The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[Leahs Mom]

Looks good. I have a question though. Don't the people doing this have predators like coons and opossums? If I did this I would end up with no birds at night because of it.
Not trying to sound negative just curious how you all that do this plan to control the predators.

On using for chickens....I believe Mumsy stated that she was putting an electric wire around the base to begin with.

Now...if it were me, I think I'd end up putting a layer of hardware cloth over the cattle panels that could be attached with zip ties or something similar. Just my thoughts on the matter!

 

[Leahs Mom]

Very well done

Thanks!

 

[Leahs Mom]

Oh - this is a neat article! Thank you for sharing!

I really liked the article and now plan to toss in some oregano seeds in the lawn. I understand from reading it that it is the oils they claim work, however, I feel the oregano in its natural state will also add benefits.

That oregano article IS interesting.

Del - will you just throw the seeds into the lawn in the spring or how do you otherwise handle that? I think that's a brilliant idea!

 

[maggiemo]

delisha, aoxa, anyone...do you factor in the eggs you eat or give away? Is all that in the 'sold' catagory?
I barter a lot and I factor that in to my costs/profit. Where I am at I sell my eggs (organic, pasture raised, no soy or corn, fed fermented feed) for $5 a dozen. People who aren't organic or pasture, or 'free ranged' get $3.50 or $4.00 a dozen.
We eat about a dozen a week(so, I factor in $5, because I would be buying eggs if I didn't have them) and I trade for beef and lamb, beer, spent grain from the brew pub for feed for my girls, granola for me. I probably 'sell' 4 or 5 dozen a week but I barter about that much. Does anyone else do that? I very often get the better end of the deal when bartering because my eggs are organic, clean, and I think the fermented food makes for a much nicer egg in general; big yolk, firm, hard shell, beautiful bloom.

 

[Leahs Mom]

Moved the broody box down to the floor level today. If all goes well should start to hatch on Saturday.

Because my hen house is raised up off the ground, wind can blow under it. I liked having the box sitting up higher on a straw bale for insulation below but needed to bring it down to floor level for the little ones to get in and out. And I HATE straw in the hen house except in a bale for a good place to sit for me!

So...I made a little insulator to sit the broody box on. I took a feed sack and filled it with several stacks of newspaper that are off-set to cover the whole bottom of the sack. Then, since the feed sack was made of the slippery mesh-like material, I stapled a piece of the grip-type shelf liner to the bag so it wouldn't be slippery for little feet and legs.








Then I removed the straw bale and replaced it with the feed sack insulator and brought her down to ground level.







I asked this over on the "Old Fashioned Broody" thread but I'll throw it out here too:

That edge at the front door is about 3-4" high. Should I cut it down so that the chicks can more easily get back in there after they start coming out?

 

[jlynnet]

Unfortunately it does cost a dollar to purchase egg cartons. I am presently looking into finding another route on the net. I have not found any that are much cheaper with the shipping costs.

I spent $42 including shipping for 125 egg cartons. I also have gotten lots of cartons fom my sister who is a home economics teacher. She gives me all of her cartons which hold 18 eggs.

 

[delisha]

Quote:

I really liked the article and now plan to toss in some oregano seeds in the lawn. I understand from reading it that it is the oils they claim work, however, I feel the oregano in its natural state will also add benefits.

That oregano article IS interesting.

Del - will you just throw the seeds into the lawn in the spring or how do you otherwise handle that? I think that's a brilliant idea!
Every spring I toss in clover, kale, spinach, and now I will add oregano seeds. I already have the clover and have tossed some in under the first snow and freeze. I like to do that because they fall into the cracks as it thaws before the chickens can eat them. The other seeds need a little nicer weather to take hold.

 

[delisha]

Quote: where did you get them?

 

[maggiemo]

Yeah, a dollar a carton cuts way into profit. I get all mine for free. I'm really lucky.

 

[delisha]

Moved the broody box down to the floor level today. If all goes well should start to hatch on Saturday.

Because my hen house is raised up off the ground, wind can blow under it. I liked having the box sitting up higher on a straw bale for insulation below but needed to bring it down to floor level for the little ones to get in and out. And I HATE straw in the hen house except in a bale for a good place to sit for me!

So...I made a little insulator to sit the broody box on. I took a feed sack and filled it with several stacks of newspaper that are off-set to cover the whole bottom of the sack. Then, since the feed sack was made of the slippery mesh-like material, I stapled a piece of the grip-type shelf liner to the bag so it wouldn't be slippery for little feet and legs.








Then I removed the straw bale and replaced it with the feed sack insulator and brought her down to ground level.







I asked this over on the "Old Fashioned Broody" thread but I'll throw it out here too:

That edge at the front door is about 3-4" high. Should I cut it down so that the chicks can more easily get back in there after they start coming out?

little chicks at a few days old are pretty agile. I doubt they will have problems getting back in. That lip will help to keep new hatchlings from falling out when the hen is not ready to take them out. I would leave it alone. If after she takes them out and youu find a few who can't get back in, you might want to consider taking it down. But, I doubt you will need to.