The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[jlynnet]

Delisha, I have a Farm Innovators 4200 incubator. I did lock down at 18 days. The breeder I got them from does that. We should see some activity my tomorrow. My temp is 99.5 and my humidity is about 60%. This is my first time incubating.

I have some chick pics to post.

1 week old Tolbunt Polish

2 week old Tolbunt Polish

UK White Orpingtons @ 2weeks

Augsburgers @ 2 weeks
I have a few more but not good pictures. Yes I have a problem with chickens!!!!! These all came from Greenfire in Florida as a mixed assortment.

 

[BlueMouse]

I love that pack n play brooder!! I may have to break out my extra one and recycle it for chicks. I could probably cut a square of plywood to fit the bottom instead of/over the padded bottom that comes with it. Might be a good idea, since I think the bottom (of mine at least) that it came with could get pretty grubby and be ridiculously hard to clean.

chicken poop/water/food + pourous materials...

I have good news about my buff orpington hen! I decided to give her the weekend in the dog crate and if she wasn't showing improvement, put her down. Well, today her tail is back up, she was talking, scratching in her bedding, eating and pooping enthusiastically, and tonight she's up on the (very low) roost I put in for her!

I'm wondering if she was re-hurting herself getting up and down off the high roost? My bedding isn't that deep yet, so there's not a lot of cushion for a big bird coming down onto a gimpy leg. We'll see how she continues to do! I'm tenatively hopeful?

Someone my husband works with GAVE us six mixed bantam chicks!!! They had a bunch for easter photos, and just wanted them gone. I have them in a seperate brooder (read, extra large plastic tote with a dog crate panel over the top). I think they're about three weeks old. The plan is to stick them in the tractor that we built for our (prospective) meat birds, which will keep them away from the laying flock and provide some biosecurity. We'll eat the roosters, I might sell a couple of them throught the local swap group, and keep one. There's one with fluffy feet that if it doesn't turn out to be a roo, I think I may keep.... I'm a sucker.... But those fluffy feet are so darned cute! I have no idea what any of them are, so I'm eagerly anticipating weeks of fun trying to decide "what is that chicken" with the help of google images and my chicken books

I'm a chicken geek....

LM, that new roost looks great! But then again your whole coop is just lovely. I think I have coop envy.... and isn't it wonderful to have a hand DH who doesn't mind helping you with your projects? Mine is like that and I think he's the best ever!

 

[Leahs Mom]

These 2 pic's make me want to shed tears. They are gorgeous. Thanks for sharing.

Agreed!

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Hard to see the netting but its out there and such a giant area. Def need to make a few more hawk hide outs for them and I am thinking a lean to for shade. I don't know who's more excited me or them lol

I get so excited every time I see your new set up!!!!

 

[aoxa]

These 2 pic's make me want to shed tears. They are gorgeous. Thanks for sharing.

Thank you! That's me in the first picture in case you guys didn't know. Susan took most of today's pictures at Chester's Fields Farm. I took the ones at home

Too much going on is hard for me to take pictures. I would be terrible at a wedding lol. My subjects need to not talk. I like being alone when taking pictures.

BDM & Leah my mom & my friends son (he wants chicks & ducks so bad he always comes over to see mine) came over to set up the new electric netting & I was showing the pics of your SFH & my mom has decided I need some of them lol they were so amazed by their beautiful feather

If I won the lottery & got my farm ey would be on my wish list !!

Sue they like the BCMs babies as well.

Netting is up. I had helpers just cuz I didn't know how hard/easy it would be but turns out its light & simple. We put it up & down several times to get it just right. The girls have an area to roam triple the size of the veggie garden !! I think tomorrow after they roost I will put them in the new coop. The already use the nesting boxes and perch on the perches so they are def liking it,

I also got the new pop door moved so its on the outside of the coop. Now the door opens outward & I found I fit thru the door lol. The funniest part was I closed the 2nc pop door while I was fixing the auto one and 2 of the girls stood in front of the closed door pecking on. I think they were knocking so I would let them in

.

Hard to see the netting but its out there and such a giant area. Def need to make a few more hawk hide outs for them and I am thinking a lean to for shade. I don't know who's more excited me or them lol

Is this 164 foot roll? The picture gives me a good idea on how big one roll would do if this is just one roll. Looking good!

 

[dcba flock]

I have one from about 5 yrs a go.  They are smaller than the play pens of the 80's. 

I've seen my production RI red hens jump high enough that they would be able to get out.  There would be no room for a running start so I'm thinking flying out might not happen, they just might jump up and roost then out.  I'm thinking it would work though if you had dear netting or some other plastic garden style netting over the top.  

 

I use a baby gate over top of mine that I found curb shopping! Otherwise garage sales! They fit almost perfect across the top

 

[Bulldogma]

The instant I saw this picture, all I could think about was this clip:

 

[mlowen]

So is that dog the reason for Bulldogma I have not said this before on here because people think I'm telling stories but my sons second middle name on the birth certificate is Bulldog.

My daughter & SIL chose Krup for my grandson Tatum's middle name...after their dog whom they LOVE.

 

[Sally8]

Ahhh! That was my kids' and my favorite clip. WE would just repeat that over and over and over. I'd forgotten it. I need to send it on to both of them. Thanks for the fun memories! This last hour is just full of things to make me cry!!!

 

[chikenscratch]

Aoxa -
On those playpens...
-Are they tall enough to use for a "hospital" pen for an adult bird?
-What do you put over the top?

(It's been a long time since I had little kids so I don't know how large they are.)

The ones sold nowadays have a screen dome cover and an upper diaper tray area included in the purchase

 

[Bulldogma]

My daughter & SIL chose Krup for my grandson Tatum's middle name...after their dog whom they LOVE.

My son's middle name is Mario... after the best horse I ever had whose name was Super Mario. When he complains about the name, I remind him I could have made his first name "Super" instead of Jacob. That usually shuts him up - LOL! Last time he mentioned it, I reminded him he's 18 and can change his name if he wants to. He hasn't brought it up since... and has made no mention of a name change. Silly boy!