The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[countrygirl74]

your Cochin is a pulllet

The top chick..? cockerel? you need two more weeks to be sure

Delisha,
What is it about the wyandotte that makes you think possible cockerel? Wing feathers, attitude, both? I'm leaning toward cockerel on that one too but wasn't sure...it seems to be super friendly, wanting to fly out of the box to join us. It seems in the past, our favs and most friendly like that turned out to be the roosters. What will be more evident in a couple weeks?

 

[mlowen]

BDM...awesome tour! It looks really good and the mamas and their babies in their little partitions is just sweet. Fabulous work.

 

[aoxa]

Looks Great!!!! Love the whole idea.

Agree! Very nice job. Love the tour I love all that light you get in there!!

 

[Leahs Mom]

I have a couple of "mobile coop" questions for you BDM!

-I noticed that the roost looks really high but that might be just the perspective in the video. How high is the main roost?
-Also noticed a higher roost. Do your birds go up that high?

(Am just wondering about the heights because I've read so many things about having them too high. I have always wondered about that advice as in nature, a bird would try to get as high as possible to keep away from predators I imagine!!)


-Is your hardwarecloth metal or plastic?
-You showed the side vent door that could be used as a shade for the window. Does the other side also have a closeable door there?

 

[Loghousemom]

Bulldogma, I LOVE the house trailer coop! Very cool! I saw an old trailer on the side of the road the other days and thought it might make an interesting playhouse for kids if it was cleaned up... But chicken coop! Wow. Creative!

 

[Leahs Mom]

Also - a winter coop question for anyone!

I use deep litter. I have never used a "poop board" or anything else under the roost.

But

In the winter, there's a lot more poop concentrated in there since they're home more (!) I had read of folks that use the deep litter but still have a board under the roost that they clean off daily. When I read about that it seemed like a lot of extra work to me!

Now that I've experienced a winter, I can see one thing that a poop board might be useful for. It may help the litter to last longer without having to be changed out as often during the winter. You would still have the benefit of the deep litter, just not have such a high concentration during the winter months.

I'm just contemplating that now...I really don't want to mess with a poop board....

But wondering y'alls thoughts on that. Anyone use a poop board? Worth it or not for the winter?

 

[SallyinIndiana]

I found this article especially helpful (thank you Mumsy!)

I also took an old PC fan and put it in my incubator. I now have 2 LGs - one (with the fan) for incubating and one without a fan just for hatching. My first hatch failed terribly, but then I took Mumsy's advice and "redecorated" my 'bator and had a very good hatch the next time around.

Sally - Mumsy did a nice article on using the LG at at this link.

Thank you

 

[Sally8]

I know many of you hatch your own chicken eggs using incubators. I am warming up a little giant still air incubator that I got as a gift. I was wondering if any of you had any hints or could link me to your prior posts that detail all of the adjustments you thought to make. I'm only putting in 5 eggs. I just want to see if I can get chicks.

I usually have very good luck with my LG still air. Take a plastic milk cap and a screw and put it in the top of the know for adjusting the temp. Save the box and leave the incubator inside (Cut the top off. It really makes a difference with temp fluxuation. Put a small cup (I use a paper bathroom cup and put a sponge in) in the incubator instead of pouring water into the channels in the bator itself. You have a better chance of adjusting the %. Be sure to put the cup under a hole some where so you can put a straw in to pour more water in without opening the cover. I'm not a stickler about not opening the cover as hens are on and off continually. 2 hatches ago 4 separate eggs had pipped when I was candeling, I put them back in and all 4 hatched. The previous hatch, I did everything by the book, Only 1 hatched out of 12. I like mine but then my chickens are not big bucks chickens either.




I can't get the 3rd pic to download that shows the milk cap. I'll try later. There are other tips here on BYC.

I hadn't seen Mumsy's piece on that thing but yes! I'd like to know tho, where does everyone go to get an accurate thermometer? I have up to 10 of them and honestly, I only have 2 that are somewhat near each other. I hate going anywhere reptiles or their accessories but I'll check there. I have 2 brand new digital from Walmart and both are off

 

[aoxa]

I visited my doeling today again. Oh my gosh.. I am so in love with her.. She is the sweetest thing.



Here she is with Susan. I have a video uploading too.



It was dark in the barn, so pictures aren't that great.. but she is so cute it makes up for it.

 

[aoxa]

Here is the video Lots of talking in the background. hehe