The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[Leahs Mom]

Thankfully, the kids stay in the kennel even if the gate is open and only venture out about 2 ft. from the gate then go back in. Even if mom goes out to the woods, they seem to have enough sense to stay. Maybe she told them not to follow her...or just didn't invite them.

Those kids would be easy-pickins.

 

[aoxa]

Thankfully, the kids stay in the kennel even if the gate is open and only venture out about 2 ft. from the gate then go back in. Even if mom goes out to the woods, they seem to have enough sense to stay. Maybe she told them not to follow her...or just didn't invite them.

Those kids would be easy-pickins.

I just edited my last post, it is nesting season for hawks.

I sure hope they aren't nesting near you..

Geez,. I'd be so paranoid..

 

[armorfirelady]

So I went out about 20 min ago to close the coop door. Everyone was in finally from gallivanting all day. Since I only got 2 eggs this morning I thought I would check the nesting boxes again. Low and behold I was surprised to see a girl in the nesting box after dark. She talked quietly and I thought it was red sleeping there for the night since one of her sisters yanked out a mouthful of feathers on her neck today when nana was giving them ham. She got up and to my surprise she had just laid an egg!! Never had my girls lay after dark before. Must of been because she was out in yard today when she normally lays and maybe forgot lol

I've never had one lay so late at night before

 

[Sally8]

It must be the night for out of normal things to happen. Peckles was missing when I did my head count. I grabbed the flashlight and finally found her in the dog coop. I think the wind blew the wire gate to their run closed before she got in. (normally they just fly over). I was so worried as something sort of clawed both sides of Sally. She's missing feathers n both sides and her tail feathers are gone. I'm suspecting a cat. I haven't seen a stray recently but I know they are there.



armorfirelady - I have 2 that lay at dusk. There won't be eggs at 6pm but by 9, I have 2. Before molting everyone laid their eggs very early in the morning. What happened to that?!? lol

 

[flagirl]

Aoxa, you are a wonderful photographer, the pic of just henry's nose is precious and artistic.

 

[aoxa]

Aoxa, you are a wonderful photographer, the pic of just henry's nose is precious and artistic.

Thank you so much!

 

[Mumsy]

OK Mumsy, my ignorance again. What makes these Catdance Silkies feathers above the next? Are you able to tell at this young age? How about the sex? I always thought females had poofy head feathers and males feathers kind of went toward the back.

I like answering your questions Sally. It isn't ignorance, it's curiosity and the pursuit of knowledge.

I don't know if Catdance have superior feathers. I haven't raised any Catdance chickens yet except the three adult Whites I bought along with the eggs a month ago. I couldn't afford $150 a bird for show quality. When or if Karen Larson sells show quality it means the bird won big at an actual show. Some eggs she sells come out of pens of winning stock. Not all.
My roo has a less than perfect tail. Too many hard feathers. The two pullets out of a different pen have beautiful soft full tails so their chicks should balance out. I won't choose any of his daughters to breed back to him unless they have perfect tails. Most likely I will start a pen two of his offspring and breed the poor tail out over time.

When I was researching Silkie breeders, I kept going back to look at images of Catdance birds. I read posts from everyone I could find that hatched eggs or bought birds. I didn't find any unhappy customers. There seems to be a consistant 'type' to her lines. Just like when I chose Ron Fogle's heritage RIR line. I liked what I saw in the pictures and what people were saying about them. Without seeing live birds before purchasing, I went with what I know about Silkies and saved my $ until I could go directly to her farm and see them and meet the breeder in person. I was blown away by the consistent breeding pens I saw.
These chicks are very typey even just out of the egg. Their feet are consistently feathered. The beaks are short. Horn color good. All have five toes that I can see so far. Most have black skin except for the project colored birds. This is normal.
The legs are short and sturdy. Most have short backs. The down is well covering their bodies. (no sparse spots)
They all look to have dark eyes. All in all, no DQ features on the SOP colors. The project colors are just that. Works in progress. The two project colors that are smoking my brain are the Catdance Lavenders and Porcelains. Truly beautiful.




Tenth and eleventh chicks to hatch today are a few hours old. The Buff has lighter skin than the Lavender but still good. There is another Buff zipping in the bator.

@aoxa: Clementine is the only white chick so far and Gigi is a dark Blue Splash. I'm waiting for my camera battery to charge and will take good first portraits of them together. They are both strong chicks and already making a mark in the brooder tub by running over the top of everybody else! Hah!

 

[jlynnet]

Mumsy the chicks are beautiful!! so fluffy and cute. Even in pictures the colors are beautiful, so I know in person they are more lovely to look at!!

 

[Eggcessive]

Mumsy, love your silkie pictures and Aoxa, love that Henry!

 

[PeepsCA]

Quote: Poults can have yogurt any time. But they need higher protein than chicks... turkey/pheasant/game bird starter. Not chick starter.