The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[chickiemomy]

Quote: I think you meant 4 ounces per bird per day??? -- 4 cups per day would feed quite a monster chicken I think!! that would be 4 oz dry -- not sure how much that expands to as fermented - 2-3X??

 

[aoxa]

Hi everyone,

I remember a while back, I think it was stony saying what he does when a hen/pullet goes broody, as in refrence to replacing an egg with a golf ball for so many days till she is sitting on a group of golf balls, and then when one is sure she is broody, replaces them with the eggs one wants hatched. Am I remembering correctly, or was a sleeping through reading the post and have it all wrong? Is the purpose of doing this to be sure your girl is indeed broody and going to commit to staying on the nest? Do broody hens stay as long as it takes to hatch or do t hey have an internal clock that only does it for so long? Sorry for the silly, ignorant, inexperienced question, but I was trying to find the post, and just can't seem to. Anyone remember?

THanks,
MB

Chickens hatch duck eggs, so they stay on the nest much longer than 21 days

 

[delisha]

I feed 1/4 cup per bird twice a day of FF. My Muscovy's get 1/2 cup per duck 2x a day of FF. The chickens finish what the ducks do not eat. If any food is left at first feeding they do not get a night feeding.

 

[delisha]

Quote: I do believe he was talking about encouraging a hen to go broody..replacing an egg with a golf ball for each egg. Hopefully he will pipe in ..When they have a nice nest full some will go broody.
A chicken will set a nest a long time if she wants chicks and she is a good mom. I have broke chickens for weeks and they still want to brood. This last hen was broody for a while and I quit trying to keep her off the nest. You have to contain them sometimes and I have all my containers filled with chicks.

 

[Melabella]

I do believe he was talking about encouraging a hen to go broody..replacing an egg with a golf ball for each egg. Hopefully he will pipe in ..When they have a nice nest full some will go broody.
A chicken will set a nest a long time if she wants chicks and she is a good mom. I have broke chickens for weeks and they still want to brood. This last hen was broody for a while and I quit trying to keep her off the nest. You have to contain them sometimes and I have all my containers filled with chicks.

Ok, thanks for your answers aoxa and Delisha,

So when are you sure a hen is truly broody then, and would let her sit some eggs? I have a friend with some great buckeye birds, and said I could have eggs any time I wanted and my brain started wandering. I am not sure any of my girls would ever go broody, maybe one of the Australorps? Time will tell. Thank you!

MB

 

[Mumsy]

About skinning birds. I don't have pictures and have no bird I'm willing to sacrifice to show. I did it with headless chickens. It was easier to pull off for me that way. Some people can skin whole birds intact. I never did it that way.

There are varieties of birds that the hackle and saddle feathers alone can sell for hundreds of $. I have heard of some Pearl Guinea skins selling for a $1000. I never raised Guineas or got near that much. Depends on where you live and how many people are doing it in your area. I could get $15 for a Pheasant skin and $10 for a back yard mutt rooster. Not a lot of money, but better than nothing if your eating the bird anyway. You have to cure and dry the skin. People don't want it raw off the bird.

 

[Mumsy]

I have a Pheasant skin that I kept. I can kind of explain a little bit. This is a skill that definetly gets better with experience.

I cut down the belly from the neck. I cut around the wings and break the wings. Same with the legs.




Years and years ago there was a State owned game farm up the road from where we live. They hatched, raised, and released Ring Neck Pheasant. My husband used to hunt with a Springer Spaniel. He was a good shot and the dog was a good retriever. I loved eating Pheasant and skinned a few. The game farm closed down a long time ago and it's used for something else now. Every once in a while I see a Pheasant that lived to reproduce in the wild. They are not native to here originally. That any survived is amazing to me.
Pheasant tail feathers bring more money sold separately.

 

[amenfarm]

Well, I found you, read to page 40 and 6700+ posts more!!!

 

[Leahs Mom]

What is your method for curing and drying?

 

[aoxa]

I do believe he was talking about encouraging a hen to go broody..replacing an egg with a golf ball for each egg. Hopefully he will pipe in ..When they have a nice nest full some will go broody.
A chicken will set a nest a long time if she wants chicks and she is a good mom. I have broke chickens for weeks and they still want to brood. This last hen was broody for a while and I quit trying to keep her off the nest. You have to contain them sometimes and I have all my containers filled with chicks.

Oh I was just answering her last part

I do the same with the golf balls if I do want to encourage broodiness, however - I never have to. They do it all their own.