The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[Melabella]

wow busy day here. Back to the hoop coop for a second and why I would never use or recomend one. Last year I lost 9 chickens to a weasel in one night. killed that entire coop. It got in a 1"x1" hole to kill them all.

And I feel so secure with my 1"x1" welded galvinized wire everywhere. Spent a FORTUNE doing my entire run with it. Even dug down and its under the entire floor. The windows have 1x1 over the windows to the coop, I guess I should replace it with smaller? Weasels... never saw one, but I am sure they are here! Jeeeez louise!

 

[SandBsmom]

Hello all! I am a BYC lurker. I spend lots of time reading through lots of different threads. I found this one and was hooked! I read all 169 pages in three days! My goodness you all have a lot to say and thank you for it! I have learned a ton on BYC but never so much in one place as here. Thank you thank you thank you!!!!!!!

I am in my first year of ckicken keeping. I got into it quite by accident but I am truly hooked. I have a small flock of feed store impulse buys and I love every one of them dearly. Last year we babysat an incubator for a friend while they were on vacation and the chicks hatched on our watch (hence the accidental dive into chickendon. How to give back the very first chick your kids watched hatch after she peeped at us for 48 hours from inside!?) We raised our little flock in our family room in a portable dog run and held and loved each one every day. My girls and I all made special chicken aprons with large fuzzy high pockets that we carried the chicks around in. Because of this or maybe due to our chickens natural personalities we have 8 of the sweetest chickens. Every one is happy to be held and snuggled. Our little bantam sneaks into my daughter's jacket to snuggle up where it's warm. We can take eggs out from under anyone, pick up and move our two constantly broody girls, and share snacks with any of them from our laps. We love this!\

This spring we are planning to hatch a few rare breed bantams for my daughter to show 4-H and maybe a couple super layers for her little egg business. We have a bantam cochin and silkie who are broody almost every other month. It would be fun to let them hatch some babies but we don't want to lose the chance at having super friendly birds. Also we are homeschoolers and would like to be able to do daily candeling for a school project.

I know the thinking here is to let chickens be chickens but how much do you give up in the friendliness department when you have hen raised babies? would it make sense to do half and half? Half in the incubator and half with the broody? I want healthy happy chickens but I also want a happy chicken loving daughter.

Thoughts? Ideas?

I'm off to stir my first batch of ff. Thank you for all the valuable info!

 

[SandBsmom]

One more question I forgot to add.
Where do you get your seeds for sprouting? I picked up some at the grocery store today in the bulk food isle but I'm sure there must be a better source.

 

[Sally8]

I love the look of the hoop coop and plan on building one for a green house. I wonder how different predators are in different areas. Here, coyotes have been known to take dogs and cats out of back yards, fox, raccoons, fishers (they are supposed to be nearer to the coast, but we have them) along with every other kind. A hoop coop would not protect them. We've already had bear here. A man further up the road is selling his coop as something wiped out his whole flock. For me, I'll use my wooden coop but that doesn't mean I wouldn't love the hoop coop. I think the only reason why we haven't had problems is because I have one of those annoying, non stop barking dogs. He goes in and out all night, barking. He isn't my chicken watching dog because I can almost see him drooling when he's near them, but he can bark. He's going to cause me to snap.

 

[Sally8]

One more question I forgot to add.
Where do you get your seeds for sprouting? I picked up some at the grocery store today in the bulk food isle but I'm sure there must be a better source.

So far I've only sprouted Black Oil Sunflower Seeds and I get them at Tractor Supply. Welcome to BYC.

 

[pigeonguy]

Can I ask a question to get the run down from newbies and OTs alike?

Give me a walk through on your morning, and nightly routine.

• How much time does it take you to complete each task?
• Do you have shortcuts to make chores go by quicker?
• How much more time does it take you in the winter VS the summer?

First I have 30 chickens 6 EE's and 24 BCM's.
Awake 5 AM 515 turn on bath water slow run 530 get in tub 545 out dry get coffee then get dressed (wife made the coffee gets up 1 and 1/2 hours before me don't know why we have to be to work at same time and drive same miles there in same traffic. Primping I guess) 600 out the door dog food, chicken food and a gallon jug of water. get the lab out of house kennel.(only in winter she's my baby) walk out door lab by my side and shiatsu at my feet (my wife's baby) run to truck and start it walk by the blood hounds feed dish pour in food turn to water bowl pour water. (water only in winter) Go in chicken run open rabbit cages pour rabbit water reach right below rabbit cages grab rabbit feed scoop feed rabbits. (Feed sits under the cages in cat food bucket with snap lid You know the square ones) close cage doors. Walk to coop open door lift top half of PVC pipe feeder pour in feed. (FF is kept wet so it pours like hog slop) put top half back down out the door and back in the house taking shiatsu with me. Fill ferment bucket with dry feed (dry is sitting right beside ferment bucket) add water quick stir. Out the door and to the truck put truck in gear look at clock on radio to make sure I was moving at right speed 615 or 617 depends on the day no later than 619.

Did anyone notice I did not water the chickens? That is because the water is in the FF. I noticed that my chicken water-er never had but a very little bit gone out of it.So I started adding extra FF juice to my feed bucket. I then took a marker and put a line on my water-er as I suspected no water disappeared from the water-er. Did that for 1 week straight and never had even a drop of water gone so I stopped watering the chickens other than the FF juice. I also put UP/ACV in my ferment bucket every time the smell of UP/ACV starts to go down. (2 or 3 times a week) That way I know they are getting it. Does no good to put it in a water-er that they don't drink from or drink very little from. I figure if you are going to give them UP/ACV make sure they consume it.
That is another reason I would not have holes in the bottom of my feed troughs. You waste all that good juice they could be drinking. I always have about 2 to 3 inches of water on top of my FF in the ferment bucket so that I have plenty of juice to give them to drink.

OK night time walk in door (get home different time every night) scoop out FF from ferment bucket into feed bucket add sweet 16 and rabbit pellets stir. Fill ferment bucket with dry feed add water stir. About 3 to 5 minutes. Check what you guys are up to. 30 min to an hour Go see how the wife's day went (go into a daze while she talks) About 15 to 30 minutes Call all neighbors and see who needs the most help with chores. Go do some of their chores home between 7 and 8. grab chicken feed bucket go to coop. Scoop feed into trough (feed is drier at night noticed they don't drink much then) close coop door. Get the lab go in house feed and water lab. 10 to 15 minutes Scoop FF from ferment bucket to feed bucket add lots of juice (this is for morning feeding) fill ferment bucket again. 5 minutes Clean the toilet. 5 minutes See what you guys are up to and eat my cold supper at the same time rinse my plate. Come back to you guys read till I pass out.
Two, Three, four times a week I cook supper in between all this depends how I feel.
Saturday and Sunday neighbors can do their own chores it is my days off and I'm tired. and mow the yard (summer only)
I know I left some stuff out it is easier when you just do it and don't think.

 

[pigeonguy]

Forgot to mention wife makes sure I have 5 gallon milk jugs full of water sitting by the ferment bucket at all times. Would be lost without her.

 

[lalaland]

First I have 30 chickens 6 EE's and 24 BCM's.
\Walk to coop open door lift top half of PVC pipe feeder pour in feed. (FF is kept wet so it pours like hog slop)

Did anyone notice I did not water the chickens? That is because the water is in the FF.

Call all neighbors and see who needs the most help with chores. Go do some of their chores home between 7 and 8.
Saturday and Sunday neighbors can do their own chores it is my days off and I'm tired. and mow the yard (summer only)
I know I left some stuff out it is easier when you just do it and don't think.

Huh! that is really interesting that you feed the FF in the pipe feeder. I wonder about cold - you don't have any problem with the feed freezing?

I am able to feed FF only three days a week, when I am home. Otherwise, am gone a couple hours before sunrise, and not back home til after the chickens are roosting. It freezes solid otherwise by the time they are up and about.

And Pigeon guy, how cool that you head out to the neighbors and help with chores . Great way to visit and get something done at the same time.
But...no supper with your wife? (None of my biz).

 

[stonykill]

And I feel so secure with my 1"x1" welded galvinized wire everywhere. Spent a FORTUNE doing my entire run with it. Even dug down and its under the entire floor. The windows have 1x1 over the windows to the coop, I guess I should replace it with smaller? Weasels... never saw one, but I am sure they are here! Jeeeez louise!

window/vent openings should be covered with 1/2 inch hardcloth. IMHO

 

[Leahs Mom]

Originally Posted by Leahs Mom


Questions for ALL FREE RANGERS - No Matter How Much Acreage You Have


In the winter they have more access to all gardens. In the Spring and Summer the potager garden with raspberry patch and blue berry patch are off limits. The hedge/shrubbery borders all gardens and they can forage in it year round. The hedge/shrubbery is densly planted with native plants and trees, shrubs, and vines. Loaded with nuts, berries, and seeds. Great protection from birds of prey and food stuffs available year round.

Do you have any photos you could share?

I do have plans to cover the potager garden with netting next year and will put the bantams out there if it works out.

What kind of netting would you use and how would you install it?