The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[maidenwolfx80]

As far as laying goes, it seemed when I was constatley looking for that egg and watching for signs ans signals it was driving me nuts, I gave up then as I was raking up litter a hen popped out of the nesting box hollaring and screaming and I looked in and ,,,,AN EGG!!!!! LOL It was amazing, and then it was like all others followed suit and day after day almost there was a new girl laying. Mine free range and love to hide up in the trees, they always come back to the coop to lay. I have found only one hidden nest. I looked for things that maybe the girls were not happy with in the coop or nest boxes, fixed a few things and they were back to laying in the coop again.

I do leave near a re-store. I have been getting alot of free material from construction working friends. I will have to go to re-store for a few things for the things I want to fix next year. We built a small shed next to it that at first was a straw barn then it turned into the hospital unit now it is my chicks grow out shelter, it is a repurposed metal shed

We put a door on and inside is an xtra large wooden dog house with roosts in it for the chicks. It is big enough that I ( 5'0 137 lbs) can crawl in and sit on my butt and sit straight up. Good sized , So they are out of the drafts and in a cozy dog house.

 

[Melabella]

You guys don't have that?

Melabella,

It's a crapshoot. They can lay any time. Most do in the morning, but I have seen them go right up to late afternoon. Never had a roost egg. I'm sure they'd eat it before I noticed.

I know my girls are ready to lay when their combs are getting bigger, they seem uneasy (and whiny - like most teenage girls), and they are squatting whenever they are startled. My roosters tell me.. a week or two before they start laying, the good roosters know it's time to get down to business. I rely on Jagger and Steve for this only. The rest are just too young to know when they are ready. Young boys start raping them young. This is why I need a serious bachelor pad!!

Jagger's sons have been the only roosters who have not started mating. They are 17 weeks old. No crowing or mating.
Time to get ready for processing.

I'm terrified. I'll be honest. Mostly to do it wrong. I've been watching videos and soaking up a lot of info.

I'm not there yet by any imagination, but would like to think I am capable of it. Don't you wish you had a grandfather or mother who could stand over you and watch you do it? I so wish Noni was here, and I could just shadow her, just like I did when I was 18 and learned how to make lasagna.... when you stand next to someone over and over and watch them cook something, or do something, that is THE best teacher. I did learn how to make meatballs and sauce though!
Have a pot simmering now....




Thank goodness for the INTERNET, or we'd really have no clue!

 

[aoxa]

I'm not there yet by any imagination, but would like to think I am capable of it. Don't you wish you had a grandfather or mother who could stand over you and watch you do it? I so wish Noni was here, and I could just shadow her, just like I did when I was 18 and learned how to make lasagna.... when you stand next to someone over and over and watch them cook something, or do something, that is THE best teacher. I did learn how to make meatballs and sauce though!
Have a pot simmering now....




Thank goodness for the INTERNET, or we'd really have no clue!

It's true, isn't it? My father grew up on a farm with chickens, cows, and pigs. He won't show me. My FIL also has killed chickens before. Won't show me. My grandfather is not patient, otherwise I would ask him. I would feel really ashamed to cry in front of him, and I will cry for my first kill.

Girl in me I guess. I have done it when necessary, but cried each time. Felt like there could have been something I should have done to make it quicker..

I want to do it myself. I don't want to stress my boys out sending them away to be processed. Is there a good time of day to do it? Are they calmer at dusk and dawn? Would that be the best time?

It has to be done soon. I was going to do it last weekend, but we need a good knife.

and that pic makes me hungry!

 

[Ashdoes]

Speaking of re-using, my neighbor has two of the big wooden spools, like three feet tall, any ideas for them? I thought maybe I could use them as something my vines could climb? I have wisteria, chocolate vines and bitter melon all being babied through winter to be planted spring time. Any other ideas?

 

[Melabella]

It's true, isn't it? My father grew up on a farm with chickens, cows, and pigs. He won't show me. My FIL also has killed chickens before. Won't show me. My grandfather is not patient, otherwise I would ask him. I would feel really ashamed to cry in front of him, and I will cry for my first kill.

Girl in me I guess. I have done it when necessary, but cried each time. Felt like there could have been something I should have done to make it quicker..

I want to do it myself. I don't want to stress my boys out sending them away to be processed. Is there a good time of day to do it? Are they calmer at dusk and dawn? Would that be the best time?

It has to be done soon. I was going to do it last weekend, but we need a good knife.

and that pic makes me hungry!

Right,, wonder about grabbing them off the roost, and into an inside work station with low lighting until it was over would help.. I will cry too, but do realize if I add more birds as I want to this spring only the ones that produce should be kept. (Right now I feel like no one is EVER going to produce

) Too bad we don't live near each other, we could do it together! Have to ask BDM, as she just got through her first experiences with it. Also if I order straight run, I will have lots of teenage boys with no purpose.

I am getting hungrier by the hour,, as I walk up to the house from chores, I can smell them outside too!

MB

 

[maidenwolfx80]

Speaking of re-using, my neighbor has two of the big wooden spools, like three feet tall, any ideas for them? I thought maybe I could use them as something my vines could climb? I have wisteria, chocolate vines and bitter melon all being babied through winter to be planted spring time. Any other ideas?

Can you maybe stack the spools and then strain the vines to grow up?

 

[stonykill]

a few coops I have pictures of

The duck coop. Back when we only Had Pekins and when too many were drakes. All scrounged material. The mulch was from our town. Free stuff also! It didn't last long, the duckers ate it all.
the dog fence was also free. As was their pool.

inside the 1st Sumatra breeding coop. The bedding is sticks, pine needles and dirt. With pine shavings from the shop thrown in often. This pic shows 2 broody's that I hatched the year earlier in an incubator


the inside of one of the coops I built this year for controlled mutt breeding.Ohhh boy did the OT's beat me up about that

inside the run of the previously mentioned Sumatra pen. This mama and her brand new lil ones. 2 days later the other had her hatch. 4 other hens in there at that time and 2 roosters. ZERO problems.




inside the RIR coop. 2 broody's. A few of the lil ones. This was my 1st coop. It is on a trailer frame to make it mobile. I haven't moved it in years

. They are free range and go wherever they please

more to follow

 

[aoxa]

Speaking of re-using, my neighbor has two of the big wooden spools, like three feet tall, any ideas for them? I thought maybe I could use them as something my vines could climb? I have wisteria, chocolate vines and bitter melon all being babied through winter to be planted spring time. Any other ideas?

Looked on google.

 

[maidenwolfx80]

Does anyone care to share any homemade feeders or waterers?

 

[Melabella]

Looked on google.

Wow, those are some great ideas! Love the pink one!