The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[countrygirl74]

I think I should have a cot in the heated room.. Here's my thinking.. What if I breed Alice and she is due to kid for the first time? I'm going to want to be close right! LOL

Susan thinks I'm nuts.

I'm going to be spending more of my time in the barn than in the house. Must put wifi out there!

You need to do what makes you comfortable..me..I would not worry unless it was lead based paint.
I have never heard of new chicks having cocci..
at lock down..all air cells should have had a shrink of 33%. The rest of the egg should be dark.

day 10 duck

air cell shrinkage

day 25 duck egg
They all looked infertile to me..duck eggs have large veins you can see on day 10. Much easier than chicken eggs. They are more active at day 10 too.

Thanks for the info Delisha - now I know what to look for. I am surprised they all weren't viable as some of the eggs I was eating around the same time I collected those, were definitely fertile - I am going to try again. I will candle them all on day 10 to make sure so she doesn't sit on a bad batch for 30 days again.

 

[lalaland]

Quote:

I don't think I could ever finish my chores

am always over doing it in the garden - it was tilled Friday and I could probably easily spend the rest of the week planting. that doesn't count the household chores, or painting the trailer coop or the old tiny coop turned garden shed, or...and the list goes on

Good evening all. Lost my quoted reply when i went to post it so here is the condensed version.
YAY on new barns,puppies, chicks,horses, duck ponds and etc..
BOO to the reaction of the "thing",rotten eggs, mean 2nd mamas and internal egg layers.
I have a 2yr old hen that is headed down the same road as the last one that died a month ago. Think its an internal egg layer thing also. She is the head hen she looked and acted fine two days ago. Tried all things I could think of to treat her but I know it is a loosing battle.
Well the little ones are as intergrated with the big ones as they are going to get. Took the chicken wire down that separated the coop. They share the run and free range together but that is it. Hoping for the best. They aren't so little any more.

zinia, I love how you summed up all the posts in two sentences! really fun and it made me realize how much is going on around this thread.
Are those swedish flower hens? I have two 3 day olds.

Good news is no more pinky mauve water droppings from the babies, so I am going to hold off on treating for cocci.

 

[smccuen]

While digging for this...

We found this.....

What is it?!

It may be the pupa of a Hornworm moth

 

[zinia8]

Lalaland- not swedes even though I would love to have some. They are on my wish list along with cream legbars. These are hatchery speckled sussex 12 wk olds. I got them at TSC. There was only suppose to be 6 but ended up with 7. Kid that was packing them in the box thought one jumped out so stuffed another one in. Anyway ended up with 6 SS (2 boys 4 girls) and one that I think is a light brown leghorn girl

And yes they do graze the danelion fluff.

 

[BlueMouse]

And yes they do graze the danelion fluff.

My chickens are ridiculous with that too. It's so hilarious to watch my little EE and her Bantie cochin pal dart around the yard from dandelion fluff to dandelion fluff, sometimes with the fluffy bits hanging out of their beaks... Since we haven't mowed in a bit, sometimes the banty cochin has to jump to reach them.

It's ranined and rained and rained some more here, big thunderstorms and just steady bad weather, which means that the chickens are spending a lot of their time hanging out on the front porch, and pooping. Really thankful that we haven't had the serious severe weather that some places have had though. And it's been cold but not cold enough to frost any of my plants, since I only have the really hardy stuff out. I've been planting during any breaks in the rain we have. Heritage Field corn, squash and beans, and field peas, mostly for the chickens, plus hardy vegetables in the garden. I have lettuces started under my one cold frame. My new fruit trees are shooting out leaves, and I put up Dandelion jelly, and started Dandelion wine. The chickens obvserved the dandelion picking process with great interest.

Today is day 14 for my eggs in the incubator, I'm hoping that they've survived the power outtages we had ok. We'll candle this evening, until then I'm crossing my fingers. We'll give some eggs to my broody, since she's been sitting tight for two weeks. I don't dare give her the cream legbar eggs since she's not a "proven" broody. I'll give her some of the orpington eggs instead. This is my first broody experience, and I'm quite nervous. When I see her come out in the morning to stretch her legs I normally go out with a handful of treats, Boss, grain, birdseed, and put it down. She's stopped coming off the nest when I feed everyone in the evening and I want to be sure she's getting something. I know, I know, she can probably take care of herself. I guess I'm just a nervous chicken mama.

That moth chrysalis is very cool! I found some creepy crawlers while hilling earth for my corn, but not as fun as a chrysalis! They were something like four or five inches long, looked like a centipede but had HUGE mandibles in the front. They looked like something that I didn't want to bite me, so I picked them up on my shovel and took them to the chickens. My boss hen Mrs. Henny Penny thought they were extremely tasty.

 

[armorfirelady]

I got my babies !!! The EE Edie is the oldest & a meanie to the littles when they want to eat. Might just have to set up area that only they fit in. Edie doesn't want to be held but def not afraid of me. I put her on the roost so littles could eat and she just gave me a dirty look lol.

The babies were hungry to. I got a plastic chick feeded but had to cut holes bigger so they could eat but not let them stand in the food

2 BCMs & the littlest BR

Since Edie was chasing the little ones from the feeder I put another pan in. And one decided it was easier to eat this way

And since they have feathered legs I will be cleaning feet later lol

Thanks to Sally8 for the beautiful babies I love them already

 

[zinia8]

Well I think I have an epidemic on my hands. Another two yr old hen going down. I am starting to think it may be posioning of some sorts. They have been free ranging at the neighbors. Gonna try an epsom salt flush but I feel it maybe to late. Purple comb on the head hen. Other one is just laying around.

 

[countrygirl74]

So, those duck eggs that I posted pics of the other day... I took them all out of the nest and out to the field across the street and broke them open. I know you said not to, but I wanted to see.

Anyway, they didn't smell at all! Not a single one was fertile I guess - no development on any of the 7. I wish I had candled earlier. My poor silkie sat on those for 30 days.

Most of the duck eggs that I eat are fertile so I think I just put those eggs in too soon and my drake wasn't covering them well a month ago.

QUESTION: My silkie has lost a bit of weight so I am thinking I shouldn't let her sit again?? She doesn't seem too distraught about the eggs disappearing. She ate a ton, took a dust bath, and ran around. She even jumped on my lap for a good scratch. However, she did go back into her nest and start lining it with feathers again... Should I let her go again or let one of my ducks try? Here's my dilemma... I only want 4-6 ducklings, not a whole bunch! Don't ducks like to fill a nest pretty full before sitting? Also, I have a drake and 2 other females - one of which is a Jumbo Pekin. The one who wants the eggs and built the nest for them is my regular Pekin. I just thought it would be easier to let my silkie hatch a few rather than deal with all the duck drama as I heard the Jumbo can step on them and the drake can be mean to them.
Thoughts anyone???

 

[aoxa]

I got my babies !!! The EE Edie is the oldest & a meanie to the littles when they want to eat. Might just have to set up area that only they fit in. Edie doesn't want to be held but def not afraid of me. I put her on the roost so littles could eat and she just gave me a dirty look lol.

The babies were hungry to. I got a plastic chick feeded but had to cut holes bigger so they could eat but not let them stand in the food

I had a white EE named Eedie! How awesome

 

[aoxa]

Well I think I have an epidemic on my hands. Another two yr old hen going down. I am starting to think it may be posioning of some sorts. They have been free ranging at the neighbors. Gonna try an epsom salt flush but I feel it maybe to late. Purple comb on the head hen. Other one is just laying around.