The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[jendodd79]

I want to set eggs too!!! Some Polish ones!

 

[armorfirelady]

Aoxa love ur video Boy you still have a lot of snow there & from the crunchy noise it's still frozen to. I love when my hens come running when I get home

 

[kian]

Aoxa and Delisha, thank you!

Stony: my assumption was that Runners were louder or more continously noisy? The *only* ducks that would work for me here would be the Muscovys since they are quiet. I know less about ducks than I do chickens and that isn't saying much. I love the look of the Runners (thank you for posting photos!). I seriously wouldn't mind the sound of any ducks all day, but I am in a regular old neighborhood and anything beyond barking dogs (which are really so much more annoying, and I should know, my Great Pyrenees is the worst offender) would be complained about. (though again, all the barking dogs? No one says anything. Some quacking? Everyone's up in arms. Part of the reason the roosters couldn't stay, too 'noisy').

 

[stonykill]

Aoxa and Delisha, thank you!

Stony: my assumption was that Runners were louder or more continously noisy? The *only* ducks that would work for me here would be the Muscovys since they are quiet. I know less about ducks than I do chickens and that isn't saying much. I love the look of the Runners (thank you for posting photos!). I seriously wouldn't mind the sound of any ducks all day, but I am in a regular old neighborhood and anything beyond barking dogs (which are really so much more annoying, and I should know, my Great Pyrenees is the worst offender) would be complained about. (though again, all the barking dogs? No one says anything. Some quacking? Everyone's up in arms. Part of the reason the roosters couldn't stay, too 'noisy').

my Runners and my Pekins are equally noisy. But my hens can be really noisy too.

I'm zoned agriculturally and my closest neighbors are my parents. We are on 30 acres and my parents have 7 acres. I know other neighbors can hear the roosters.... but I could care less

. In a small neighborhood.... I don't know what to tell you. I only have Runners and Pekins and they play and make noise all day long. And sometimes chat with wild black ducks that are either 100 yards from them or 1/4 mile away. Yeah I can hear the black ducks sometimes from 1/4 mile away.

 

[kian]

That's why I think it'll just be chickens for awhile. Maybe if we move someday.... Still, I love to look at the Runners. They just seem like they'd be fun birds, from what I've read.

So far my chickens are really quiet. They made a lot more noise when the 2 cockerals were still here. Now I think they're quiet because they witnessed me grabbing them up and stuffing them into a big box. Then, they never came back (I rehomed them to a BYCer). So now, you know.... they never know. So they're quiet!

 

[aoxa]

i have eggs setting under a broody on day 10-11 i don't remember .. aoxa what day is yours on mine was a day behind yours so i hope you remember lol even though you remember everything even my silkies ages from a long time ago hatch

You're on day 11. I think I'm day 14. I just candled tonight for the first time to see. Two are growing well, the third one was infertile. So she has 2 eggs now. They are quite a bit further along than I thought. They may even be 16 days or so... I had to mark her eggs today when I caught one of my project birds laying on top of her. LOL.

Oh and your silkies were born May 5th 2012. I know because it was the first hatch at my new place, and I set the eggs Friday the 13th. I'm kinda good with numbers and dates

Though what is really bad... I don't remember faces unless you look very peculiar, or if I see you often. It was terrible when I worked in retail. Someone would ask me to get another size and I couldn't find them after. It was very stressful! Though any of our 400 clients, you can say a last name and I can give you a first and a spouse's name. I'm very weird.

I normally do not hatch during winter...since coming to BYC I do every thing different. I have never let a hen set during winter..I am doing that too. Chicks inside and chicks outside. I must be insane.

Welcome to the club!

Aoxa love ur video

Boy you still have a lot of snow there & from the crunchy noise it's still frozen to. I love when my hens come running when I get home

Another bit of snow today as well. It was ICY yesterday. I was walking REALLY slow. I was hoping one of the hens would wipe out on the video, but no luck! Darn!

That's why I think it'll just be chickens for awhile. Maybe if we move someday.... Still, I love to look at the Runners. They just seem like they'd be fun birds, from what I've read.

So far my chickens are really quiet. They made a lot more noise when the 2 cockerals were still here. Now I think they're quiet because they witnessed me grabbing them up and stuffing them into a big box. Then, they never came back (I rehomed them to a BYCer). So now, you know.... they never know. So they're quiet!

If you aren't interested in breeding ducks, just get a couple boys. The boys are so quiet in comparison to the girls. My little call drake whispers. Probably my second quietest bird (after my muscovy). All my chickens (the hens included) are quite loud. The female ducks are louder than the female chickens, the roosters are louder than the ducks (when they crow) but what trumps ALL that.. My sheep. They are so loud you can not talk through their BAAAAAS.

 

[Mumsy]

I normally do not hatch during winter...since coming to BYC I do every thing different. I have never let a hen set during winter..I am doing that too. Chicks inside and chicks outside. I must be insane.

This made me laugh! I also do most things differently now since coming to BYC. I'm collecting pullet eggs to put in the incubator on the 20th. I never hatch in the winter. I never hatch pullet eggs. And turkey poults arrive in another month! And more heritage eggs and chicks after that. Crazy. Yes. But a good kind of crazy.

 

[aoxa]

This made me laugh! I also do most things differently now since coming to BYC. I'm collecting pullet eggs to put in the incubator on the 20th. I never hatch in the winter. I never hatch pullet eggs. And turkey poults arrive in another month! And more heritage eggs and chicks after that. Crazy. Yes. But a good kind of crazy.

I think we all are such enablers that it's hard to not join in on the hatching fun.

 

[kian]

If you aren't interested in breeding ducks, just get a couple boys. The boys are so quiet in comparison to the girls. My little call drake whispers. Probably my second quietest bird (after my muscovy). All my chickens (the hens included) are quite loud. The female ducks are louder than the female chickens, the roosters are louder than the ducks (when they crow) but what trumps ALL that.. My sheep. They are so loud you can not talk through their BAAAAAS.

Thank you! That is a good idea!

 

[delisha]

Well I decided this would be a good time to make up for my over spending my budget last year. I would need to set another batch after this next one. But I am thinking if I have three dozen more chicks in the basement for another 2 months, I might be certifiable. I will just have to hope my hens do a nice spring hatch out themselves. I need to hatch out 100 more chicks than last year. Time will tell. I might have to use the incubator. I actually like one of the breeds I mixed this ast hatch out. All three look a like. Big too. The little bar is doing nice too.