The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[kian]

Thank you

 

[armorfirelady]

Congrats Kian the chicks are beautiful

Just got great news..........I get to pick up my new babies in 2 weeks!!! (Insert happy running around guy here)
I can't wait to see them

Temps dropped into the 40s again today and when I got home I had 4 girls at the coop door complaining. (The song how much are those chickens in the window going thru my head) So I decided to let them out in the newly turned over veggie garden. I had fencing around for the new babies to keep them out although when I looked out later all the girls were in the planted veggie garden. I forgot the fence didn't block all of it. Duh!! Luckily they left when I shooed them out and put more fencing up. They spent the rest of the evening in the freshly turned soil. They have been very upset every time we were in the veggie garden putting compost down & rototilling......I swear they could smell the worms and the bugs in there. Lol

 

[BlueMouse]

These look great can I ask where they are from Cream Legbars are next on the list as soon as the incubator frees up maybe by the end of June! Haha! Thanks!

They're from Papa Brooder here on BYC. He has good reviews, and I cannot say enough about how beautifully the eggs were packed. I'll let you all know how the hatch goes.

today I moved the guineas from the plastic tub to the bottom of the two level brooder. My husband put the heat light in there on a dimmer, and it sure makes the temperature super easy to control. He also rigged strips of LED lights up for general ligh when they don't have the heatlamp on, that's amazing too. It's hilaroius to watch them flying across the brooder and "sunbathing" under the heatlamp.

 

[Leahs Mom]

Kian..

So exciting! Beautiful babies!!!!!

 

[kian]

Thank you!!! I just want to crawl into the coop and watch them So adorable.

 

[jlynnet]

New "just for fun" post on the Thing. Read it HERE.

great idea!! I need to get a picture of my 4 yr old with the chickens. They follow him everywhere he goes because he usually has something for them. Or he corners them so he can pet them. He tells me they love him.

 

[Bulldogma]

great idea. I may just send you a few pics myself for the

Yes! Please do - and that goes for everyone! Pictures are so much fun, and it's even more fun when they're of all different things in all different places!

Very excited over here: we have 5 out of 8 eggs hatched so far today!!!!!! They were popping out like crazy! SO SO SO cute.

I had to crawl inside the coop so the photos aren't wonderful. The lightest baby on the left is the 5th to hatch.

Congrats! So very exciting!!

 

[armorfirelady]

Ok I have a question (go figure lol)

So since I have figured out where the girls crops are I have been checking them at night especially since I switched to feeding them after dinner so they will get more food from their ranging area. Tonight & Wednesday I noticed that yellow's crop has been barely noticeable. The 3 other girls' crops have been big and full. There is FF left in their trough both nights. So I know even if she didn't forage well she had FF to eat. She is out foraging with her sisters. She is the smallest now (red used to be) but she hasn't seem to have lost any weight. I've been averaging 3 eggs a day and get 4 eggs at least twice a week so I know she is laying. They all are scraggly looking and I am finding some feathers around but no one has lost a lot. They actually haven't had a full mount yet (they turned a year old Monday) and I noticed tonight one is missing her long tail feathers so I am guessing they are going to mount soon?

Food has not been changed. They get meat protein at least 3 times a week in addition to their FF.
her crop is not hard nor squishy. She is acting ok. Poopy butts are gone. Clear eyes, alert & I will check her feet again but a few days ago they were ok.
Any thoughts?

 

[kian]

Thank you BDM! There is a 6th egg with a small pip in it and it and one other egg have some chirping. The temptation to sit and stare at the eggs is strong. I'd never get anything done if these were in an incubator!

 

[midnightroo]

Kian congrats on the chicks! They are so cute.

Loved the photos on the thing.