The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[Sally8]

a few nests. The top 2 are ones I built. The others ones they chose.

My 4 look like these. The blue one looks like what is in the house with a cat in it. lol Are your nests on the floor? Nice pictures. Thanks for sharing them. Sue

 

[stonykill]

My 4 look like these. The blue one looks like what is in the house with a cat in it. lol Are your nests on the floor? Nice pictures. Thanks for sharing them. Sue

the blue one is a retired cat box

. When our small cat ( the Maine coon could never fit in it ) stopped using it I said to myself "that looks like a Sumatra nest. Mama has raised many broods in that box. It is her preffered nest to go broody in.

Yes these are at floor level although many of my Sumatra's chose elevated nests to go broody in. Chicken built nests of course

 

[chickiemomy]

Second day with two eggs!

The bird brain who laid on the coop floor did it again...she could still get it down right? Don't like the thought of her laying an egg every day in fresh poo.....

I had a coop - as in not nest - layer at first also. I put the mislaid egg in the nest overnight & that seemed to cure the mislaying... as in - this is where it belongs! Better than a golf ball - won't hurt to try?

 

[chickiemomy]

I have only had buckeyes, gold sex-link & Black australorps -- the individual species lay different colors - If I found your eggs in my nests - I'd say the dark one was a GSL and the lighter one from a BA. The BA's (mine anyway) have a little mauve, or almost purplish tint to them. The buckeyes lay much lighter color eggs than the GSL's, but no purple in them.

Question for more experienced folks -- one of my Buckeyes lays 'wrinkled' eggs. They are a little smaller than the other buckeye - other than that they are fine. I'm not breeding these guys, they're just for eggs, else she'd need to be culled for genetics. Read somewhere that wrinkled eggs were a sign of a virus - but this has been going on since she first started laying a couple of months ago - Am thinking it's more just her style, so to speak, and as long as I'm not furthering the trait - who cares. Of course, she's my fav chook - took me awhile to figure out which chick was laying the wrinkled egg & was disappointed to see who it was...

Question is - does this ALWAYS mean virus -- don't see that it's catching - or been passed on to the others - just checking to see if anyone else has seen this.

Otherwise - all chicks seem in great health, active, get almost an egg a day a chick in this their first winter.

 

[Sally8]

the blue one is a retired cat box

. When our small cat ( the Maine coon could never fit in it ) stopped using it I said to myself "that looks like a Sumatra nest. Mama has raised many broods in that box. It is her preffered nest to go broody in.

Yes these are at floor level although many of my Sumatra's chose elevated nests to go broody in. Chicken built nests of course

I jumped over on your facebook page. The pictures are so beautiful!

 

[jockeyeba]

Stony, I so want another Maine Coon mix. My last two were such wonderful cats. Huge big fluff balls that I adored.

I took this the other day and simply call it cat and mouse

Okay...so if I want one of these do I have to go to a "fancy pants" breeder? If I went to a shelter or rescue, how would I know if it was that breed? (I'm "cat illiterate" as far as breeds go). Oh...and I already have the mouse (several, actually) so I won't need any of those.

Here's a couple of pictures of my Maine Coon mix, got him as a kitten from a shelter. I had know idea he would become a 30lb.giant the bench he's on is 26"

 

[stonykill]

Here's a couple of pictures of my Maine Coon mix, got him as a kitten from a shelter. I had know idea he would become a 30lb.giant

the bench he's on is 26"

you own my dream cat. A Maine coon the size of a medium sized dog is my ideal cat! He is quite handsome. And twice as heavy as Baby Girl or William our Maine Coon mixes

 

[jockeyeba]

Here's a couple of pictures of my Maine Coon mix, got him as a kitten from a shelter. I had know idea he would become a 30lb.giant the bench he's on is 26"

you own my dream cat. A Maine coon the size of a medium sized dog is my ideal cat! He is quite handsome. And twice as heavy as Baby Girl or William our Maine Coon mixes

Thanks Stony but he's so big ( & not that fat) that he can't keep himself clean if you know what I mean

 

[jockeyeba]

AOXA: Charlie was beautiful I am searching for two kittens at the moment, Maine coon mix just went to the top of my list
BULLDOGMA: thank you my three year old loves all the chickens and is always carrying one or another
My house is full of sickness today three sick kiddos and me too! Just coughs and colds, but still no fun... other than chicken soup, what is your best remedy?

I'm so sorry. I quit working 2 yrs ago to watch my twin 2 yr old granddaughters who were born over 2 mo early. They were in incubators of their own for over a month at the NICU. They are both sick today, running high fevers, croop, whinny, crying. It's a good thing I have 2 legs so I can sit on the floor and rock them. The dr has them on 2 breathing treatments, (Budesonide, Albuterone), Prednisolone, Motin and Claritin. I am one that will not suffer through an illness if I can help it, but wow, that seems like a lot. I just saw a show where a dr said that children get on average, 12 cold a year. That also seem like a lot. I always let my kid's eat whatever they would because usually they didn't want to eat. Fluids, Popsicles. I would make a tent with blankets and put the vaporizer under with us and made it fun. Pillows, blankets and lots of stories. Again, so sorry. Hugs.

Incubator being the link to tie this to chickens. Sorry for the post but couldn't help myself.

MAINE COON CATS. The cat we just came home and found dead was a beautiful MC. He was 11 and had never been sick. He looked like a seal point with beautiful blue eyes and was given to me as a kitten. He couldn't be sold due to his color but he was huge and I never, ever heard him meow. RIP Precious.

Hope the kiddo's get well soon & sorry about your cat. Mine will be 11 this year

 

[Leahs Mom]

I have only had buckeyes, gold sex-link & Black australorps --

My original plan was to try buckeyes but never found any in my area and ended up doing something different. Tell us about your Buckeyes... do you like them? Would you get them again if you had a choice? Also..your BAs. Do you like them and would you get them again? Lots of folks here seem to recommend the BAs.