The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[SallyinIndiana]

bread! i suppose you could argue home made is a little less bad, but it is still bad for them - because of the yeast/sour crop issue. and not all that nutritious either.

I mainly give it to them when I want them to scratch the litter inside the coop. I will be rethinking it.

 

[delisha]

Quote:
Try BOSS instead. They like to tear into the litter to find the goodies.

It is hard to say no to something they love. I am guilty of feeding them bread on rare occasions. It is more for my pleasure in seeing there pleasure. I bake them a hard multi grain small loaf. I use whole oats, whole wheat, and wheat flour. I never make it with white flour for them. I do not add sugar, I add a little more salt, and I use sour milk and eggs in it instead of water. It is not very good for human consumption unless you eat it warm with a lb of butter...lol

 

[delisha]

I love your new project of a coop !!!! please post pictures as you progress!!

Trav..sorry about your little girl..


I am ordering one or three of those balls..thanks for posting..

 

[countrygirl74]

I totally want one of those chicken treat balls! Very cool!

And drum roll please................

I got my new coop!

OK - well it's not much to look at right now. It's sort of the ultimate recycling / upcycling project right now, but I think it will have all the space I need for 3 different breeding pens plus a broody / chick area and storage!


Lots of doors to allow for openings into different pens once the partitions are up.


Fully enclosed, but vents in the top and windows on the sides. I will probably try to do hardware cloth inserts on the top part of the back doors so they can be left open through the warmer months for lots of airflow.


Separate coop space in the front with its own access door and its own roof vent and windows.

OK - and see the little bottom door between the wheels and the "screen door?"
STORAGE!

And the door above the storage?


There is one on each side... and the perfect size for a broody or chick area!

Yeah - I have a LOT of work to do on this big hunk of rusty metal, but I can already "see" the final product. If all goes as planned, it should make for a great coop - and better yet, we can take it with us if the house we're renting is sold or if the DH gets transferred (again).

And just for fun -

BROODY!

She has 5 Swedish Flower Hen eggs under her. I had to move her into a dog crate because the amorous rooster was trying to chase her off the nest to breed her.

Wow - I never would have thought of a horse trailer - what a great idea! And you're right, all those little compartments will come in handy!

 

[jockeyeba]

I totally want one of those chicken treat balls! Very cool! And drum roll please................ I got my new coop! OK - well it's not much to look at right now. It's sort of the ultimate recycling / upcycling project right now, but I think it will have all the space I need for 3 different breeding pens plus a broody / chick area and storage! Lots of doors to allow for openings into different pens once the partitions are up. Fully enclosed, but vents in the top and windows on the sides. I will probably try to do hardware cloth inserts on the top part of the back doors so they can be left open through the warmer months for lots of airflow. Separate coop space in the front with its own access door and its own roof vent and windows. OK - and see the little bottom door between the wheels and the "screen door?" STORAGE! And the door above the storage? There is one on each side... and the perfect size for a broody or chick area! Yeah - I have a LOT of work to do on this big hunk of rusty metal, but I can already "see" the final product. If all goes as planned, it should make for a great coop - and better yet, we can take it with us if the house we're renting is sold or if the DH gets transferred (again). And just for fun - BROODY! She has 5 Swedish Flower Hen eggs under her. I had to move her into a dog crate because the amorous rooster was trying to chase her off the nest to breed her.

That'll work, I love recycling & using unusual things

 

[jockeyeba]

I checked another one of my Wyandotte pullets eggs this morning & I saw the "bullseye" ! so we put 5 W eggs under a broody AG today

 

[Leahs Mom]

BDM - So excited for your trailer coop-to-be! How did you find it? What did you have to pay? I want one!!!

One of the guys where I work keeps his ducks in a trailer that looks a lot like that but he hasn't done anything to it. Just opens the back door and they go inside for the night. I'd love to find a trailer like that!

Glad I could help with the chickweed. I think it is funny that some of you have to buy it. It is all over the place here, can't get rid of it, at least before chickens I couldn't. I will look around some more about native or invasive plants that can be eaten, like thistle, jand pass it along when I find some good information. Though, for those of you free ranging, it doesn't matter because they will find all the goodies when they are out and about.

I have read about folks w/lots of chickweed naturally and just being so frustrated...and here I am planting it! Even if I had it naturally I think I might do some seeding because I'm thinking the kiddos are going to decimate it.

Does anyone have catnip growing around your chicken houses/barns? I'm wondering if anyone has observed the rat-deterrent with catnip the the "old farmers" planted it for.

 

[Elliemae 77]

I have 2 eggs pipped!

 

[Pullet Surprise]

I have 2 eggs pipped!

YAY!!!! Get the camera ready!! (please)

 

[jlynnet]

To really get a hen to go to the right box, you need to pick her up, carry her into the laying area, sit down with her on your lap and hypnotize her. To hypnotize her, you face her away from you and move your hand up and down over her eyes. They will close. After about 30 seconds of her eyes closing, you get up and carry her to the box that you wish her to lay her eggs in, and whisper several times, your box, your box, your box. Then you go back to the spot where you originally hypnotized her and set her on the ground and snap your fingers.

Works every time.

Some may laugh, but it is an ancient Chinese Secret.

Loin

Thanks for the laugh! We put plastic eggs from the Easter bunny in our boxes. I've only had maybe 3 or 4 eggs laid Ina place other than the boxes.