The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[Lacy Blues]

Originally, I was thinking I would get fathead minnows because they seem to be the perfect fish for my needs but apparently they have a lot of thiaminase in them - inhibits the absorption and/or production of Thiamine which the body really really needs.

So, I researched some more and found out about the mosquito fish and apparently it's almost the same as the fathead minnow, a little smaller though, and there are no nutritional inhibitors in them.

 

[Pullet Surprise]

Here is information on the mosquito fish for home ponds and/or tanks.
www.aqua-fish.net/show.php?h=mosquitofish
www.mosquitoes.org/FISHPAGE.html


This one is a brochure on the fish as well as building and maintaining a pond for them and what their requirements are.
www.mosquitoes.org/documents/2010fishpondbrochure.pdf

Ah yes, Gambusia fish! They are prolific little buggers if I remember correctly. They do a good job, but gazillion of years ago when the Mosquito Abatement people were dumping them in your ponds, wanted or not, there was an out cry that they were overtaking any of the gold fish etc. in the private ponds. But if they are as prolific as they were then, you would have plenty to pass on to friends & neighbors. They did do a good job.

 

[Lacy Blues]

Ah yes, Gambusia fish! They are prolific little buggers if I remember correctly. They do a good job, but gazillion of years ago when the Mosquito Abatement people were dumping them in your ponds, wanted or not, there was an out cry that they were overtaking any of the gold fish etc. in the private ponds. But if they are as prolific as they were then, you would have plenty to pass on to friends & neighbors. They did do a good job.

Excellent! They will be the only fish in my tank so other fish are not an issue and I have around 100 birds so... hopefully, I will have plenty.

Thanks Pullet Surprise.

 

[galefrances]

Thanks!

 

[aoxa]

Those that consider themselves SFH breeders in the US are generally in favor of keeping the breed "pure" and not mixing in any other breeds. I may allow my SFH Roo to visit my lavender Orpingtons just for some barnyard mixes sometime, but I have no plans of selling mixes. The general concensus is that since the SFH is a landrace breed, selective breeding by humans would be contrary to their heritage.

We'll just have to see how they fare on US soil. If they end up with too many health issues, well... we'll cross that bridge when we get to it. Hopefully the breed can adjust and flourish here as they did for more than a thousand years in south Sweden.

Why wouldn't you sell mixes as just mixes? Just don't sell them as anything other than what they are. People will buy pretty birds, no matter what the breed is. I sold a lot of mixed pullets this year. I didn't sell any cockerels. If anyone is going to eat them, it's going to be me.

Hopefully they do flourish! I'm bummed you don't have any crested SFH anymore. Think you'll try to get some more? They sure were neat.

What breeds does everyone here have? Delisha? What about you - what are all the breeds you have? Every single one

Mine are (including my single ladies) -

• Barred Plymouth Rock
• Bantam Ameraucana
• Naked Neck Turken
• Silkie & Sizzle
• Delaware
• Rhode Island Red
• Polish
• Cochin
• Red Sex Link
• Mottled Houdan
• Easter Egger
• Mixes

Ducks

• Muscovy
• Call
• Khaki Campbell

Turkeys

• Eastern Wild
• Royal Palm

and the geese who are Buff Dewlap Toulouse

I've had and decided not to get again:

• Wyandotte
• Orpington

 

[Bulldogma]

I have:

1 Mille Fleur Bantam Cohin pullet (my daughter's)
1 Colombian Red Bantam Cochin Roo (My daughter's)
2 Silkie Hens (hmmm... my daughter is going to have more chickens than I do soon... )
2 Lavender Orpington pullets
3 Swedish Flower Hen pullets (the one whose comb has been getting red lately was checking out the nesting boxes this evening!)
1 SFH Roo
And 1 request for Santa to bring me a large coop!

I have 2 smaller coops currently which will turn into a broody coop and a bantam coop respectively. Then I will divide my large coop (once I get it) into a layer side and a SFH side.

 

[aoxa]

I have:

1 Mille Fleur Bantam Cohin pullet (my daughter's)
1 Colombian Red Bantam Cochin Roo (My daughter's)
2 Silkie Hens (hmmm... my daughter is going to have more chickens than I do soon... )
2 Lavender Orpington pullets
3 Swedish Flower Hen pullets (the one whose comb has been getting red lately was checking out the nesting boxes this evening!)
1 SFH Roo
And 1 request for Santa to bring me a large coop!

I have 2 smaller coops currently which will turn into a broody coop and a bantam coop respectively. Then I will divide my large coop (once I get it) into a layer side and a SFH side.

Looks like you need a few more birds to even out the score!

I still haven't seen pictures of those silkies!

 

[delisha]

Quote: Thank you so much for providing me with this interesting read.

 

[Bulldogma]

Looks like you need a few more birds to even out the score!

I still haven't seen pictures of those silkies!

LOL - Hopefully this spring I'll be adding some BAs, WRs and RIRs for my layer squad!

It's been raining and dreary here since we brought them home. They're also in the quarantine coop and it is a bit harder to get decent pictures in that coop... but I'll try tomorrow if its sunny. Both are finishing up a molt - the black ones head looks like a porcupine - LOL! The white one has a bald head from an amorous roo. They look funny right now, but they're growing on me. Not at all like my other chickens, but neat little birds all the same! Hopefully they'll be hatching SFH eggs for us this spring!

 

[pcappy2]

Very nice looking birds, thank for posting the pictures. My grandson (8 yrs old) already informed me that one of the Roos is going to make excellent soup!! Hatching eggs was really a very fun experience, we certainly learned a lot together. I had never candled an egg before and then when the peeping started.....it really was exciting we r definitely hooked. Anyway, getting back to the subject of this forum,,thanks for those breed ideas, really appreciate it and now I was just reading about Gambushia fish.......luv all the info