The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[Leahs Mom]

Quote: I sell them at 7 mile fair
I'm curious - what kind of regulations do you have to comply with? I'd love to sell but if I ever did it might have to just be to individuals that I know personally and folks they refer.

Since the first day my chicks arrived I said "chick chick chick" anytime I walked anywhere near them. now if I need them to go into the run I just yell that, and every one of them come running. I also say it anytime I have a treat for them. It takes me less then two minutes to get them all in one place.

I always shout, "Hey Kiddos!" every time I come around them right from the beginning. Then, of course, all the "kiddos" come running!

BUT..... they are ESPECIALLY EXUBERANT if the know I have anything animal related - from ground meat to mealworms!

 

[Marengoite]

OK "loin"wizard

 

[delisha]

I agree up to a point about not eating a bird that you find dead. However this particular bird was fine at night and still warm in the morning. Stony has healthy birds and know them well. He does not have disease or health concerns. If you are ever concerned about the heath of your flock, I would never recommend it for human consumption.

 

[chickencowranch]

I have the same technique and my small flock behaves in the same way. If they hear me in a closed off part of the yards or gardens, they come running to the gate and act like begging dogs. I can call them no matter where I am and they come running. I start when they are hatching in the incubator that my voice is the voice of God. (no disrespect or implied reference to religion).

I use a huge salmon net for emergencies. This is rarely but sometimes I need to grab a bird in a big hurry and I have become very adept with that net. Swing, swoop, up, done. Warning with this method: The net can and has caused injury to the large combs of roosters. And a full grown large rooster is heavy at the end of a net. That's why for me it's only when there is no time to waste.

I needed to catch my rooster yesterday because he had a string wrapped around his feet. I chased him around for an hour. I didn't get him, but sometime during the day he did manage to get if off. I think I'm going to buy a chicken catcher hook to make it easier next time.

 

[Marengoite]

Here's a visual I am sure many will get a chuckle out of:
Its 62 degrees yesterday evening about 5 pm. I have a class and need to lock the hens up before I leave.....I grab a sand pail and put some cracked corn in it. As I round the corner of the garage I start shaking the pail and 3 hens come running towards me squawking away.They always come running when they see me since it usually means food.
I get 3 in and go to chase the 4th in....while in the process of that the other 3 of course came out of the run. This went on for about 10 minutes.

I finally gave up, told the girls they best hope no one comes to visit after dark till I got home & walked away. I guess they decided they were not going in early since the weather was so nice and must of known today it would be in the 20s with high winds.

I can just imagine what my neighbors thought as they watched me run around the enclosed run trying to get them locked in. *sigh*

(And yes they were all roosted for the night when I got home and all was well.) I cant wait till I get my new coop built and the new automatic pop door so I will no longer have to worry about closing them in for the night

I ALWAYS and without exception feed in the pen. I'm anal retentive and borderline OCD, so habits are easy for me to form. The net effect is that they know that when I come out, no matter where they are or what they are doing, that if any treats are forthcoming, they are going to be in the pen.

So a couple weeks ago my wife was complaining that the chickens were out (I let them range all day when the weather is cold because they usually go no further than the garden) and they were over at her brother's place next door. She had already sent the kids out and they chased everyone around the yards for half an hour with no success. It was one of those warm days, so apparently they thought it was springtime and were waiting for the worms to pop up. Well, there was nothing the kids or my wife could do, so she said I needed to do something about it.

So I put on my hat, stepped off the back porch and headed for the shed. Before I could even get out of the shed with a scoop of scratch, every single one of them (including the "crazy as Junebugs" Hamburgs) were standing in the pen staring through the fence at me. So I put the scratch back in the shed (no sense in wasting it in the middle of the day) went over to the pen and closed the gate on some very confused chickens who were wondering where the treats were.

Was back in the house in under 2 minutes.

"Did you get them all in?" she asked with "that" tone of voice.
"Yup."
"How? You couldn't have done it that fast."
"Magic."

Yes, the magic of behavioral conditioning. It's a wonderful thing when it works. For cleaning out the pen and generally messing around in it, not so magical.

 

[delisha]

Quote: I sell them at 7 mile fair
I'm curious - what kind of regulations do you have to comply with? I'd love to sell but if I ever did it might have to just be to individuals that I know personally and folks they refer.

Since the first day my chicks arrived I said "chick chick chick" anytime I walked anywhere near them. now if I need them to go into the run I just yell that, and every one of them come running. I also say it anytime I have a treat for them. It takes me less then two minutes to get them all in one place.

I always shout, "Hey Kiddos!" every time I come around them right from the beginning. Then, of course, all the "kiddos" come running!

BUT..... they are ESPECIALLY EXUBERANT if the know I have anything animal related - from ground meat to mealworms!
I can sell at 7 mile fair. It is a farm community. I do not let strangers on my property. My friends hate my routine for sanitation so they skip going on the other side of the fence. Same with my kids. They hate sanitizing kids shoes and the washing..I say tuff.wash the shoes or get them a pair of barn shoes for here.

 

[aoxa]

I'm curious - what kind of regulations do you have to comply with? I'd love to sell but if I ever did it might have to just be to individuals that I know personally and folks they refer.


I always shout, "Hey Kiddos!" every time I come around them right from the beginning. Then, of course, all the "kiddos" come running!

BUT..... they are ESPECIALLY EXUBERANT if the know I have anything animal related - from ground meat to mealworms!

I can sell at 7 mile fair. It is a farm community. I do not let strangers on my property. My friends hate my routine for sanitation so they skip going on the other side of the fence. Same with my kids. They hate sanitizing kids shoes and the washing..I say tuff.wash the shoes or get them a pair of barn shoes for here.

I think she meant do you sell meat.

There are laws about that. You sell them live from what I remember you telling me before. I'd sell meat, but too many laws about it. So my family is the only one with access.

 

[loanwizard]

Shawn,

First off, to your quote. Here's the version I taught my son before turning him loose with his own rubber worms for bass fishing: "Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and he'll sit in a boat and drink beer all day." Since you're a handfisherman, the revised revised version is, "Teach a man to fish and he'll tell lies all day."

So about that 70# cat you claim to have caught....

Oh, wait, this is "OT welcome" and it doesn't stand for "off topic" welcome....

I concur - slow herd to the corner, quick snatch and grab for the legs. I have a Barred rock cockerel who likes to chase the neighbor children and spur them when he can. The upside is that I don't have to worry about children wanting to get in the chicken pen. Interestingly, he NEVER makes a charge at me. Won't even raise his hackles. I taught my 13 year old (at the time) why this was. Whenever the bird would make a threat gesture, I told him to make a grab for the legs, heave him up, and carry him around for a while. The other thing was, the bird was running away, to grab for the base of the neck and hold him down, maybe pinch the comb a bit (and don't be gentle about it either). Both of these are chicken dominance behaviors and the message really sinks in.

Glad you mentioned turn off the fence first. If anyone turns if off second the first time they try this, they'll definitely turn it off first the next time they try it. Experience is the best teacher and fools learn by no other.

rick

Rick from Marengo,

I am an honest person. I am a used car dealer so OBVIOUSLY above reproach. The 70lb fish is actually 72lbs 8 oz's but I don't sweat the details. For evidence, look at my avatar, not to be confused with my Chippendale photo so eloquently share by Stony to excite the women and some of the men here....

Only reason I mentioned the fence..... well... I bet YOU can figure out why

 

[countrygirl74]

 

[aoxa]

Rick from Marengo,

I am an honest person. I am a used car dealer so OBVIOUSLY above reproach. The 70lb fish is actually 72lbs 8 oz's but I don't sweat the details. For evidence, look at my avatar, not to be confused with my Chippendale photo so eloquently share by Stony to excite the women and some of the men here....

Only reason I mentioned the fence..... well... I bet YOU can figure out why