The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[Bulldogma]

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

What a precious, darling baby! Makes me think back... I struggled with infertility for many, many years. Finally had all the paperwork ready to go to adopt a little girl from China and found out I was pregnant! The interesting thing was that as overjoyed as I was to be pg, I still went through a bit of a mourning process for the beautiful, dark-haired child I had been imagining for so long.

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


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.

Is this one of Jagger's sons? Hope he's got the moves like Jagger... and the amazing paternal instinct, too!

Hi everyone I'm new to this thread but I wanted to share this photo of my beautiful x bred hen Sophie. She is seven years old and was still laying 5 or 6 eggs a week before she went broody. She is my Proof that the free range lifestyle produces happy long lasting hens. It's so funny this is the first time in her life that she has ever gone broody at 7 years old so strange. I hope you all like it xxx

Welcome! How wonderful your hen has lived such a long, healthy life! And to become a first-time mother at 7! Thank you for sharing!

 

[Melabella]

Ok, I know the answer is in this thread, and I should know it, but I don't have time to try and find it.. sorry


I just read Sally Sunshine's great article about vent gleet that was on the homepage a few days ago. The question I have is, vent gleet is not necessarily the same as just sticky gross butt right? I have read many times about the horrid smell associated with vent gleet, and two of my sloppy derriere girls don't smell, they are just messy ladies that no matter how many times I clean them, it ends up caking back up again. I've even watched them defecate, their droppings are normal in appearance, but it just smears down their feathers, and gets all gunked up. Last time I cleaned them I trimmed their butt feathers but some still manages to get stuck on there. Other than the obvious waste on their feathers, there is no other discharge.

I don't do FF, aside from it's health benefits, might it help with this issue as well?

what do you all think?

MB

 

[SallyinIndiana]

or quite simply, if you drop that basket, you broke all of your eggs. Ever almost drop your basket while collecting eggs? Quite the freak out moment

Watching my 3 yr old help with the egg gathering is freak out moments galore. It won't be long before I don't be the one gathering eggs.

 

[aoxa]

I got my egg basket at The Arc,,thrift shop...for $2. Same place I get my vintage Pyrex bowls, cast iron Dutch ovens and recently Descoware pots. When I need a specific kitchen item I go there first. I've started making sour dough bread and needed a tall heavy bowl, got a vintage bowl for $20 bucks, super pretty for sitting on the counter while the dough rises. My MIL and I try to go every other week at least.

What a precious, darling baby! Makes me think back... I struggled with infertility for many, many years. Finally had all the paperwork ready to go to adopt a little girl from China and found out I was pregnant! The interesting thing was that as overjoyed as I was to be pg, I still went through a bit of a mourning process for the beautiful, dark-haired child I had been imagining for so long.


Is this one of Jagger's sons? Hope he's got the moves like Jagger... and the amazing paternal instinct, too!


Welcome! How wonderful your hen has lived such a long, healthy life! And to become a first-time mother at 7! Thank you for sharing!

I think he belongs to one of the nicer barred Barred Rock roosters I had - Roger or Roger.



Think this could be his daddy though? Looks just like him at this age. This was my favourite Roger, though I didn't really care for either of them like Jagger.

Cletus has the crow like Jagger though



Randy.. I think he may have been Jagger's son.



Resemblance yes?

This is all pure speculation. I know only his mother was Bonnie

 

[aoxa]

Ok, I know the answer is in this thread, and I should know it, but I don't have time to try and find it.. sorry


I just read Sally Sunshine's great article about vent gleet that was on the homepage a few days ago. The question I have is, vent gleet is not necessarily the same as just sticky gross butt right? I have read many times about the horrid smell associated with vent gleet, and two of my sloppy derriere girls don't smell, they are just messy ladies that no matter how many times I clean them, it ends up caking back up again. I've even watched them defecate, their droppings are normal in appearance, but it just smears down their feathers, and gets all gunked up. Last time I cleaned them I trimmed their butt feathers but some still manages to get stuck on there. Other than the obvious waste on their feathers, there is no other discharge.

I don't do FF, aside from it's health benefits, might it help with this issue as well?

what do you all think?

MB

I think it just happens.. It happens more to big bottomed girls.

My cochins were notorious for it.

 

[Quailsong]

Hey all, still managing to keep up with the thread!

I found a bit of info for you FF folks who might be concerned about flouride in tap water. 'Holy Basil (Tulsi) Found To Remove Flouride From Water'

 

[FarmerJH]

Just caught up on the last couple days, hilarious! And congrats on 9 years!

Here are a couple pics of my birds
The bantam cochin with her foster BC chicks:



My whoknowswhatbreedsheis hen




Twinkle toes who is a riot



and the 3 amigos who are about 11 weeks old now

 

[aoxa]

My whoknowswhatbreedsheis hen




Twinkle toes who is a riot

Whoknowswhatbreeditis hen looks like a Blue Australorp to me.

 

[FarmerJH]

Whoknowswhatbreeditis hen looks like a Blue Australorp to me.

Are they huge? She's 11lbs

 

[loanwizard]

Well... been scrapping with this mother in the henhouse every night when I collect eggs. Every day I extract 3-4 eggs from under her and get hen pecked for my trouble. So.... last night I gots this brite idee. Instead of extracting eggs, I added some. Ol Biddy is now a settin on a dozen eggs. We will see if it lasts for 3 weeks. Now, for those of you that don't incubate. My egg boxes are elevated because I have hounds that like to share my eggs with me. Do I put her and the eggs in isolation now, before they hatch like this weekend or next weekend or wait til they hatch, or leave her to figure out how to get them to jump.... probably 3 feet off the ground?