The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[delisha]

I mean what else can we do to protect the birds? Make sure they have good wind break, keep out the drafts, water, good food.
I am not going to go back to dryI am down from all 7 laying to 4 yesterday. They are really using all that energy to keep warm. The Orpingtons are doing great! They are out in this stuff this morning, the rest of the birds are still inside. They have a weather adversery till 10 this morning. Calling for blinding snow and dangerious driving conditions. Schools are closed again.

 

[aoxa]

I mean what else can we do to protect the birds? Make sure they have good wind break, keep out the drafts, water, good food.
I am not going to go back to dryI am down from all 7 laying to 4 yesterday. They are really using all that energy to keep warm. The Orpingtons are doing great! They are out in this stuff this morning, the rest of the birds are still inside. They have a weather adversery till 10 this morning. Calling for blinding snow and dangerious driving conditions. Schools are closed again.

Well there is more you COULD do, but it isn't advisable. No one bring your birds inside. I know it's tempting.

 

[delisha]

How many layers do you have?

 

[aoxa]

How many layers do you have?

16 Red Sex Links
2 Red Sex Link x BR cross

Some of those RSLs are not laying. Their combs aren't large and red yet.

I have other birds laying.. Some EEs and one NN and my barred rocks.90% come from my layers though.

 

[delisha]

Quote: Good numbers for 20 eggs a day

 

[delisha]

Having these Orpingtons will help my egg production I hope. The eggs are pretty small. The eggs are small for the Silkies too, but, I expected that. All of my Cochin eggs are duds. Nice sized eggs too. Would have loved to had some of those. I love hatching chicks out of huge eggs. I can't tell if the copper maran eggs are any good.

 

[delisha]

I have a job interview this morning

I have not worked for a long time outside of the home. Not sure if it is my fear of the unknown that makes me hope I don't get the job, or, if I am just lazy.

 

[aoxa]

Good numbers for 20 eggs a day

I thought so too.

You can tell who's laying just by their friendliness lol.



Clem who couldn't care less about the cold.


Can't believe she will be a year old in 2 weeks.

 

[aoxa]

I have a job interview this morning

I have not worked for a long time outside of the home. Not sure if it is my fear of the unknown that makes me hope I don't get the job, or, if I am just lazy.

I don't think you're lazy.

I think it would be fear of the unknown. Not having your own space.. not being your own boss. It's scary if you're not used to it.

 

[stonykill]

I think the key factor in all of this is choosing the right breed for our climates.

My silkies are doing very well.. Huddling down low in the deep litter. The layers even go outside. Not phased at all. My NNs are mostly all right with it except one. She is really cold. I stuck her in with the chicks. Figured they could use an extra body to huddle with as well (and she's very good with chicks).

My Ameraucanas look cold as well. They are molting. Poor things. They stay roosted in these temps unless they are eating.

I got 20 eggs yesterday. Had my MIL collect them so none were cracked from freezing. Obviously my layers are doing quite well.

and the key is by searching out owners and breeders of said breed, not by some chart on a hatchery or some website. For instance Hatchery's say Sumatra's are for heat only. Yet there is a thread on BYC funny enough called the "Sumatra thread". Last I looked 143 pages of real world experiences with them. Last picture I saw was of 2 roosters in waste deep snow with single digit temps. If I listened to a silly chart and not real people I never would have gotten Sumatra's. Yet there are about 65 of them outside right now while it is below zero still at 10 am and they are behaving like normal chickens.
With that said, I have never in 9 years lost a bird to cold weather. I don't heat, insulate or otherwise pamper the birds. They condition themselves to the elements just like a wild turkey, grouse or pheasant does. If birds could not take care of themselves in the cold we would not have any wild birds left.