The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[Leahs Mom]

Bulldogma showed my EASY sprouting method on the blog last week and I really like the simplicity of it. I won't repeat it here unless someone wants me to post the photos here...let me know. So here is the link to that article:

http://naturalchickenkeeping.blogspot.com/2012/12/easy-ways-to-sprout-seeds-for-your.html


In the links at the end I mentioned Kassaundra's sprouting in a burlap bag method. She has since posted a youtube showing how she makes her bags so I thought I'd post a link here in case anyone wanted to take a look. After she gets done sprouting this way, if I understand correctly she turns these bags inside out and slips them over a pole for the chickens to eat right from the bag.

I AM NOT DOING THIS but thought someone might want to take a look as it might work for you. I think she said she has 30 birds.

 

[aoxa]

Here is chick in question on right at a couple of days old.

Mumsy,

what are your thoughts on this 3 week old chick?

 

[IttyBiddyRedHen]

Games make great broodies and also great mamas. I think you'll be pleased.

Thanks! I hope so! The games will get to breed with the EE rooster. The others already have their PR rooster. I also have 2 spare rooster. PRs.

 

[Leahs Mom]

I have a question for you 2 who are good at figuring out sex....

-Are you applying that just to the silkies or are you able to tell on your other breeds as well?
-What about the wing feather sexing thing...do you use that? http://animalsciences.missouri.edu/reprod/ReproTech/Feathersex/sld006.htm
And if you do, what breeds does the wing feather sexing apply to?

 

[aoxa]

Thanks! I hope so! The games will get to breed with the EE rooster. The others already have their PR rooster. I also have 2 spare rooster. PRs.

I have babies from that cross. They turned out so pretty. Very tiny EEs.

My game mixes went broody 2 times this year each. One kept switching nesting boxes so her eggs died from getting cold, the second gave up early in the first try and hatched out a few chicks the second time but abandoned the nest after it was moved.

 

[Mumsy]

I will do what I always do when guessing. Go with first gut reaction. Male. Just a hunch.

For reasons I don't understand, your images didn't get included in my reply post.

 

[aoxa]

I will do what I always do when guessing. Go with first gut reaction. Male. Just a hunch.

For reasons I don't understand, your images didn't get included in my repply post.

Because you don't have your nestled quotes option on. Not an issue.

Anyone else want a guess? I know the answer as bird is grown now.

 

[Mumsy]

I have a question for you 2 who are good at figuring out sex....

-Are you applying that just to the silkies or are you able to tell on your other breeds as well?
-What about the wing feather sexing thing...do you use that? http://animalsciences.missouri.edu/reprod/ReproTech/Feathersex/sld006.htm
And if you do, what breeds does the wing feather sexing apply to?

I can sex Silkies far easier than some of the RC breeds. Those are the ones that are hardest for me. SC breeds are slightly harder than Silkies. But I'm still pretty good at sexing all my own chicks.

I've got a lot of information on wing sexing but it's for game birds and sexlink breeds. I don't raise those but I'll post images if you wish.

 

[aoxa]

Mumsy what is SC and RC?

 

[Mumsy]

Mumsy what is SC and RC?

Single Comb and Rose Comb