The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[armorfirelady]

BDM I love how you have a drop cloth for the pics. The chics look like they are posing. I to love the difference in coloring btw the HRIR & production reds. But they are all so cute

Leah's mom- can you please take pics again when you work in the hens feet again? I learn much better with visual pics. Thank you

 

[ocap]

Anyone ready for chick pics? (OK - sorry for posting so many, but everyone knows they're cheeper by the dozen!)

I love having chicks in the house again!

(Please don't quote with all the pictures

- it's too long of a post to burn up all that forum space.)

I noticed the zip ties and wondered if you had any problems with zipping young chicks? I am getting some white Jersey Giant from Urch and more from Cackle and need to zip them.

 

[Arkansas81]

I've been lurking for awhile

. Been enjoying everyone's info and learning as well. I've been doing ff for about a week maybe longer..I've seen a major change in my birds-in the positive. They seem to consume less water, they are laying much better-bigger eggs. The feathers seem to be fluffier, and shiner.


I am so glad that I started the ff, I'm going to be doing ff for a very long time. My mom and daughter thinks that it is so totally gross, I do too, but they love it. Oh they seem to eat their dry much less. That is what I was orginally looking for, was something to help with the dry food bill. I was getting food about 3x a month now it's about 1x a month if that! They don't free range anymore-for now. I have a "playpen" made for them to go into so they are outside of the coop. I've noticed quite a few hawks, eagles soaring about the sky lately so I put up the "playpen" to help keep them safe. The "playpen" does have a dirt floor, I was thinking that I am going to put a pile of straw in the "playpen" so that if it has rained they aren't walking around on a wet ground plus I'm sure that some bugs will come and have a visit

 

[Bulldogma]

bdm, the chick pics are gorgeous!

Thanks! It's all I can do to keep myself from snuzzling them all - LOL. I try not to get attached. Of course the H/RIRs and PR girls will all be around for a long time, hopefully. Maybe one H/RIR roo if I get a quality one.

 

[hotrodflash]

Zip tying them is super easy when they are young. Just flip them on their backs, press them to your body with your forearm/hand and use other hand and fingers to do the zip tie. Then just cut off the extra. The earlier that you do it the better. They pay less attention when they are smaller/younger.

 

[ocap]

Zip tying them is super easy when they are young. Just flip them on their backs, press them to your body with your forearm/hand and use other hand and fingers to do the zip tie. Then just cut off the extra. The earlier that you do it the better. They pay less attention when they are smaller/younger.

thanks

 

[Bulldogma]

I noticed the zip ties and wondered if you had any problems with zipping young chicks? I am getting some white Jersey Giant from Urch and more from Cackle and need to zip them.

I didn't have any trouble - sure, the babies can be a bit wiggly, but I had my son hold them and I zipped them. I did a couple myself with no trouble, too.

Of course a few minutes ago I noticed one got it's band off - LOL. I put them on pretty loose for growing room.

 

[ocap]

I didn't have any trouble - sure, the babies can be a bit wiggly, but I had my son hold them and I zipped them. I did a couple myself with no trouble, too.

Of course a few minutes ago I noticed one got it's band off - LOL. I put them on pretty loose for growing room.

I wondered how well they stay on, I have noticed chickens occasionally point all toes in the same direction

 

[Mumsy]

I love love love the HRIR and PR chick pictures BDM! Beautious babies!

Turned off and cleaned out the incubator. Did eggtopsies on the three unpipped, unhatched Edith eggs. What a surprise for me to see they were quitters at maybe seven days just like the other three! When I candled these at lockdown, all I saw was a dark mass like all the others and the correct air cell. They smell and I'm very fortunate they didn't explode before I got them out of the house!

The last shrink wrapped chick (I agree with del discription) has to play catch up with the other six Phoebe chicks. All are healthy and obnoxious. The cage I had in the bator to keep the eggs of the two hens separate didn't work like I thought it would. Phoebe chicks climbed onto other stuff and got inside it. But...It does have a use in the tub brooder to help the last chick rest and recover without being brutalized by the other chicks.

 

[Sally8]

I love love love the HRIR and PR chick pictures BDM! Beautious babies!

Turned off and cleaned out the incubator. Did eggtopsies on the three unpipped, unhatched Edith eggs. What a surprise for me to see they were quitters at maybe seven days just like the other three! When I candled these at lockdown, all I saw was a dark mass like all the others and the correct air cell. They smell and I'm very fortunate they didn't explode before I got them out of the house!

The last shrink wrapped chick (I agree with del discription) has to play catch up with the other six Phoebe chicks. All are healthy and obnoxious. The cage I had in the bator to keep the eggs of the two hens separate didn't work like I thought it would. Phoebe chicks climbed onto other stuff and got inside it. But...It does have a use in the tub brooder to help the last chick rest and recover without being brutalized by the other chicks.

Why do you think the one group of egg's quit at 7 days (or so)?