The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[BlueMouse]

Look what came in the mail today!!! Cream legbar eggs! The photo does NOT do the beautiful color justice at all.



I ordered six, but he included two extras, plus they were double boxed and individually wrapped. A really nice shipping job. I have them sitting fat end up in a carton with the bottoms cut out for 24 hours, then I'll candle and put in the incubator. hoping the superlative packing job will have helped not to have detached air cells. I'm hoping to get at least 4 out of this group to hatch. I'm also putting in some eggs from my orpington pair at the same time. Crossing my fingers for a good hatch, this is the first time I've incubated.

 

[FarmerJH]

The MA law regarding the matter: "...any person may kill a dog found out of the enclosure of its owner or keeper and not under his immediate care in the act of worrying, wounding or killing persons, live stock or fowls, and if any person shall kill or attempt to kill a dog so found, and in the act of worrying, wounding or killing persons, live stock or fowls, he shall not be held liable for cruelty to the dog unless it shall be shown that he intended to be cruel to the dog, or that he acted with a wanton and reckless disregard for the suffering of the dog. A person killing or wounding a dog under the conditions set out in this section shall promptly report to the owner, animal control officer or police officer such killing or wounding. Prompt killing of a wounded dog, or a prompt report to the owner or to a dog officer of the wounding of the dog, shall be considered evidence of sufficient regard for the suffering of the dog."


Also, thank you all for the info about fermenting feed! I started doing it about 3 weeks ago for the chicks and once they moved into the coop the other chickens were eating it before their own non-fermented feed so I started fermenting the layer pellets, as well. Everyone's feathers are becoming glossier and they are much less irritable. One question though, what is BOSS? I've seen it mentioned a bunch of times in here, and I seem to be the only one that doesn't know what it is...

 

[FridayYet]

BOSS = Black Oil Sunflower Seeds

 

[smccuen]

Quote: "Si tu perro es de mi tierra a mis pollos daño ME va a matar al perro." equals "If your dog comes on my land to harm my chickens I will kill your dog." Maybe a little sign would help.

 

[smccuen]

Or "if you want your dog to live it must let my chickens live". Si usted desea que su perro para vivir debe permitir vivir mis pollos.

 

[RedRidge]

Fermenting update...
Well... a combination of research and advice (thanks Leah's Mom for the off line help

) and I finally got my fermented feeds going.
An update for those interested... I figure this "recap" may help some of you who are on the fence about fermenting...

I grind and mix my own grains and feed, so this transition to fermenting isn't as bad as I was worried it might me.
I am fermenting grains and then adding the premix to them each day as I go... grinding the grains in 50 lb batches every 5-7 days.
I have a LOT of chicks right now ranging from just hatched to almost 3 months old in 3 separate groups (and a fourth group are in the incubator).
So... I decided to ferment some ground grains about a week ago knowing I'd have newly hatched chicks a few days ago. Grinding may not be necessary, but I grind for the babies and I figured starting with only one group of chicks rather than all - this would allow for less trial and error and I wouldn't be as overwhelmed.
The newborns seemed like the logical choice.
The got offered their FF from day one with no other feed.
They play in it and walk in it, but more importantly they DO eat it.
Hint #1: Because they walk in it I have gotten in the habit of stirring it mid-way through the day so it isn't "packed down" and potentially easier for newborns to pick at - probably not necessary, but makes me feel better.

Figuring out how much for 22 chicks has been dicey, so... what they don't eat by that evening I move to the pen with the 4 week old chicks. They have free choice access to my ground chick feed all the time from a hanging feeder, so I didn't know if they'd go for the FF or not... especially since it was not "fresh".
Good news... they ate it right up!

I was a little surprised since I didn't really expect them to since they couldn't possibly be hungry with the feed they've had access to 24/7... but within 30 minutes the half day old FF was gone.
Hint #2: Waste not want not!

So... I feel better now about fixing it for the new chicks each morning because I know what they don't eat won't be wasted.
Don't know how that will work once I have everyone on FF... maybe I'll just continue to offer dry to the older chicks until I feel confident that they are getting enough FF.

We'll see how the next few weeks progress and hopefully by the time the last batch hatches in a week and a half I will have all the chicks on FF.
The laying hens free range this time of year and don't each much feed anyway, so they will be the easy group to transition when the time comes.

 

[Kassaundra]

About the dog thing, my 2 cents, I am a dog owner, and I have a completely fenced yard for my dogs to have full run of, I have tried to train them they are not to leave the yard. If my dogs leave my yard and are either agressive w/ someone or thier animals on their property (or are perceived to be) and they shoot and kill my dogs in that manner I would be p*ss*d as h*ll AT MYSELF that I did not do my due dillegance at keeping my dogs in my yard. If they actually hurt or killed other peoples animals I would be horrified and do my best at financial restitution for the loss. For those that think you have to give the dogs/people multiple chances to kill and maime your animals on your property I do not understand that reasoning at all as both a dog owner and a chicken owner.




Those that are considering the bucket of rotted meat and maggots, I would encourage you to do your research thouroghly on that topic. The man who first published that idea and who did it in his own flock lost almost his entire flock to botulism. The other consideration I would have about feeding a flock that way is the preditors that would attract to your chicken area once attracted may find your chickens.

 

[loanwizard]

Quote: I read that he lost about 4 and now no longer does it. I am too lazy to bucket them. I leave them out in the sun in July and August, and they are gone within 3-4 days. I might consider soldier flies, but if I want free protein I won't bother with the maggots, I'll just go around and get road kill. I fish enough to handle it mostly though.

 

[countrygirl74]

Would maggots be considered animal protein? If so, there is a thread or post somewhere around here for that. Basically hang some rotten meat out.... downwind of the house.... perfect for Countrygirl if she can situate it so that it blows toward the privacy fence..... til the maggots come and the birds scarf them up.... then dump the remains and the birds eat it too.

LOL - Well, the day after we told him off, he came home from work and "pretended" to work on his jeep that is right on the other side of the fence I put up, and close to the coop, and revved his engine for almost 2 hours. I just laughed thinking to myself, "What a waste of time and gas" - he's such a 2-year-old. I did end up re-homing 2 of my roosters as with the 3 of them it was getting out of control for my girls, but I also did keep them a couple extra days that I didn't really need to just to let them crow their hearts out a little longer for the neighbor.

Anybody ever have a hen break her leg? My sister called me this morning and said one of her hens broke her leg - it seems right at the joint (like where a knee would be) Anything she can do or just put it out of its misery? She is pretty much laying down and not moving much but when she feels like she has to move, she'll try to get around on one leg.

 

[Leahs Mom]

Quote:
I've experimented over the years and can say that a combination of at least 16% protein (if not a little higher) with at least 4% by weight (if not higher) in animal proteins, will dramatically increase not only egg production but overall health of laying hens.
Anything below 16% or with little to no animal protein and there's a dramatic dropped in egg production and quality.

Now I know I'm way behind and I haven't read to the end so there may have been some comment on this already. But your statement is very interesting - especially since I'm one of the "resident proponents" of getting as much animal protein into their diets as possible. In fact, I'd remove every ounce of legumes and as many grains as possible if I could!

Now I have some Swedish Flower Hens that turn 19 weeks old today. At least one of them started laying just 2 days short of week 18. I'm told by the SFH people that this is very early for this breed. BDM - correct me if I'm wrong...was it about 22 weeks they usually start?

Anyhow, I'm wondering if she may be earlier due to my practice of feeding a good amount of animal protein right from hatch. Of course, I'll never know, but your statement has me wondering.



.I watched her for awhile yesterday. Not sure if she's the only one laying but she's the only one I SAW.

She was doing the classic "picking up pieces of grass and putting them on her back" thing. I thought...oh my...will she go broody early? Not acting broody at all, however, except for picking up the grass like that.





The eggs you see there were already in the nest.



Very proud of herself!