The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[delisha]

Final hatch count is twelve live and wonderful chicks. Last one just out this morning is another Buff. Drying in the bator. I removed the last three eggs and did an eggtopsie. A White and a Black were both quitters at day fourteen! I missed them candling. They looked right to me with air cell and everything. The third was a gorgeous Lavender chick that died in the shell without internally pipping. It had absorbed the yolk too! This chick had the hugest vaulted skull of any of the other twelve chicks. Hmmm..

So twelve live beautiful chicks out of thirteen viable embryos is the best hatch out of Silkie eggs from an incubator for me EVER!

How very very wonderful!! That is such exciting news!! Congrats!!

Quote: I agree !!

For these silkies I have here I will cull the obvious..like toes and DQ's that are obvious. The BLRW will be kept till feathering at least and incorrect body type.

 

[bluebirdnanny]

Wouldn't it be nesting time now?

So glad everyone is safe. Phew...

I have a lot of bird activity as well. The crows are nesting very close by which makes me feel secure.. Though none of the chicks have gone outside.. .even though I've actually set a few out, they just hop back in. Except Tina. She stays out for a little longer than the others.. None are out without me there. Still very small and I worry.. Nothing for them to forage on anyway here.

Yep it's nesting time.


It sure would suck to live in close proximity to a nesting hawk..

Past two years one has between me and my neighbor! So mine will not be out without me outside. They will have to be in the pen or the coop when I am inside. But will be making them a nice sized covered yard to roam in by next year.

 

[Pullet Surprise]

Mumsy, congratulations on your babies!!!

 

[armorfirelady]

Congrats Mumsy of the very successful hatch rate.

I dont know if I would have the patience to hatch eggs in an incubator.
(Plus the poor things would probably be traumatized from 8 pairs of cat eyes watching them

)

And since I am limited to 6 hens I really don't have to worry about hatching anything. Tho if I did have fertilized eggs I think I would go the broody hen way.

But I do enjoys everyone's chick pics.......and I have been going to TSC once a week to look at all the chicks as well.

 

[jendodd79]

On our way home with some new 2 week old chicks!

We picked up a Mottled Houdan pullet, a gold laced polish pullet and an unsexed red frizzle Cochin. We also have a bunch of silkies for my friend and they are sooooo cute. Having silkie regret!!

 

[Sally8]

e Congrats Mumsy of the very successful hatch rate.

I dont know if I would have the patience to hatch eggs in an incubator. (Plus the poor things would probably be traumatized from 8 pairs of cat eyes watching them

) And since I am limited to 6 hens I really don't have to worry about hatching anything. Tho if I did have fertilized eggs I think I would go the broody hen way. But I do enjoys everyone's chick pics.......and I have been going to TSC once a week to look at all the chicks as well.

Very funny! My incubated chicks don't have to worry about the 7 pairs of eyes here but the 7 pair of very long reaching arms that continually reach under the bathroom door. I'm always worried that one will get out of the pen and trot around on the floor thinking he is seeing welcoming arms reaching under.

 

[armorfirelady]

Very funny! My incubated chicks don't have to worry about the 7 pairs of eyes here but the 7 pair of very long reaching arms that continually reach under the bathroom door. I'm always worried that one will get out of the pen and trot around on the floor thinking he is seeing welcoming arms reaching under.

yeah my guys would be *welcoming* them as well lol And the basement is not an option either since I have no room to close off to the cats down their either.
Just means I have to get some pullets that are feathered out so they can go right outside. And I will sneak a few extras in since I really dont believe the inspector will be around to count my hens lol

 

[lalaland]

about inspectors counting: about 15 years ago I lived in Minneapolis, and had a permit for 3 hens. The inspector made an appt - and I had 4 hens. My plan was to get home early and put a hen in the garage, but...arrived home to find the inspector waiting for me. Nothing to do but tough it out. Inspector looks at the feed, looks at the run, asks lots of questions, looks in the coop, looks at the chickens, (there are 4 right in front of him, expecting treats), and looks at me, looks at the permit, looks back at me and says, "three hens, right? " and I gulp, and say yes. He says "ok, then", looks like you have a nice set up. See you next year.!!!!

you never know!

 

[armorfirelady]

about inspectors counting: about 15 years ago I lived in Minneapolis, and had a permit for 3 hens. The inspector made an appt - and I had 4 hens. My plan was to get home early and put a hen in the garage, but...arrived home to find the inspector waiting for me. Nothing to do but tough it out. Inspector looks at the feed, looks at the run, asks lots of questions, looks in the coop, looks at the chickens, (there are 4 right in front of him, expecting treats), and looks at me, looks at the permit, looks back at me and says, "three hens, right? " and I gulp, and say yes. He says "ok, then", looks like you have a nice set up. See you next year.!!!!

you never know!

Our inspectors are the Town building inspectors who were given the job. I was the first to get a permit in the Town after they passed the law. The guy I spoke with said checking on chickens is last on their to do list lol They were not happy about more work since they downsized their department so have less inspectors. Mine can come on my property anytime with no appointment but I really cant see them doing it with the dogs in the yard or with how much other work they have to do. the permits was for people in my town who's neighbors are right next to one another & who's neighbors don't like the chickens. Thankfully all mine love the chickens and i have a large lot so the chickens get no where near my neighbors houses. I wouldnt get a rooster (also forbidden) but I think an extra hen o r2 would be ok. And I am going to have to probably cull one during the summer so then I will only be one over.

I think it was funny the permit states only for laying not for eating. I asked the inspector how they could tell if the chicken in my freezer was from the grocery store or my coop. He just laughed

 

[Shan30]

Long term thread lurker and occaisonal questioner...

I finally have a broody hen however, she has chosen a nest box that is in the middle of everything, two feet off the ground and cannot be moved.

I want to move her as I am concerned about the safety of her babies both because of the other birds and the two foot drop from the nest.

Have any of you moved a broody successfully? I'm thinking of taking a nest in beside her at night, first stealing her eggs and then placing her on them. That way I can move the whole assembly to where she can still see the flock but will be safe from them. My concerns are that this will break her out of her broodiness or she will break the eggs in transport.

She's been on the nest for just over a week, let her keep some random eggs last Wednesday. Have not seen her leave the nest at all.

Any ideas would be great!