The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[delisha]

Johnny is such nice looking bird it does not really matter what he is.

 

[armorfirelady]

Thanks for all the info on SOP for birds. Very interesting ! My one hen has a kinked comb. I only have hens for eggs so the defect doesn't bother me.

4 eggs today 2 jumbo, 1 medium & 1 small. You guys were right all 4 are laying......will the egg sizes change as they mature more?

 

[aoxa]

I keep all of my cockerels for freezer camp too. Well all except for this one. For some reason my DH seems to think he is special. I can't convince him otherwise. I have Heritage RIR in the bator now, and the cockerel we have now can stay till his replacement is old enough. I guess I need to hope of a dang cockerel for the first time. That is kind of odd.

Me too. Except for my purebred show cocks. They are sold or kept. Can't put all of the cockerels in freezer camp! I keep two of each breed. Three in a rare breed. God forbid something happened to one and you're left with nothing to work with.

I was hoping for a good Ameraucana bantam rooster this last hatch. I have two out of the 8 that hatched.

Not that they'd make good meat birds.

 

[delisha]

Thanks for all the info on SOP for birds. Very interesting ! My one hen has a kinked comb. I only have hens for eggs so the defect doesn't bother me.

4 eggs today

2 jumbo, 1 medium & 1 small. You guys were right all 4 are laying......will the egg sizes change as they mature more?

they will change on and off. they will get to one size and usually lay that one size every single day. hens every once in a while give you a big one. A good laying hen is constant. You will have less problems with production if you keep hens who lay the same size egg all the time. A hen who lays a giant egg here and there has internal issues, or if she lays rubber eggs often or if she goes off laying for more than 6 weeks(unless she is setting a nest) will eventually have production issues. Those are culls.

I am talking hens and not pullets..a pullet is not constant they do all kinds of wonderful things and nothing to ever worry about

 

[Rachel'sFlock]

I keep all of my cockerels for freezer camp too. Well all except for this one. For some reason my DH seems to think he is special. I can't convince him otherwise. I have Heritage RIR in the bator now, and the cockerel we have now can stay till his replacement is old enough. I guess I need to hope of a dang cockerel for the first time. That is kind of odd.

the odds are in your favor!

 

[delisha]

Quote: It is a quandry when you have so many breeds that you show. i have for just two now and the DH is going to now do the silkies. He also said he wanted bantum cochin, what an unusual man.

 

[aoxa]

It is a quandry when you have so many breeds that you show. i have for just two now and the DH is going to now do the silkies. He also said he wanted bantum cochin, what an unusual man.

Almost everyone who shows silkies in my area are men believe it or not. Same with cochins!

I show Bantam Ameraucanas, Silkies, Plymouth Rocks, Houdans and my Buff Toulouse Geese. I keep a whole lot more than I show. I do have a strict personality I need in a cock, and if he steps out of line - done.

Must be nice to chicks, must ignore humans. Must not be aggressive to hens. Must look out for danger.

I also really like to see them taking care of their hens, by feeding and keeping watch. A rooster who doesn't let hens eat first, or bullies other hens/chicks away from eating area is not tolerated.

 

[Mumsy]

I keep all of my cockerels for freezer camp too. Well all except for this one. For some reason my DH seems to think he is special. I can't convince him otherwise. I have Heritage RIR in the bator now, and the cockerel we have now can stay till his replacement is old enough. I guess I need to hope of a dang cockerel for the first time. That is kind of odd.

I don't think hoping for a Heritage RIR cockerel is odd at all! In fact that breed is on the top of my wish/want list! I've been inquiring of breeders up in the PNW and not finding any strains I want yet. Maybe when I go to the Spring shows I'll meet a breeder of good birds. Can't wait to see your chick pictures!

 

[Mumsy]

Johnny is such nice looking bird it does not really matter what he is.

Thank you. You say the nicest things!

It's true though. When I brought him home it was not my plan to start raising chickens again after being out of it for fifteen years. His nature convinced me to go into it again.
I cleaned out three full wheel barrows of DL today. Top dressed three raised beds in the potager garden. Johnny and the girls got right to work scratching it in. I barely made a dent inside the barn. Added more shavings and hay to the cleaned space and remixed with the DL.

 

[delisha]

Beautiful! started raised beds. They are going to stir those up for you really nice. You have such a nice place!