The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[delisha]

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Back to chickens. I have 16 laying hens and 4 nests. Every morning at 7:30 am, I have 6 hens, on top of each other even, laying eggs. I have 2 brooding right now.
My question, how many do you have and how many hens?

who is this directed at? anyone?

I have 4 old layers, 4 laying pullets, 4 POL's- I have 2 juvie pullets that will be POL in two months. I have 12 permanent nest boxes and three movable ones for the chickens.
I have three duck's and 5 nesting boxes for them. Two inside and three out. I do not like to let the duck nest inside, however, sometimes it is convenient for me if they do.

 

[delisha]

Saying that, all of my nest boxes are not used. I have all of the duck boxes closed and all but two of the permanent nest boxes closed. When the older hens decide to have chicks, they usually nest under the small coop, or under a shrub, or in the woods somewhere. If I have an egg missing, in the morning, i just follow the hen. She usually leads me to the nest. I have one who is collecting in the garage now. I will let her raise her brood there when the weather gets a bit better. After they set tight, I have a box I cover them at night that is predator proof. If they are in an area I can't protect, I haul the whole thing in the coop and lock them in a nest box for a few days.

 

[JeffOeuf]

Jeff - any updates on how your water heat-a-magig is working?

The water tank is fine. But the valve is too far removed from the heat. They froze up the other night when it got in the teens. I'm going to try some pipe insulation wrapped around the fittings to see if that is enough.

 

[stonykill]

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Back to chickens. I have 16 laying hens and 4 nests. Every morning at 7:30 am, I have 6 hens, on top of each other even, laying eggs. I have 2 brooding right now.
My question, how many do you have and how many hens?

I honestly have no idea. I'll guess 60 females chickens....some pullets not yet laying, some old girls who haven't restarted yet this year and quite a few who lay daily. 9 official nest boxes I made. Free range Sumatra's make their own nests. Some of them even make them indoors

. And with that said 3 of those nest boxes I built never get used. Chickens all want to use the same nests. Just how it is.
The ducks just have 2 corners of the coop they lay in. No official nests. When Penelope the Runner duck went broody she made her own very pretty nest.

Speaking of making nests.... One of my RIR's who is probably 6 years old and raised chicks last year restarted her laying. She lays an egg, then comes out of the coop and picks up sticks and leaves and puts them on her back. Then carry's them to her nest

. Pretty darn cute

 

[Miss Lydia]

I honestly have no idea. I'll guess 60 females chickens....some pullets not yet laying, some old girls who haven't restarted yet this year and quite a few who lay daily. 9 official nest boxes I made. Free range Sumatra's make their own nests. Some of them even make them indoors

. And with that said 3 of those nest boxes I built never get used. Chickens all want to use the same nests. Just how it is.
The ducks just have 2 corners of the coop they lay in. No official nests. When Penelope the Runner duck went broody she made her own very pretty nest.

Speaking of making nests.... One of my RIR's who is probably 6 years old and raised chicks last year restarted her laying. She lays an egg, then comes out of the coop and picks up sticks and leaves and puts them on her back. Then carry's them to her nest

. Pretty darn cute

That is so sweet, I go in to see if mine are through laying and if someone is in the nest box they always have shaving on top of their heads and backs.

 

[armorfirelady]

My chickens do something weird when they accidentally step in belly deep snow. They freeze stock still and won't move until I rescue them. I left one for 15 minutes and she wouldn't move. What gives?

Mine did that one day also.....they didn't like the flying snow as I shoveled but still felt the need to follow me

Oh and I thought a few of you might get a kick out of my video today.....reminded me of the old game hungry hungry hippos but instead hungry hungry hens
http://s1247.beta.photobucket.com/u...3-31B2E0C0CEE2-3208-0000038F8BC90ADD.mp4.html

Those are meal worms they love & they did finish their Johnny cakes later. & I couldn't miss including my dogs" chickens are used to them so they pay them no mind

 

[Miss Lydia]

​

Back to chickens. I have 16 laying hens and 4 nests. Every morning at 7:30 am, I have 6 hens, on top of each other even, laying eggs. I have 2 brooding right now.
My question, how many do you have and how many hens?

I have 14 hens and 5 nest boxes and only 3 being used but today only 2 of the boxes are being used. I read somewhere 4 hens to a nest box. but i don't think they meant at the same time.

 

[aoxa]

​

Back to chickens. I have 16 laying hens and 4 nests. Every morning at 7:30 am, I have 6 hens, on top of each other even, laying eggs. I have 2 brooding right now.
My question, how many do you have and how many hens?

I honestly have no idea. I'll guess 60 females chickens....some pullets not yet laying, some old girls who haven't restarted yet this year and quite a few who lay daily. 9 official nest boxes I made. Free range Sumatra's make their own nests. Some of them even make them indoors

. And with that said 3 of those nest boxes I built never get used. Chickens all want to use the same nests. Just how it is.
The ducks just have 2 corners of the coop they lay in. No official nests. When Penelope the Runner duck went broody she made her own very pretty nest.

Speaking of making nests.... One of my RIR's who is probably 6 years old and raised chicks last year restarted her laying. She lays an egg, then comes out of the coop and picks up sticks and leaves and puts them on her back. Then carry's them to her nest

. Pretty darn cute

Take it from Stony and I, somehow all of our chickens make due with what they're given for nests. I have some recycling boxes I got from Wal-Mart for $3 on some shelves I had from my old garage. They much prefer boxes that are random.. Like two garbage cans I nailed to the wall, one was for rabbit food, and one was put there after I realized how much they liked laying in the first and I had an old one lying around.




You may not see her, but there is a hen in this garbage can already. This BR is waiting her turn.


There she is!


The other one.

My on purpose nesting boxes are used the least. They all seem to like the same ones. I think 2 or three of the 6 get used.

Also if you have a Costco, they give nice big boxes there, and my hens love them!

One of the old favourites. Makes me laugh.

 

[Leahs Mom]

Speaking of making nests.... One of my RIR's who is probably 6 years old and raised chicks last year restarted her laying. She lays an egg, then comes out of the coop and picks up sticks and leaves and puts them on her back. Then carry's them to her nest

. Pretty darn cute

Okay...I need some education here. Why do they put the stuff on their backs?

I was watching my brooding RIR and I was wondering if it was because of trying to hide herself and her nest area. If that's the case, she's not accomplishing that at all and she picked the CRAZIEST place to park with the kiddos...right in the way of me going in and out the door

...but originally she parked there because the kids were getting cold and it was the closest corner. She's just stayed there ever since.

 

[aoxa]

Okay...I need some education here. Why do they put the stuff on their backs?

I was watching my brooding RIR and I was wondering if it was because of trying to hide herself and her nest area. If that's the case, she's not accomplishing that at all and she picked the CRAZIEST place to park with the kiddos...right in the way of me going in and out the door

...but originally she parked there because the kids were getting cold and it was the closest corner. She's just stayed there ever since.

It's a comfort thing. It makes me laugh every time.