The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[pigeonguy]

Just buying the lens isn't going to do the trick if she's photographing on auto without an understanding of photography. Your daughter has to understand about exposure to make the images look like Aoxa's. It's an expensive lens to purchase, so don't be hasty until you know for sure that she understands what to do with a lens like that. Said with the greatest respect

She has 2 years of photography from the vocational center at the high school. I think they called it media graphic arts. So she is good to go just needs the right equipment. She does take excellent pictures with what she has but with better equipment could be even better. She did do 1 wedding for a Friend. Really nice. I could have ask her this question but would like it to be a surprise. I will buy more equipment for her as time progresses and money is available. I'm pretty sure I can swing this lens right now though.
Need to bring it back to chickens now. My dad got a bag of 20 loafs of whole grain bread from the bread store to dry and give as treats or what ever to the chickens. I thought it was a good deal.

 

[Mumsy]

What kind of chicken laid that beautiful blue egg. It has such nice color.

I was thinking of asking the same thing. Colored eggs are of little interest to me generally but that color reminds me of Robin egg blue. Real pretty.

 

[pigeonguy]

Agree w/ what BD said. Also...just soaking your feed is a good thing to do so, like she said, you can start feeding it right away if you want by taking a little out for them and replacing

Wanted to add one more thing - I also ferment with water level well above my feed like you describe. When you first start out you may have to add more water after a few hours as the feed soaks up more of the water over time. I keep the water above the feed because the fermentation process I'm using with the feed should be done as anaerobic as possible - meaning you want the item you're fermenting to be completely submerged under the liquid so that no air (anaerobic - without air) can get to the bulk of the feed. It's okay to stir it! It will settle down to the bottom under the water again and you'll have a layer of water on the top.

There are different kinds of fermentation processes but that's the kind that I find works best when I'm fermenting the feed and helps to keep unwanted molds and yeasts from proliferating while encouraging the growth of beneficial bacteria.

X2

 

[jockeyeba]

Question: I refrigerate my eggs since I sell most of them so I couldn't tell if they were fertilized or not when I cracked them for a frittata yesterday. I'm leaving a Wyandotte egg out, how many days should I leave it before cracking it to be able to see the "bullseye" the best?

 

[delisha]

Quote: As long as you are careful about how much you feed it is wonderful!! FREE is good!

Chickens love bread, and will eat the stuff till they have sour crop, impacted crop, and swollen crop. Bread is good stuff to them. All that gluten and sugar!! yum!

And free makes it more wonderful!!

it is dry so you can give treats for quite a while with out worry about mold.

Good score!

 

[delisha]

Question: I refrigerate my eggs since I sell most of them so I couldn't tell if they were fertilized or not when I cracked them for a frittata yesterday. I'm leaving a Wyandotte egg out, how many days should I leave it before cracking it to be able to see the "bullseye" the best?

a few hours at room temp is great!

Sometimes in this weather if the egg is really cold it is hard to see.

You should see really well!

 

[jockeyeba]

Question: I refrigerate my eggs since I sell most of them so I couldn't tell if they were fertilized or not when I cracked them for a frittata yesterday. I'm leaving a Wyandotte egg out, how many days should I leave it before cracking it to be able to see the "bullseye" the best?

a few hours at room temp is great!

Sometimes in this weather if the egg is really cold it is hard to see.

You should see really well!

So a 1 day old egg is OK just as long as it's room temp?

 

[OffGridMAMA]

I will be starting the fermented feed tomorrow ill let you know how it goes! It has been cooler than normal but it bubbled up nicely.

Re my run: I added about 7-8 wheelbarrows of horse manure mixed with mulch this weekend, the chickens have been crazy about it and spend all their time digging and
pecking away. It also rained yesterday so it looked brand new today and the digging continued in earnest. Going to continue adding till I get a good depth. Very pleased

Lastly, wanted to share some pics of my flock from today please forgive the quality, they're from my cell camera ..

 

[OffGridMAMA]

Ok, they didn't attach! Take 2:

my two youngest daughters

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[SandBsmom]

I'm wondering about cats in the coop. I am getting sick of having rats and mice tunneling under my fences and coop and tramping around my shop. I have bait boxes, traps and plain ol' poison tossed under the coop where nothing else can find it but I STILL have tunnels! ARGH! I've gotten so freaked out hearing stories about weasels and possums getting into the run but the darn rats keep making grand entrances for them! I am considering getting a couple of older kittens to live out in the coop and shop. I don't have the huge barn set up that many of you have, just a nice little 6x8 shed with an attached 15x35 run. I am thinking I could put a cat door in our shop which is next to the coop and garden so they could have a safe warmish place to go. I am a little worried about how cats would do with the chickens though. I'm not worried about my big girls. I've got a RIR that would take a cat out if she felt like it but I have 2 silkies and a little d'uccle that I worry about. Plus I'd like to let my silkie hatch some babies in the spring. What kind of experiences have you all had with cats and your chickens. Any advice about teaching the cats what they should hunt? As always I so appreciate all of your experience.