The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[bluebirdnanny]

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I love that photo!!!

klan, it is such fun to see and hear about your mama hen.

I'm so excited because after spending a week thinking the chick hatching lady dropped out of sight....and exploring where else I could get chicks of breeds that I wanted....she emailed me and the eggs are all in the incubator, lock down on 5/21.

I can't wait.

It has been about 3 years since I've had chicks, and there are some things I am doing differently this time around:
1. sod in the brooder
2. ff or wet feed at the least
3. brooder in the coop, not in the house for even one day (hoorah)
4. brooder at eye level instead of down (this is a very cool thing especially as I'm getting older)

and....my bathtub in the house is a stock tank. So brooding before was in the tub, and every time I wanted to bathe I would have to transfer the chicks to a kennel, pick up the newspaper/litter, etc, rinse the tub, - So I am especially looking forward to brooding in the coop.

It actually snowed yesterday. melted on contact with the ground, but, it was a bit depressing. It will be below freezing again tonight.

Ah then perhaps she was waiting to have eggs before telling you. Would have been nice to be notified she is waiting for hen to lay them. Congrats though. Hope all works out well.

It's been in the 40s all day here with high winds & wx forecast for the next few nights is freezing temps & snow

it would of been a much nicer Mother's Day present if Moher Nature would of kept the temps in the 70s like last week. We had hail here and thankfully I had already covered e veggies. I AM READY FOR SPRING

Here, here! I am ready too.

That's amazing. What a clever idea! Love it!

I put a "training roost" in with the guineas today. They were convinced it was a snake and huddled in the corner with all their long skinny necks sticking up like a miniature forest for an hour, just STARING at it. Then one got bold and sat on it, now I'm lying on the couch, watching them fight for space on it. They are the the most ridiculous birds ever. I love how how they're just going along, looking like a normal (ish) bird, and all the sudden it's like "tada, the amazing extend-o-neck." They still try to eat each other's feet too. One is like: "Look, a Pink Worm, I grabs it!" then the other one is all like "Ow ow ow owwie, that's my toe" and trying to yank it away....

Aoxa, I'm loving your pictures as usual. Henry is getting so big and so handsome!

Oh is that why my toes hurt? lol.

Speaking of brooders..One of the people on the Orpington thread just had a custom made brooder done..it is soooo beautiful.


I showed this to DH and he said, absolutely not! That is ridicules for chicken, ...well not this year anyway. Maybe next year if your good. ..
wonder what I gotta do to be considered good?

Hmmmmmm thinking.......

Got a text from a friend last wondering if I wanted one hen. Apparently her neighbors hen house was attacked and left only one hen. She said the predator dug under the hen house. They think it was a weasel......but I didnt know they dug? I always thought they went thru an opening & could get thru one as small as an inch?

Apparently the neighbors are going to rebuild their coop and make it more secure. Others in area were attacked as well. I thought weasels lived near where there was water like creeks or streams? There are none out there that I know of.

Makes me thankful I made mine secure as I built it instead of waiting till the hens were killed.

Yep always best to be preventative instead of after the fact hind sight.

90's are definitely pushing it for me too!

laughing because I've measured for the brooder door 3 x's , screwed up 4 x's, and now I think it is best that I put down the tools and stop before things get out of hand. not a spatial person at all.


oh! first hummingbird of the season!

Neighbor saw our first last week..... then we got snow!!! Hope it is still around. No more snow now but still bitter out. Hope I didn't just loose my apple crop again this year..... was planning on homemade organic ACV

 

[midnightroo]

Congrats on your anniversary Justine. You two make a beautiful couple. Today six years ago my beautiful girl was placed in my arms.

Question about freezing food to give to the chickens during the winter. Anyone do it? I was thinking about freezing some chickweed, dandelions, and some other weeds the chickens eat to give it to the chickens during the winter when these aren't available.

Thanks

 

[delisha]

Had to go to the google translator for that one

Congrats on your anniversary Justine. You two make a beautiful couple. Today six years ago my beautiful girl was placed in my arms.

Question about freezing food to give to the chickens during the winter. Anyone do it? I was thinking about freezing some chickweed, dandelions, and some other weeds the chickens eat to give it to the chickens during the winter when these aren't available.

Thanks

she is simply adorable!!

I toss out frozen food to them all the time. my livers/testicles/kidneys/lungs/heart/egg sacks/gizzards are chopped up in little zip lock baggies. I just invert the froze chunk. This time of year it does not take much time to thaw. They eat it frozen. They eat corn, kale, and berries frozen.

 

[4Hgirl]

Pictures.. again. and the barn has three walls!

You are such an amazing photographer!

 

[jlynnet]

I'm so happy we have silly humor on here! After a bad day or a bad headache, I feel so much better after a good laugh!
My babies are growing so fast. I have so much beautiful color out there. I see why Delisha loves the Orpingtons. They are so big and fluffy.

 

[4Hgirl]

From day one, a little glug is the easiest measurement. I don't have the time to measure a tablespoon per gallon.

Sounds like a perfect measurement to mee! Thank you

 

[armorfirelady]

Question about freezing food to give to the chickens during the winter. Anyone do it? I was thinking about freezing some chickweed, dandelions, and some other weeds the chickens eat to give it to the chickens during the winter when these aren't available.

Thanks

Last fall I froze all kinds of fruits & veggies-cukes,zukes, pumpkins, squash, apples,grapes, tomatoes, etc for the girls for the winter and they lasted all the way to March in keeping the girls happy with veggies. This year I plan on trying lettuce, turnips, beets & herbs. I dont know how well the leafy veggies will do but I am going to try & see. If worse comes to worse I could always put them in the food processor to chop them up and see if they freeze better that way

You are such an amazing photographer!

x2

 

[midnightroo]

she is simply adorable!!

I toss out frozen food to them all the time. my livers/testicles/kidneys/lungs/heart/egg sacks/gizzards are chopped up in little zip lock baggies. I just invert the froze chunk. This time of year it does not take much time to thaw. They eat it frozen. They eat corn, kale, and berries frozen.

Thanks, she's a sweetie. do the chickens eat it frozen in the winter also?

I'm so happy we have silly humor on here! After a bad day or a bad headache, I feel so much better after a good laugh!
My babies are growing so fast. I have so much beautiful color out there. I see why Delisha loves the Orpingtons. They are so big and fluffy.

So true! Very funny humor on here.

 

[midnightroo]

Last fall I froze all kinds of fruits & veggies-cukes,zukes, pumpkins, squash, apples,grapes, tomatoes, etc for the girls for the winter and they lasted all the way to March in keeping the girls happy with veggies. This year I plan on trying lettuce, turnips, beets & herbs. I dont know how well the leafy veggies will do but I am going to try & see. If worse comes to worse I could always put them in the food processor to chop them up and see if they freeze better that way x2

Ok thanks. Did you defrost it first?

 

[aoxa]

You are such an amazing photographer!

Thank you so much!

Congrats on your anniversary Justine. You two make a beautiful couple. Today six years ago my beautiful girl was placed in my arms.

Question about freezing food to give to the chickens during the winter. Anyone do it? I was thinking about freezing some chickweed, dandelions, and some other weeds the chickens eat to give it to the chickens during the winter when these aren't available.

Thanks

She is absolutely precious. You must be so proud!

Nine years and still willing to be that physically close to eachother? That's quite a feat for any two humans. Congrats!

Thank you!

and with that.. three more photos.. of the three roosters we have.



If only you could see how vibrant his red comb and wattles are in person.. It is fire truck red.

I have never had a rooster with such a vibrant comb and wattles.. He sure loves to pose for a picture.

Rooster Boy @ 21 weeks old


Phoenix, free ranging quite far from the baby barn!

Phoenix is a mutt. You could call him an Easter Egger I guess. He has Silkie, Naked Neck and Ameraucana in his blood.


Cletus discovered where the humans go in and out of the house.. which means he is that much closer to finding where the treats come from..

Cletus is a Barred Plymouth Rock, and is 18 weeks old in the picture.