The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[Melabella]

Quote: Do not let your dogs lick anything on your body for that matter. Even a small crack in your skin, from simple dry skin can allow anything harmful to enter your body. Licking humans even if it just leaves germs skin surface can transfer those germs to another person with a weaker immune system than yourself. I taught Jackson licking was a no no from the day he came here, and even when someone asks for a kiss by putting their face close to him,,, as my small nieces do, he looks at me with that nervous look.. too funny. That dog only has to be taught something once... just once. He is patrolling as we speak, something is out there, I can't see it, but he has been twisted since yesterday.. Wonder what it is

 

[IttyBiddyRedHen]

As far as the "letting chickens be chickens..."...I just meant, not fussing over them constantly. I feed them, water them, let them out to their run daily, observe them daily. I handle the sometimes, because I have to be able to when injuries or other issues occur. They don't need to be freaking out too much if they are injured and need care.

We haven't got to the point of raising any chicks yet. Tried 3x last summer with the OEGB's, but we had a psycho hen that went broody, and destroyed the nest and disrupted the flock big time. She was the first cull. We tried a 2nd time, but the eggs didn't hatch. It was right after that that we let them all free range for about 6 to 8 weeks. But as they were half wild OEGB's, they slept in the fenceline bushes at night. The only predators that almost got them were the 3 black labs from across the road. I had to deal with injuries twice from those attacks.
When they were out, they always had waterers and a pan of dry feed out. But they ended up destroying the gardens too much, so back in the chicken tractor they went.

Now with the new flock of plymouths, and 3 game hens left.....they seem to be doing ok.

 

[loanwizard]

I've had 1 mink attack in 9 years. 1 weasel attack as well but the cat killed 3 weasels this year. The only weasel I have ever seen is a dead one the cat kills. Here is the point I am trying to make. Cutting any corners on a coop, any coop that isn't built strong and secure will ultimately lead to dead chickens. Any coop can have a breech. BUT building one that is one BIG easy access breech is just asking for a predator to kill your chickens.
Here is the for instance. The small coop that housed 9 chickens that were killed by a weasel last year. I used it for 6 years prior. No issues. There was a small gap 1 inch by 1 inch near the door. It did not bother me in the least. What could POSSIBLY happen with that small a hole? Well EVENTUALLY a weasel found that hole. And killed 9 chickens early one morning. So after I butchered 9 chickens i tightened up the coop so I could use it again. And I still am. I'm thinking of the hoop coop pictured earlier. It appears the back is up against a fence, full of holes and is just covered with a tarp. At least that is what it looks like in the pictures. The cattle panels or whatever the sides are made of have huge holes in them, on purpose. If they are 4 x 4 holes a young coon WILL fit through them. I had 3 young coons this spring get into my feed through similar sized holes in the floor of the storage shed. I had a young coon OPEN a hole in 1 inch chicken wire to make a roughly 5x5 hole to climb through. Fortunately the coop was super secure, and I killed the coon before it could escape the run.
Skimp out of your coop, you WILL eventually lose your chickens. It may be tomorrow or you may not have problems for 5 years, but if you build an insecure coop, you will wake up one day to dead birds.

What you are saying is very true. However, if it was a picture of my hoop, it was not designed for protection, only from the sun and rain. That particular hoop of mine was inside a chicken poultry net from premiere. Newsflash, a predator can still get through it, but... nothing was killed.

Anyhow, Electric is a strong deterrent. I believe that when I put electric for the hogs down to the pond, it eliminated the coon coming up. I dread the day when I get to play with mink and weasel.
I used to house meat chickens in a tractor. Sorry, I do this whole sustainable farm thing because I do not wish to be like a factory farm. Didn't like the caged look of a tractor, nor a barren run. So... my birds are free. Freedom is not free. But.... while they live, they live free at my place. I also have lost less with them free than I did with a coop and run. And so the debate rages on.

 

[Mtn Laurel]

Do not let your dogs lick anything on your body for that matter. Even a small crack in your skin, from simple dry skin can allow anything harmful to enter your body. Licking humans even if it just leaves germs skin surface can transfer those germs to another person with a weaker immune system than yourself. I taught Jackson licking was a no no from the day he came here, and even when someone asks for a kiss by putting their face close to him,,, as my small nieces do, he looks at me with that nervous look.. too funny. That dog only has to be taught something once... just once. He is patrolling as we speak, something is out there, I can't see it, but he has been twisted since yesterday.. Wonder what it is

Beware the claws, too. Especially those tiny little puppy claws. While our dogs lick us all the time with no problems [so far], some years ago my puppy put his paw on my face and one of those fine needle-like claws got stuck on my chin. Didn't hurt. Didn't break the skin. Didn't bleed. I didn't think anything of it until two days later when the right side of my face was swollen up and there was a knot near my chin. Took two full bottles of antibiotics to clear up the infection but the knot on my chin remained. That was in June. In December - while preparing to go to a Christmas party - the knot on my chin ruptured, spilling bloody water and gray stuff all down my neck. It was beyond nasty but the most of the knot went away. Feeling my face, I can still feel a tiny knot there but it's barely visible and it's been 10 1/2 years ago.

Didn't mean to be gross but BEWARE THE CLAWS!

 

[aoxa]

Beware the claws, too. Especially those tiny little puppy claws. While our dogs lick us all the time with no problems [so far], some years ago my puppy put his paw on my face and one of those fine needle-like claws got stuck on my chin. Didn't hurt. Didn't break the skin. Didn't bleed. I didn't think anything of it until two days later when the right side of my face was swollen up and there was a knot near my chin. Took two full bottles of antibiotics to clear up the infection but the knot on my chin remained. That was in June. In December - while preparing to go to a Christmas party - the knot on my chin ruptured, spilling bloody water and gray stuff all down my neck. It was beyond nasty but the most of the knot went away. Feeling my face, I can still feel a tiny knot there but it's barely visible and it's been 10 1/2 years ago.

Didn't mean to be gross but BEWARE THE CLAWS!

Oh gross! lol.

 

[stonykill]

Originally Posted by Leahs Mom


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

1. How long have you free ranged?
2. Describe your free-range area and practices.
3. How is that different in spring, summer, fall, winter?
4. Do you use a guardian dog or any other guard animal?
5. With or without guard animal - what has your experience been with predators? What about hawks?

1) going on 5 years
2) we have 30 acres, my parents have 7. The chickens free range as they please on about 2 to 3 acres of it. Hills, tree's, flat, water main road
3) no difference. Open the doors and let them out every day despite the weather
4) nope. I use guns and traps
5) foxes, coons, minks, possum, hawks. All have killed chickens

 

[stonykill]

What you are saying is very true. However, if it was a picture of my hoop, it was not designed for protection, only from the sun and rain. That particular hoop of mine was inside a chicken poultry net from premiere. Newsflash, a predator can still get through it, but... nothing was killed.

Anyhow, Electric is a strong deterrent. I believe that when I put electric for the hogs down to the pond, it eliminated the coon coming up. I dread the day when I get to play with mink and weasel.
I used to house meat chickens in a tractor. Sorry, I do this whole sustainable farm thing because I do not wish to be like a factory farm. Didn't like the caged look of a tractor, nor a barren run. So... my birds are free. Freedom is not free. But.... while they live, they live free at my place. I also have lost less with them free than I did with a coop and run. And so the debate rages on.

I have more than 75 chickens and 11 ducks. 30 of the chickens are penned. The rest of them are 100% free range. I personally have lost many more since free ranging to "night time" predators during the day. All but one of my runs are covered. The ducks are not covered. The chickens visit the ducks all day long as they please.

My friend who bought Sumatra's off of me this spring recently lost a few to coons that got through the electric fence.

 

[aoxa]

I have more than 75 chickens and 11 ducks. 30 of the chickens are penned. The rest of them are 100% free range. I personally have lost many more since free ranging to "night time" predators during the day. All but one of my runs are covered. The ducks are not covered. The chickens visit the ducks all day long as they please.

My friend who bought Sumatra's off of me this spring recently lost a few to coons that got through the electric fence.

You sound like me. I have no clue how many I have exactly. Just an idea. I do know I have 6 ducks, 4 turkeys and 3 geese, but the chickens.. How on earth am I supposed to count them all?

 

[stonykill]

You sound like me. I have no clue how many I have exactly. Just an idea. I do know I have 6 ducks, 4 turkeys and 3 geese, but the chickens.. How on earth am I supposed to count them all?

yet I bet like me...you know when someone is missing...... and look until you find him or her......

 

[aoxa]

yet I bet like me...you know when someone is missing...... and look until you find him or her......

Isn't that weird? I can't count them, but I do notice.

Last time I tried to count them it was all by memory. Too many chicks hatching to include them. I am over a hundred and under 200.