The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[TurtlePowerTrav]

Oh yeah, I let Little Red(Production RIR) out of solitary today. After 5 days alone, she has a new attitude. She has not chased the teens at all today. Will be curious to see how things are in the morning when they are closed in the run.

 

[PeepsCA]

Congrats Peeps! Have a great hatch!
My bator is in the basement so I leave it alone.

Thanks this is just the 1st of about 50 of my usual keet hatches for the season. My hatcher is set up in my office on a coffee table in there, and I am leaving it alone too (learned the hard way not to mess with hatches)... I just like to watch them get that last little bit of zipping done and finally flip the top of their shell. Their expression is priceless sometimes, lol.

Here's a youtube video of a lil guy hatchin' from a couple seasons back. Poor quality video (taken in the middle of the night too, lol), but still cute. He suffered no vision damage, I promise!

 

[armorfirelady]

Great video Peeps

Leahs Mom I have ordered one of these. I can see hanging this from a shepards hook during the warm months in theor outside run & in the hoop coop during the winter. I can also imagine it will be very entertaining to watch them eat from it

 

[Melabella]

Great video Peeps

Leahs Mom I have ordered one of these. I can see hanging this from a shepards hook during the warm months in theor outside run & in the hoop coop during the winter. I can also imagine it will be very entertaining to watch them eat from it

armor, how is the weather where you are,, we are getting slammed at the moment, snow is blowing sideways, all ready have 6/7 inches on the ground, or should I say swirling around everywhere!

Some light snow is blowing into the coop. I mean since it's blowing everywhere, it is getting through the venelation up on the roof, that's covered! Still getting in. I took a whole flake of fresh hay, and put it in and hope that it doesn't create too much problem over night. I have to definetly think about ordering some tarps for the run next year.

MB

 

[Leahs Mom]

Great video Peeps

Leahs Mom I have ordered one of these. I can see hanging this from a shepards hook during the warm months in theor outside run & in the hoop coop during the winter. I can also imagine it will be very entertaining to watch them eat from it

It is kind-of funny to see them batting that thing around. I wish my camera did good motion photos. It gets really swinging. Took them awhile to figure it out but now - especially in the winter - they go right at it. I think I may get a second one to avoid "treat ball battles"

I have a small "C" clamp that my husband clamped onto one of the rafters in the hen house and I hung a chain from that. (That way I didn't have to screw in anything or cut any holes...just hang it from the clamp. ) Also use them on the rafters to hang any other item that I hang in there.

Here are what the clamps look like (roughly).

Then use one of these jiggies (Caribiners) hooked on the c clamp to hold the chain.

The shepherds hook is a great idea!!!

 

[Leahs Mom]

Oh yeah, I let Little Red(Production RIR) out of solitary today. After 5 days alone, she has a new attitude. She has not chased the teens at all today. Will be curious to see how things are in the morning when they are closed in the run.

Okay...wait. I missed something. Did you have a mean chicken that you isolated? And it worked? Please elaborate!!!

 

[Ashdoes]

I got a super big egg from one of my Cochins girls today, double yolk.
It's the last egg in line, and next to it is a regular Cochin egg.

I'm really hoping it's the last, since I'd be sad to lose any of my girls. While I think they're lazy, they're becoming quite the fluffy pretty little things.

 

[aoxa]

I got a super big egg from one of my Cochins girls today, double yolk.
It's the last egg in line, and next to it is a regular Cochin egg.

I'm really hoping it's the last, since I'd be sad to lose any of my girls. While I think they're lazy, they're becoming quite the fluffy pretty little things.

Why would you lose them to a big egg?

I am constantly getting double yolks from my red sex links. Big fat eggs. Those poor hens lol. I don't think it's cause for concern unless the eggs are in tern soft shelled.. That can cause issues.

 

[Bulldogma]

Thanks this is just the 1st of about 50 of my usual keet hatches for the season. My hatcher is set up in my office on a coffee table in there, and I am leaving it alone too (learned the hard way not to mess with hatches)... I just like to watch them get that last little bit of zipping done and finally flip the top of their shell. Their expression is priceless sometimes, lol.

Here's a youtube video of a lil guy hatchin' from a couple seasons back. Poor quality video (taken in the middle of the night too, lol), but still cute. He suffered no vision damage, I promise!

Oh my gosh - great video! You're right about the funny expression!

I got a super big egg from one of my Cochins girls today, double yolk.
It's the last egg in line, and next to it is a regular Cochin egg.

I'm really hoping it's the last, since I'd be sad to lose any of my girls. While I think they're lazy, they're becoming quite the fluffy pretty little things.

Kudos on the giant egg.

Wow! Almost 7,000 posts! MB - we need balloons!

 

[Bulldogma]

7,000