to keep a donkey in feed would compare to keeping a dog in feed?

 

[Mumsy]

I've got fifty eight posts to catch up on. *yikes!*

My Catdance Silkie eggs are hatching. Four pipped, one out.

Spending a lot of time in my barn. Four bags of sand in two pens but I need more. Bought a long handled kitty litter scoop to facilitate sifting. Works well enough. I wouldn't want more than two pens for this extra cleaning activity. All of my Silkies are breeder quality. I am on track to raise show quality for I would like to show my own birds next season. I have one lone Grey roo that is penned alone for now until I can decide whether to breed him or not.

My lower level breeding pens all have pop doors to outside runs. One pen has four youngsters growing out, one pen is my White trio. I have the one large hoop coop with flight run that eventually will be devoted as a large Silkie grow out pen. The LF layers and LF juvenile chicks go outside during the day. Layer flock don't return until dusk but the older chicks run back and forth depending on how brave they are feeling. They crack me up!

When the weather is nice and I can sit outside and stay dry, I will bring the Silkies out into the orchard. Some like to scratch and wander around, some just sit in the grass and chill until I put them back in the barn. I can't afford to leave them out to feed hawks. I'm planning a second covered run next to the first hoop coop.

 

[Leahs Mom]

Okay..time for one of my FAVORITE VIDEOS. Spring and gardening season is coming and it isn't complete without seeing how this fellow "puts the chooks to work".



PS: I don't do this (and maybe never will) but I LOVE watching this guy...always makes me smile.

 

[Leahs Mom]

Does anyone remember where in the thread was the conversation about soy vs animal protein in the feed? The person I just bought my BLRW's from is really interested in reading the articles someone posted in this thread.
Thanks!!

Here is one of them: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...keeping-thread-ots-welcome/6640#post_10420401

And... A couple of links to go w/that brochure.

http://www.westonaprice.org/faq/faq-soy?qh=YToxOntpOjA7czozOiJzb3kiO30=

www.westonaprice.org