The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[aoxa]

Mumsy, I do see how you came to those conclusions. I'm sure there is still a margin for error though, right?

I could tell EEs very quickly. Males tend to hatch much more silver than females.

I had a terrible time sexing my turkeys, but I had no opposite gender to compare them with. Took me quite a while!

Those toe deformities are usually incubator related. I've had that issue in a lot of chicks when my humidity was too high and my temp too low one hatch.

 

[TurtlePowerTrav]

Just had a hawk attack, Coopers Hawk. Chased it off. Got my "Peep"(EE). Just a small gash at base of skull. She is in shock and inside. Hopefully she make it through the night. Missing another EE and GSL teens that have flown out of the yard. Hope they make it back before dark.

 

[armorfirelady]

Quote: This is great info!! I know that from keeping tract of how many eggs a day I get about how many eggs I can expect every day. I do know that Bossy hen who first started laying is laying every day by the size of her egg. Its the smallest one but she lays every day. The others lay every other day or every 2 days. I know I wont know more about how good they will be laying since its shorter days now but I look forward to the spring.

Malabella congrats on your first egg!!! I didnt eat the first one....I blew it out and have it sitting on the window sill where I look at it every day

 

[lalaland]

Melabella Is proud to announce
The arrival of the very
First egg from her flock
From her RIR girl named
Rose​

Mother and egg are doing well

Proud papa Duke is clueless
​

Melabella, love the anouncement! congrats

 

[delisha]

I think you have two silkie females, and one male (a guess) and a male and female brir.

 

[CESpeed]

I have 5 hens-they get one clove of garlic -mashed up(or through a garlic press) once a week-I mix it in some cooked quinoa or brown rice. They love it!

Hi,

I'm 200 pgs behind tryiny to catch up but I have to ask: I was warned that feeding chickens garlic will cause a funny taste to the eggs. Have you (or anyone who uses garlic) found this to be true?

 

[Mumsy]

Mumsy, I do see how you came to those conclusions. I'm sure there is still a margin for error though, right?

I could tell EEs very quickly. Males tend to hatch much more silver than females.

I had a terrible time sexing my turkeys, but I had no opposite gender to compare them with. Took me quite a while!

Those toe deformities are usually incubator related. I've had that issue in a lot of chicks when my humidity was too high and my temp too low one hatch.

I get it right very often. I don't do it for other people and I don't sell chicks so I find it a fun diversion to keep good records. Very detailed records. My husband thinks my hunches are spooky good. He never questions them after 38 years. As I get older my eye sight is failing. Errors will accumulate no doubt.
Yes. My humidity spiked too high for a few days and we had a cold spell just around hatching. Just this one chick had crippled toes. She only had the bandaids on for 24 hours and her feet turned out great.

 

[delisha]

You are correct Aoxia, no inside birds..ever..I will bathe them two and day before the show. I will show condition and put out them in two weeks before the show for my DH..but just his fooo foo birds..he is already planning the cages for show conditioning.

 

[Mumsy]

I think you have two silkie females, and one male (a guess) and a male and female brir.

Oh! I hope you are right! I so want to be wrong on this bunch. If I had fifty chicks I wouldn't care. But...Seven chicks doesn't give me good odds to fall back on.

 

[armorfirelady]

Quote: My hens get garlic once a month or so for a week in their FF & I have never noticed a taste change in the eggs