The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[countrygirl74]

Okay, so the baby barn has been delivered for the basement babies, and I love it! Here are some quick pictures before we put shavings and the birds in there.

 

[aoxa]

@Aoxa: That new baby barn is wonderful. I'll bet it has that 'new barn' smell for a long time. Love it. It would be neat to see how people keep the DL under control in their barns and pens. I'll take new pictures in my barn today to show how I do it.

@Leahs Mom: The trick I use with hay in my deep litter is to not use too much at each addition. Fluffing and shaking out one flake at a time and then sift sift sift it into with the shavings, leaves, and peat moss. I suffer from chronic bronchitis so must wear a dust mask.
Out in my runs, I shake it out pretty deep. The rain settles it flat. The chickens stir it up looking for seeds, bugs, and worms that hide under neath. It breaks down and I add more. Eventually I'll rake it up and put it in the compost pile. The way I use it, there is no packing. I only have two bales left from the six I bought in August. Need to purchase more this summer. Oh...I also use fluffed grass hay to cover my pathway from the barn to the chick house to the garden. It turns to deep mud. The hay makes a nice clean path for me to walk on. I'll rake it up and put it in the compost pile in a couple more months. My husband wants to just seed over the top of it with Orchard grass seed. We may compromise.

About the peat moss. It is organic, right? And it is an added expense, comes in many grades, is readily available and it works really well for me in my barn so what's the big deal? This was my thinking when I shared. Well.....This person that attacked me read me the riot act for using a non renewable resource. You'd have thought I was a monster because I use Peat moss.
I don't really want to go over all of it again and again. Like I said before. Different strokes for different folks. I don't use poison to treat my flock but I don't jump people that do. We all do things the best we can under all our different circumstances.
I walked away from the argument because life is too short to get caught up in such petty stuff. I will say this. People that want to scream the loudest about not using peat moss because it's a non renewable resource? They fill their tank with a non renewable resource every time they get in their car. Nuff said.

@Pigeonguy: I rarely look at facebook. This is the only thread I read on a regular basis. I follow some Heritage breed threads and the really interesting one going on now https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...e-university-large-fowl-sop/460#post_10564261

That was my thought as well Mumsy.. If they claim they don't drive, I'm sure they purchase products that were transported across the country using that renewable resource as well

I think you were right there. That's all I have to add.

Thanks about the barn! It does smell like fresh pine. I'm looking forward to laying down the shavings and setting everything up tonight!

 

[aoxa]

I love your new coop, aoxa!! When will the chickadees move in?

~ Aspen

I'm wondering if I should do it tonight or wait until the weekend where I can put them out in the day and watch them.. What are your guys' thoughts? Tonight, tomorrow night or Saturday morning?!

Weather says only down to 27 tonight overnight. May be the perfect time to do it. We are getting a big snow storm too.

 

[armorfirelady]

I just opened the 11 eggs I took out of the incubator. All 7 of the leghorn eggs were literally scrambled. These were shipped eggs from the south. The 4 silkie eggs were just like a egg yolk. They came from east of me. Neither doz traveled more than a 1/2 day away, if I drove it. I had left the doz of these out on the porch incase they started to smell before I could get to them and they were a little frozen. I was hoping to tell if any were fertile out of the 11. So 7 were scrambled and 4 didn't start. I guess I'll say I'm not a fan of shipped eggs. None of these were important nor expensive. I just wanted to try. One came with a peck mark on it and one had a crack before I even started. Since I live in a farming area people are not into the fun chickens. Other than our county fairs, people travel to show. I called our Tractor Supply last night to inquire about chicks and RIR came in early this week and were gone. She didn't know when any were coming or the breed. She said to call a couple times a day, every day. She must not think I have a life. She said to order them from TS but I would have to order 25. I ONLY WANT 2. Our Agway gets Barred Rocks, RIR and White Leghorns. I SO BADLY WANT BRIGHTLY COLORED BUFF ORPINGTONS! Around here, people say HUH? What kind?

aoxa - That barn looks wonderful. So much room

If you lived closer to me I would say check out our local feed store. They have so many different breeds coming in with dates of when they will be available. If I had a set up for chicks I would buy some but I would rather have pullets since I dont.

http://www.clydesfeed.com/2012-chicks/

 

[aoxa]

I just opened the 11 eggs I took out of the incubator. All 7 of the leghorn eggs were literally scrambled. These were shipped eggs from the south. The 4 silkie eggs were just like a egg yolk. They came from east of me. Neither doz traveled more than a 1/2 day away, if I drove it. I had left the doz of these out on the porch incase they started to smell before I could get to them and they were a little frozen. I was hoping to tell if any were fertile out of the 11. So 7 were scrambled and 4 didn't start. I guess I'll say I'm not a fan of shipped eggs. None of these were important nor expensive. I just wanted to try. One came with a peck mark on it and one had a crack before I even started. Since I live in a farming area people are not into the fun chickens. Other than our county fairs, people travel to show. I called our Tractor Supply last night to inquire about chicks and RIR came in early this week and were gone. She didn't know when any were coming or the breed. She said to call a couple times a day, every day. She must not think I have a life. She said to order them from TS but I would have to order 25. I ONLY WANT 2. Our Agway gets Barred Rocks, RIR and White Leghorns. I SO BADLY WANT BRIGHTLY COLORED BUFF ORPINGTONS! Around here, people say HUH? What kind?

aoxa - That barn looks wonderful. So much room.

That's a shame.. Our feed stores are very similar.. only order RIR, Barred Rocks, Delawares, Hybrids, and basic breeds of turkeys, ducks and geese.

Funny because the owner of the store has a small hatchery and raises silkies, the above breeds, Speckled Sussex, Silver Laced Wyandottes, White Chanteclers, Partridge Wyandotte bantams, White Wyandotte bantams, the best snowy call ducks around here among some other fancy duck/goose breeds.

 

[Bulldogma]

After a horse with feathers Pegasus

What a great idea! LOL!Very clever, indeed!

Because I have Swedish Flower Hens, I tend to give them all Swedish names, but I could tie the Nordic mythology in there.

Do you think the Greek gods would mind? LOL!!

So - one great name suggestion. Anyone else want to play?? All suggestions welcome!

this is the cutest thing I've seen in a while... Congrats on the new swedish babies!

It's never to early to sport the Andy Worhol look!

Okay, so the baby barn has been delivered for the basement babies, and I love it! Here are some quick pictures before we put shavings and the birds in there.

Outside front.
The back.
Inside
Koda inspecting the building
They put the pop door at ground level. Ah well. They thought to secure it from the inside - which is very cool of them.
Pop door from the back.
Front doors from inside
They still haven't come to clean up the debris

Hooray! The phoenix is starting to emerge!

HUGS!

 

[Sally8]

 

[aoxa]

Anyone else looking forward to spring and the grass that comes with it?

ETA: Changed topic.

 

[SallyinIndiana]

I saw that warning the first few times I was reading the thread but once I posted, I have not been back to the first page to read it. I'm thinking that many of the people who post daily would miss a warning on the first page.

 

[aoxa]

What a great idea! LOL!Very clever, indeed!

Because I have Swedish Flower Hens, I tend to give them all Swedish names, but I could tie the Nordic mythology in there.

Do you think the Greek gods would mind? LOL!!

So - one great name suggestion. Anyone else want to play?? All suggestions welcome!


It's never to early to sport the Andy Worhol look!

Hooray! The phoenix is starting to emerge!

HUGS!

I'm not creative with names. All I come up with is old people names. lol Ask Margaret

yes it is! I am so happy with the baby barn and the people that constructed it. We found the best prices through them, and they built it specifically for us. I would recommend the company to anyone in our area.. There is another place close by that wanted double the price for a brand new baby barn.